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Special to the Daily Planet
          Elizabeth Addison, an award-winning printmaker who lives in Berkeley, observes the Day of the Dead.  She has made an altar dedicated to her friend of more than 20 years, who died of breast cancer.
Special to the Daily Planet Elizabeth Addison, an award-winning printmaker who lives in Berkeley, observes the Day of the Dead. She has made an altar dedicated to her friend of more than 20 years, who died of breast cancer.
 

News

Day of the Dead reaches beyond

By Brian Kluepfel
Saturday November 02, 2002

Rather than fearing death, Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) winks at it, seeing it simply as part of the natural cycle of life. Throughout Latin America and other places where the tradition is honored, the first two days of November are a time to remember deceased friends and relatives with altars, visits to their graves and offerings of music and food. 

Berkeley sculptor Carol Stewart first discovered Day of the Dead in her travels through Latin America. Soon afterward she was incorporating them into her art work. “When people in my family died, we didn’t know how to deal with it,” she said. “We could never express our grief. In Latin America, they thumb their nose at death, and see it as the other side of the coin. I think that’s really healthy.”  

In recent years, awareness of the Day of the Dead has grown outside its traditional boundaries. Several Berkeley artists, including Stewart, were chosen this year to make contributions to San Francisco gallery SomArts’ Day of the Dead exhibit, and in doing so, have shown how the non-Latino community has embraced the day of remembrance. 

Stewart’s contribution to the exhibit “Under the Skin” is a collection of figurines draped with fabric, encircled with wire and illuminated from behind.  

She said the piece represents her father’s death this year from melanoma, with the figures symbolizing the body and the wire symbolizing the cancer. “There’s a thin veil between life and death,” she said. “I saw that with my father.”  

Printmaker and Berkeley resident Elizabeth Addison’s altar, “She Could Have Danced All Night,” pays tribute to her friend Nancy Wilcox who also died of cancer this year. Wilcox loved dancing and parties, said Addison, and her exhibit includes prints of couples dancing and embracing. 

“It really took on a life of its own,” said Addison. Her tribute reveals traditional and modern influence. It includes a collage that Wilcox made entitled “Mexican Dresses” and computer-generated music by Wilcox’ son. A slide projection of William Shakespeare’s 30th Sonnet, which Addison read at her friend’s memorial service this spring, enfolds and completes the altar.  

Addison spoke highly of show curator Rene Yañez, who has been organizing Day of the Dead events in the Bay Area for three decades. “Rene really tries to make it cross-cultural, and we all bring our own sensibilities to it. It’s not something that’s strictly Hispanic,” she said. 

Berkeley artist Jos Sances agreed. “I’ve been working with Rene for over 20 years, and he was always a guy who was into sharing culture, not keeping it separate,” said Sances, whose own tribute to the late Fetterly Gallery director Dan Robeski is included in the SomArts show. “The cross-hybridization adds 

vitality to the show,” he said.  

For Sances, who grew up in New England, Day of the Dead evokes “the bittersweet melancholy of autumn. There’s an understanding that the light is diminishing and the cold of winter is in front of you,” he said. “It’s a very profound time for me and as close to spiritual as I get.”  

Sances says that the Halloween he grew up with does not come close to its Latin American counterpart. “It never had the resonance of Day of the Dead,” he said. “This really ties it all together for me.”  

Curator Yañez has personally experienced how the Day of the Dead has changed. “At first, Day of the Dead was celebrated solely within the Mexican-American community,” said Yanez. “Now, it’s been adopted by people of many cultures and religions. The Bay Area can take credit for celebrating the Day of the Dead and influencing mainstream U.S. culture.”


Mass mailing misleading?

Eric Gilmore
Saturday November 02, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

I was dismayed, although not surprised considering the source, to see such misleading information in the recent mass mailer against Measure O, the initiative demanding organic, fair-trade, or shade-grown coffee. Why does the mass mailer mislead voters by implying that a violation automatically brings a six-month jail term? The truth is that the penalty is up to a $100 fine or up to six months in jail, or both; a range of penalties are provided and left to a judge's discretion. A possible jail component is standard for a misdemeanor, which in Berkeley includes such things as an unauthorized barbeque on public property or riding a bicycle on the sidewalk. Ever hear of anyone going to jail for doing those things? Here’s another idea for coffee vendors: comply with the law and don’t worry about the penalty. 

The opposition, who call themselves - believe it or not - Friends of All Small Farmers, is funded almost entirely by political action committees and big corporate coffee interests, such as Peet's and Starbucks. Do Berkeley voters really think that these corporations truly have the interests of small farmers in mind? Can they be trusted to protect the environment? Why do you think these “Friends” refused every opportunity to debate the proponents of the initiative? Coffee corporations would rather be unregulated and unaccountable, allowing them to reap record profits while the environment suffers and workers struggle to survive.  

 

 

Eric Gilmore 

Berkeley


Rows of early 20th century homes line early streetcar lines

By Susan Cerny
Saturday November 02, 2002

After the electric streetcar was introduced in 1891, and then consolidated and expanded in 1903, the streets along the routes, and within walking distance of a streetcar stop, were subdivided for homes. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (formerly Grove Street) was the location of the earliest electric street car, and today is lined with 2 to 3 story houses called “Classic Boxes.”  

The Classic Box was so popular after the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, that streetcar suburbs across the United States and Canada were soon filled with them. They are quintessentially North American and were built with little regard for climate or location from Key West to Vancouver, British Cloumbia.  

With established electric streetcar lines, Berkeley became an increasingly popular residential community especially after the 1906 earthquake and fire which resulted in a sudden increase in Berkeley's population. Many who had lost their homes in San Francisco considered Berkeley a safer alternative and the city's population grew from 13,000 in 1900 to 42,000 in 1910.  

It was during this building boom that the Classic Box was so popular. There are many variations of this square or rectangular boxy style, but they usually are 2 to 3 stories high and have hipped roofs with central dormers. Some were designed by architects, some are wide and large, and some narrow and small. Some have elaborate classic details and others are plain and covered with brown shingles in the “Craftsman Style.” Some were designed to look like single family dwellings but were actually built with two to four units. They have a good flexible floor plan, and are easy to convert to multiple units or for making additions to the rear without changing the facade. In Berkeley they date from about 1895 to 1915, so they are rather old.  

Because these houses were built along major public transportation corridors, and in the now older sections of town closest to downtown, they are being lost at an alarming rate everywhere. Berkeley, over the years, has lost entire blocks of these large, handsome houses, particularly in central Berkeley.  

Buildings such as these Classic Boxes, and later the California bungalows, give Berkeley a special character not found in the newer communities of California where the majority of the population lives. They provide housing options that are more varied than the corporate alternative.  

Berkeley is a very nice and rather interesting older American city with layers of history in a real setting. It can never be a European city. Preserving Berkeley's homes and its neighborhoods protects those aspects of Berkeley, which make it unique, worth living in and exploring. 

 

Susan Cerny is the author of the book “Berkeley Landmarks” and writes this column in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.


Run-DMC’s acclaimed DJ an unlikely target

By Larry McShane
Saturday November 02, 2002

NEW YORK — As one of the forefathers of rap, with a history of social activism, Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay was an unlikely target for the kind of violence that killed rappers Tupac Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G. 

He was married with three kids, and a fixture in the Queens neighborhood where he grew up. Yet authorities were searching Thursday for the gunman who killed the 37-year-old disc jockey with a gunshot to the head inside his recording studio. 

“Jam Master Jay was a longtime family man and one of the founders of the group that knocked down all the doors for hip-hop, and a dear friend of mine,” said Russell Simmons, the hip-hop impresario whose brother Joe was Jay’s bandmate. 

“I loved him,” said a devastated Simmons. “I will miss him. He is irreplaceable.” 

Chuck D, frontman for rappers Public Enemy, agreed with that sentiment. 

“You draw the comparison to when John Lennon was shot,” he said. “It’s an enormous loss to the genre.” 

The DJ — whose real name was Jason Mizell — was the man behind the music, working the turntables as Joe “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels rapped over his hard rock beats on hits like “Rock Box,” “King of Rock” and their Top 40 cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” 

“He was family to me,” McDaniels said. “He stuck to the true essence of what a DJ in a hip-hop performance should be. The whole music industry has lost a great talent.” 

He spun and scratched records on twin turntables simultaneously, creating a new style and sound that was copied by endless disc jockeys. “If Grandmaster Flash was the first famous DJ, Jay had to be the second,” said Andre Harrell, a Mizell contemporary who now heads Nu America Music. 

While breaking new ground, Run-DMC made hip-hop commercially viable, becoming a platinum-selling act that earned a 1987 Grammy nomination. 

In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Mizell talked about how some initially said rap was a passing fad. 

“I hated that, because even before we were making records, I knew it couldn’t be a fad because it was the biggest thing in the world to me,” he said. 

Run-DMC created opportunities for untold rappers to follow, expanding their work into movies and a line of clothing. 

“It’s a terrible loss,” Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, who joined Run-DMC on a national tour in the mid-1980s. “If Jam Master Jay and Run-DMC hadn’t looked out for us way back when, I don’t know where we’d be now.” 

Run-DMC, three friends who hailed from the Hollis section of Queens, was always above the thuggishness that later came to dominate hip-hop. “It’s not like we just have scrambled brains and gold chains,” McDaniels once told the AP. 

Last year, Simmons said: “We never talked about nothing that was ungodly too much anyways. Run-DMC was no thugged-out gangsta killers, cursing all over their records.”


Berkeley defense dominates showdown with Spartans

By Jared Green
Saturday November 02, 2002

The Berkeley Yellowjackets had a 7-0 record heading into Friday night’s showdown with Pinole Valley High, built mostly on overwhelming wins over underwhelming opponents. Berkeley had surrendered just 55 points all season and had the second-rated defense in the Bay Area. The question was, were the Jackets ready to take down a quality opponent and beat the Spartans for the first time in seven years? 

The Berkeley defense answered that question with a resounding yes. It held the Spartans scoreless while the Jacket offense got three scores off of Pinole Valley turnovers, and Berkeley (8-0 overall, 5-0 ACCAL) prevailed, 17-0, to take command of the Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League race. 

“I knew we were good enough to shut them out, but once the game starts, mistakes get made,” Berkeley defensive coordinator Ronald Moore said. “But the defense played pretty much a perfect game tonight.” 

The Yellowjackets intercepted three Anthony Lopez passes, including Patrick Henderson’s pick that the sophomore returned 78 yards to the Pinole Valley 10 with four minutes left in the game. Fellow sophomore Antoine Cokes scored on a sweep on the next play to give the Jackets an insurmountable 17-0 lead. 

Pinole Valley (6-2, 4-1) managed just 142 yards in the game, including a meager 33 in the first half. Berkeley’s offense wasn’t much better, gaining just 181 yards, but the Yellowjackets didn’t commit a turnover and took advantage of some great field position in the second half. 

“The idea was not to be too aggressive and not make mistakes,” Berkeley offensive coordinator Clarence Johnson said. “We wanted to use the field position that our defense gave us.” 

The Jackets were almost too patient, failing to score touchdowns on two drives inside the Pinole Valley 10-yard line in the first half. But the Jackets did put the winning points on the scoreboard when kicker Terrell Elliot made a 27-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. 

Berkeley caught the break it needed right away in the second half, as Pinole Valley’s Damarea Johnson fumbled the opening kickoff right into the waiting hands of Berkeley’s Finus Cokes on the 14-yard line. Quarterback Dessalines Gant used a nice second effort to score from the 1 for a 10-0 Berkeley lead. 

The Berkeley defense stood strong against the vaunted Pinole Valley running game, allowing the Spartans less than three yards per carry. Anchored by tackles Jamal Lucas-Johnson and Myron Seals and with Robert Hunter-Ford, Rodney Jones and Julian James attacking from the edges, the Yellowjackets swarmed the Pinole Valley running backs every time they touched the ball.  

The Jackets also had three sacks of Lopez, all in the second half, and Jones caused one of the interceptions by dragging Lopez down as the quarterback threw the ball into cornerback Robert Young’s arms in the third quarter. Hunter-Ford came up with Berkeley’s first interception, reading a screen pass and stepping into the passing lane just before halftime to set up Elliot’s field goal. 

While the victory was certainly enjoyed by all of the Berkeley players, Johnson-Lucas was more grateful than most. The 300-pound senior missed last season’s ACCAL-title-deciding game against the Spartans due to academics, and he took out two years’ worth of frustration on Friday night. Johnson-Lucas was a monster in the middle, pile-driving any Spartan running back who dared run up the gut. 

“I had a whole lot to prove tonight,” Johnson-Lucas said. “I just wanted to go out with a bang. I guess we did that, didn’t we?” 

With games against Alameda and El Cerrito left in the regular season, the Jackets figure to finish undefeated and with an automatic berth to the North Coast Section playoffs. It would be the first postseason appearance for every Yellowjacket player and coach, a nice reward for the most talented Berkeley team in recent memory. 

“This is such a great feeling,” middle linebacker Owen Goldstrom said. “Now we just have to make sure we win the rest of our games and make the playoffs. Once we’re there, that’s when we can do some real damage.”


Candidates spend half a million in Berkeley races

By David Scharfenberg
Saturday November 02, 2002

Berkeley candidates for public office will raise and borrow nearly $500,000 this year, according to campaign finance records. 

Mayor Shirley Dean and challenger Tom Bates have raised roughly $300,000, making their quests for Berkeley’s highest office the most expensive race this year. 

As of the last official filing deadline on Oct. 19, Dean held a roughly $9,000 fundraising edge, $142,293 to $133,963. Both candidates have taken in thousands of dollars in additional contributions since then. 

The totals put this year’s race on par with the last two mayoral contests. In 1994, according to the city clerk’s office, Dean and opponent Donald Jelinek raised about $390,000, including funds for a runoff. In 1998, Dean and Jelinek faced off again, raising roughly $320,000. 

Fundraising has been the source of heavy sniping between the mayoral camps, with both sides filing charges of campaign finance improprieties against the other. The city’s Fair Campaign Practices Commission has absolved Bates of all charges but found that Dean’s 1998 campaign made a $3,000 accounting error. Dean has since corrected the error. 

The two sides have also raised questions about their opponents’ donors. Rent Board Commissioner Paul Hogarth, who supports Bates, has attacked Dean for taking some $20,000 from landlords and real estate interests. The Dean campaign, in turn, has criticized Bates for taking money from politicians outside Berkeley. 

Of this year’s City Council races, the contest for the 8th District’s open seat, vacated by retiring Councilmember Polly Armstrong, has been the most costly. As of Oct. 19, the four candidates had raised a cumulative $80,000, including more than $14,000 of their own money.  

Planning Commissioner Gordon Wozniak led the pack in the 8th District at $40,562, none of it personal funds. UC Berkeley graduate student Andy Katz followed with $25,225, including $8,250 of his own money, and human rights consultant Anne Wagley had $14,915, including $6,000 in personal funds. Air conditioning mechanic Carlos Estrada had not raised any money as of his last filing. 

Fundraising has taken its place alongside issues like rent control, traffic and safety in the 8th District race as a hot topic of debate. Wozniak said his significant fundraising edge shows the depth of his support in the district, which stretches south of the UC Berkeley campus. 

He said the heavy personal loans that Katz and Wagley made to their own campaigns and the significant number of contributions his rivals secured from outside the district indicate a lack of grassroots support. 

But Wagley, who has tried to position herself outside the traditional “moderate” and “progressive” camps in Berkeley politics, charged that Wozniak had an edge because he inherited the moderate fundraising “machine” from the retiring Armstrong. 

“That’s just not true,” Wozniak replied. “I’ve lived in the district for 30-some years. I have a lot of friends and neighbors.” 

In the 4th District, progressive incumbent Dona Spring led in fundraising as of the Oct. 19 filing, with $17,138, none of it personal money. Moderate-backed challenger Bob Migdal was second with $13,277, including $2,768 in personal funds. Candidate LA Wood had $12,990, nearly all of it – $11,900 – his own money. 

In the 7th District, progressive incumbent Kriss Worthington had out-raised challenger Micki Weinberg, a UC Berkeley student, $20,559 to $7,656 as of the last filing deadline. 

In the 1st District, progressive Councilmember Linda Maio had raised $850 as of Oct. 19. Her one-named challenger, Rhiannon, had raised nothing. 

In the six-candidate Board of Education race, school board President Shirley Issel led the way with $24,289 as of the Oct. 19 filing deadline, including $8,909 in personal funds. 

Candidate Sean Dugar, 18, who graduated from Berkeley High School last summer, had raised $8,105 by Oct. 19, including $6,500 in personal funds. He said Friday that he was going to add $7,000 more of his own money to help pay for mailers. 

Dugar said he inherited the money. 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net


Negative campaign bad for election

Carole Bennett-Simmons
Saturday November 02, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

I have lived and voted in Berkeley for 32 years and taught in the Berkeley public schools for 31 years. In that time, I have never received the kind of negative campaign literature for a Berkeley election than I have received for the Dean campaign this year. My family, neighbors and the people I have spoken with around Berkeley are disgusted and turned off by the personal attacks on, and the spreading of false information about, Tom Bates.  

One piece of literature sent out by Mayor Dean's campaign shows pictures of lots of lips and a picture of Tom Bates. The headlines say: “Talk is cheap” and “Tom Bates is all talk.” I think this tactic is a cheap shot and a look at Tom's record shows nothing could be further from the truth.  

Mayor Dean's literature belittles Tom Bates' call for an education summit. But I believe such a summit would be very useful. Many of the problems we face in Berkeley's schools are due to demands placed on the schools for programs that are mandated by state and federal laws, but which receive no funding for implementation. These are issues we cannot solve without developing a partnership with other levels of government and without help from a wide range of sources. Tom Bates has the ability and positive personal qualities to draw people together and build coalitions that can solve our city's problems in education and all the other areas of concern to us as Berkeley citizens. 

 

Carole Bennett-Simmons 

Berkeley 


Exhibit draws eerie parallels

By Chaka Ferguson
Saturday November 02, 2002

NEW YORK — In this shooting gallery within an art gallery, a pellet gun and a bull’s-eye over a human target evoke images of the recent sniper shootings. 

“Shoot Me,” by Miyoung Song at the Puffin Room in Manhattan’s SoHo district, is a video installation about the darker side of human nature. 

Despite its similarities, “Shoot Me” is not based on the Washington-area sniper shootings. “It’s a metaphor,” the artist said. The exhibit opened on Sept. 21 — more than a week before the first shooting — and a similar show by Song was first exhibited last year. 

Song’s work is part of a larger exhibit on Korean American art that runs through Nov. 10. 

The show is intended to explore violence in the United States, especially toward women, and the country’s obsession with guns. “The human subconsciousness is the most violent terror,” Song said. 

The installation, in the gallery’s dimly lighted basement, has a target superimposed over video images of women and children. A faux handgun loaded with plastic pellets and headphones playing techno music give it the feel of an arcade.


Sports Shorts

Saturday November 02, 2002

Berkeley loses playoff berth 

The Berkeley High girls tennis team was denied an automatic berth into the North Coast Section team playoffs when Alameda High’s Erika Fong won the final set of her match with Berkeley’s Gail Nipitnorasete on Friday at Old Grove Park in Berkeley. 

The match was postponed due to darkness Thursday evening with the team match tied 3-3. The two teams finished the ACCAL season 9-1 and split their matches, resulting in co-champion status. The playoff, which started at El Cerrito High, was played to determine which team would get the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs.  

Each player had won a set on Thursday night, and a protracted battle over when and where to play the final set added drama to the event. 

Nipitnorasete came out strong on Friday morning, taking a 5-4 game lead and serving for three set points. But Fong managed to fight off the points and forced a tiebreaker, which the Alameda freshman won 8-6. 

Berkeley head coach Alex Kopel said he intends to apply for an at-large berth into the NCS playoffs, but isn’t holding out much hope. 

“From what I’ve heard, I don’t think we have a very good chance,” Kopel said. 

The NCS individual playoffs start on Monday at El Cerrito High. Berkeley’s Megan Sweeney, who was undefeated this season, is the top seed and has a first-round bye. Berkeley’s other entry, Clara Mattei, is the No. 4 seed and will play her first-round match at 12:15 p.m. 

 

Bears win exhibition opener 

Newcomer Timea Ivanyi scored a game-high 15 points as the Cal women’s basketball team defeated Team Concept, 69-57, Friday night at Haas Pavilion in its first exhibition of the 2002-03 season.  

The Bears were in control most of the game and led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter before a late surge by Team Concept cut the margin to 12.  

“I thought they played very well,” said Cal acting head coach Barb Smith. “We didn’t have every play in place for the year. We didn’t have every out of bounds play [in place]. We didn’t have every defensive thing that we’re going to do this year in place, but they played together, and they played hard. That made a difference.”  

Smith, a first-year assistant coach at Cal, coached the Bears in place of Caren Horstmeyer, who gave birth to Kylie Joy on Monday, Oct. 28. Horstmeyer will rejoin the team next week.  

Ivanyi, a junior center who transferred to Cal from Jefferson College, scored on a variety of nice moves in the paint. Cal’s sophomore point guard Kristin Iwanaga pitched in 13 points, six assists and four steals. Teammates Kiki Williams and Leigh Gregory each had 12 points. Gregory also led the Bears with nine rebounds.


Neighbors try to wipe out blight

By Matthew Artz
Saturday November 02, 2002

A group of south Berkeley neighbors wants to meet the first African American to officiate a professional football game. But they’re not asking for his autograph. They want to tell him to fix up his run-down property on the corner of Sacramento and Julia streets. 

Blighted property is a citywide phenomenon, said Michael Caplan, a city neighborhood services liaison and a member of the city manager’s problem property team. Team members track derelict properties and work with neighbors who have become increasingly willing to take action against troublesome tenants and owners. 

Burl Toler, a San Francisco resident, a retired National Football League official and current board member of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, has owned the south Berkeley lot where the defunct King Liquors store sits since 1994. 

The shop closed down in the mid–80s’, and since then, neighbors say the lot has been used as a dumping ground. 

“A lot of homeless people come here to go through the trash. It makes the place look ghetto,” said Runni Vermel who lives directly behind the lot. 

Last December, fed-up neighbors sent Toler a letter imploring him to either renovate the property or sell it to somebody who would. 

Toler never responded. Now the neighbors, represented by the Russell, Oregon and California Street Neighborhood Organization, are considering legal recourse. 

Mark Goldowitz, an attorney who lives and works near the lot has offered his assistance in organizing a small claims suit against Toler. Neighbors who live in the lot’s immediate vicinity could sue Toler for $5,000 because of the negative effects his derelict property has had on adjacent homes, Goldowitz said. 

Stephanie Roesner, a neighbor, said that the tactic worked 13 years ago on Russell Street when more than 20 neighbors filed individual suits against the owners of the crime–ridden Rosewood Apartments on the 1600 block of Russell Street. The owners lost in court and ultimately sold the building to the city. 

However, Toler’s son, Gregory, said legal action will not be necessary in this case. 

“We’re going to work with the city of Berkeley as best we can to make sure the property is maintained until it is developed in the near future,” he said, adding that last week he had trash removed from the lot. 

Taj Johns, a city neighborhood services liaison, met with Toler and his father on Tuesday and said they made progress on addressing the neighbors’ concerns. 

In the short term, the Tolers agreed to do weekly maintenance and install lights on the property, Johns said. If the Tolers fail to keep the lot free of trash, the city has the authority to put a lien on the property. 

The ultimate future of the plot, though, remains unclear.  

Gregory Toler said his family would like to build a small development with a ground floor shop and fewer than 20 units of housing above. 

But he acknowledged that developers have not shown interest. He and his father are working on financing the project themselves. They have not hired a designer and have no timetable on when their plans will be finalized. 

Neighbors cringed when told of the Tolers plans. “He’s got to be kidding,” said Roesner, noting that at 3,100 square feet, the lot is less then a tenth of an acre and smaller than the nearby lots with single family homes. “Certainly a retail space is needed with maybe one or two apartments above, but anything else is totally out of scale,” she said. 

Neighborhood cleanup efforts continue today in south Berkeley with a city sponsored cleanup of Sacramento Street from Dwight Way to the Oakland border. 

 

Contact reporter at matt@berkeleydailyplanet.net


To the undecided

Eric Goedken Eric Goedken Eric Goedken
Saturday November 02, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

I address this to those that are still undecided in the Berkeley mayoral race. 

I find that an interesting comparison can be made in the headquarters of the two mayoral campaigns. That of Mayor Shirley Dean is located in a bright, resurgent downtown surrounded by a bevy of new business and shops. The headquarters for Tom Bates' campaign are in a dingy south Berkeley, graffiti-laden building near closed stores and a massage parlor. This is likely the future for Berkeley if the idealistic but impractical ideas of the progressives are given the power of the mayor's office. 

Berkeley is better off after Mayor Dean's efforts in office.  

 

Eric Goedken 

Berkeley


Feel-good tales from the American Midwest

By Jane Yin
Saturday November 02, 2002

The famed radio host, author, and critic Garrison Keillor, known for his feel-good anecdotes and humorous food-for-thought, has recently delivered “Good Poems” to bookstands. The collection is just that – an all-embracing compilation of straightforward, graceful poems, some of which he will be reading next Tuesday at the First Congregational Church in Berkeley.  

“Good Poems” is a collection of the poetry he reads on morning National Public Radio show “The Writer’s Almanac” providing listeners more than sugar with their coffee. The markedly honest poems discuss topics like lovers, failure, music and beasts. The story lines range from the feeling you get after watching a movie to, just pages later, “Master Works of Ming” which describes a woman who fills bowls with rice. Keillor has selected and arranged the poems to provide solace, invoke laughter and force the reader to pause for reflection. 

Being a native of Minnesota, Keillor began careers in his home state both in radio and writing. He has always written short stories, many of which he began sending to “The New Yorker” in the 1960s and anxiously waited for editors to accept or decline them. In 1969 Keillor began to work for Minnesota Public Radio. In 1974, he began his own live variety radio show “Prairie Home Companion.” By 1980, the show had gained national success but was brought to an end seven years later when it became too tiring for Keillor to continue. The popular radio show host soon regretted this decision and resumed the show in 1989. Again, it was broadcast from its original location, the World Theater in St. Paul, Minn.  

Keillor is an author of more then 10 books, including “Lake Wobegon Summer 1956” and “Wobegon Boy.” Many of his works focus on childhood and the culture of the American Midwest. He has also authored several children’s books.  

“I look on writing as simply something I do every day,” explained Keillor, “as some people attend Mass and others tend gardens, so I sit down and write. I’d like to be a man of letters, capable of fiction, poetry, drama and criticism, and I have a long way to go.” 

Not only can humor be found in his fictional anecdotes, but he reveals it within his own life. He speaks of his job hunt right out of college when he lived in a boarding house that he later discovered was a halfway house. 

“The residents sat in the dayroom, stunned by Thorazine, and jabbered,” reminisced Keillor, “I sat and recorded some of their thoughts, imagining that I’d write a story about this. One man claimed to have known Dorothy Parker. I listened to him talk about Dotty for hours, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not, and finally decided I didn’t care.” 

Now, years later, his work as a radio host and writer are so well-known and enjoyed that he and his show have become a fixture in many people’s lives. 

“Every Arbor Day I get together with some of my fellow archetypes – Donald Trump and Sally Ride and Willard Scoot and Martha Stewart – and we talk about what it’s like. Frankly, it’s OK. It’s not a dignified life, but we seem to serve a useful function as landmarks, like the Chrysler Building or the pier at Santa Monica.


Mayoral candidates not far apart

By Judith Scherr
Saturday November 02, 2002

Tuesday voters will choose between two seasoned politicians vying for mayor. Both incumbent Mayor Shirley Dean and former state Assemblymember Tom Bates are Democrats and claim many of the same goals: the creation of housing for all income levels built along transit corridors; standing up to UC Berkeley to make it pay costs the city incurs on the university’s behalf; creating a sustainable city, including support for solar power and reduction of the use of fossil fuels. Both candidates want to address the gap in health and education between flatlanders and hills residents.  

The candidates, however, differ in their strategies and alliances. Bates supports rent control; Dean supports rent control but wants it tied to need. Dean demands more parking downtown; Bates says the city must ascertain whether it’s needed before building it. 

Bates wants to create a Rules Committee to streamline council meetings; Dean calls the proposal undemocratic. 

Each tout local, state and national allies, ties which they say gives them clout to get their programs implemented. Dean’s nationwide ties include people from the Conference of Mayors where she chairs a committee on cities and universities; and she has developed a close working relationship with state Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland. Her supporters include the three council moderates, the Berkeley Democratic Club, the police and firefighter unions, and the dog aficionados’ organization, Bark. 

Bates touts ties from his 20 years in the Assembly, including Attorney General Bill Lockyer and, of course, his spouse, former mayor Loni Hancock who is assemblymember elect from Berkeley. He also has a close working relationship with Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland. Bates is supported by four of the five progressive councilmembers and backed by Berkeley Citizens Action, the Green Party, and the Alameda Central Labor Council. 

The Daily Planet was unable to reach a third candidate, John Patrick Bouchell, who, on the statement filed with the city clerk, says he’s 47 and a graduate of Princeton University. He writes: "In my lifetime I have been primarily a student, a teacher, and an absolutely astounded witness to the human drama and, at times, comedy."  

On this page, the Daily Planet looks at ways in which Dean and Bates differ.


Politically correct free speech?

Justin Azadivar
Saturday November 02, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Aftim Saba’s letter (Forum, Nov. 1) suggests that he is somewhat confused. The bulk of the letter is a long and involved discussion about how council candidate Micki Weinberg would be a bad Israeli politician. As a brief correction or clarification, allow me to point out that Weinberg is running for Berkeley City Council, which is not part of the Israeli government, thereby making his views on Israeli politics irrelevant. 

Saba then goes on to say that Weinberg is “rabidly anti-free speech” for his view that students who disrupt classes should face consequences. If a group of students was to burst into Saba's home and scream about a cause, and if Saba was to call the police and press charges, I wonder if it would be appropriate to label Saba as “rabidly anti-free speech.” The university is an educational institution. Disruption of education on a university is not free speech. Amazingly enough, while Saba objects heartily to the university trying to allow its students to get an education “uninterrupted by anyone,” Saba goes on to claim that he is proud that Berkeley is “politically-correct.” Political correctness and free speech are at dramatic odds with one another. Perhaps Saba is the type who thinks that a group such as the KKK is not entitled to free speech, because they are politically incorrect. 

 

Justin Azadivar 

Berkeley 


Vietnamese outraged by actor’s punishment

By Ian Stewart
Saturday November 02, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Celebrated Vietnamese actor Don Duong has played an army commander, a refugee and a pedicab driver from post-war Saigon. Now he’s been cast as an outlaw by the nation’s communist leaders, forbidden to leave Vietnam and banned from acting for five years. 

Branding Duong a “national traitor,” Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture and Information recommended that the actor be punished for his portrayal of a North Vietnamese commander in the Paramount film “We Were Soldiers.” 

The treatment of Duong, one of Vietnam’s most popular actors, has outraged people in the large Vietnamese communities in California. 

“This incident just shows that Vietnam’s communists have no freedom of speech,” said Ky Ngo, the advisor to the President of the Vietnamese-American Community of Northern California. 

“I’m happy this has happened. This shows the American people that Vietnam has no freedoms,” he said. 

Officials at Paramount said Thursday that they were monitoring the situation and did not have an immediate comment. 

An official in Ho City Minh City, formerly Saigon, said Duong had not been detained or arrested. His final fate has yet to be determined. 

But Culture Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thuy Thanh said “We Were Soldiers” did not portray North Vietnam’s war aganst the United States in an accurate light. 

Duong also was criticized for playing a refugee in “Green Dragon” — a role the Vietnamese government labelled a distortion of the country’s past. 

“I haven’t seen these two movies myself, but authoritative personnel who have seen the movies “We Were Soldiers” did not correctly reflect the true history of the legitimate struggle of the Vietnamese people,” she said at a news conference. 

Vietnam’s communist government has led a strident campaign against “We Were Soldiers” in the country’s state-controlled media, accusing it of distorting history and harming the image of Vietnamese soldiers.


Sharon meets former prime minister Netanyahu for talks on possible alliance

By Steve Weizman
Saturday November 02, 2002

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met Friday with former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, a sometimes ally and sometimes rival, and offered him the job of foreign minister in the fragile minority government. 

The talks at Sharon’s sheep farm in the Negev desert ended with neither man speaking to the reporters. A senior Israeli diplomatic official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Sharon was offering Netanyahu the foreign minister’s post. 

The official said the two agreed to meet again Sunday — an indication that Netanyahu had not turned down the offer. “The door hasn’t been closed,” the official said. 

The moderate Labor Party, the largest faction in Sharon’s coalition, quit the Cabinet this week over a budget dispute, leaving the government without a majority. 

The walkout made vacant the foreign affairs portfolio, formerly held by Labor’s Shimon Peres. 

Peres was a welcome visitor in foreign capitals and a skilled advocate of Israeli policies at a time when they face fierce criticism abroad. 

Netanyahu is widely expected to challenge Sharon for the leadership of the Likud party before the next election. The American-educated Netanyahu is skilled in using the media and experienced in diplomacy. 

When Netanyahu was prime minister from 1996-99, he brought Sharon in as foreign minister for part of his tenure. 

It appeared Sharon would prefer to bring Netanyahu into the government, where he would be subject to Cabinet discipline, than allow him to offer up criticism from the outside. 

Sharon has offered Labor leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer’s post as defense minister to former army chief of staff Shaul Mofaz. 

Mofaz has a reputation as a hard-liner and oversaw the army’s crackdown against the Palestinian uprising for most of the past two years. Mofaz also has advocated exiling Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. 

Sharon is looking to small, far-right parties in an attempt to maintain a viable coalition, but he said he would not change his positions to accommodate them. 

“I am on the way to forming a government with a different makeup,” he told the Maariv newspaper. “Policy lines will remain exactly the same policy lines and its goals won’t change: war on terror, renewing political negotiations and reaching an agreement.” 

Sharon’s coalition now has only 55 seats in the 120-seat parliament. 

One candidate for inclusion is the far-right National Union-Israel Beiteinu party, which has seven seats, enough to restore the government’s majority. 

The party was originally part of Sharon’s coalition when it was formed last year, but later left amid policy disputes. 

National Union legislators have said they want Sharon to distance himself from some of the policies they believe were put in place to appease the Labor Party. 

The National Union opposes negotiations with the Palestinians and favors annexing the West Bank and Gaza Strip, lands the Palestinians want for a future state. Some party members support expelling the Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 

Israeli newspapers reported that Sharon talked to U.S. administration officials on Thursday, and gave them assurances he would not make major policy changes. 

Meanwhile, in a move that signals the declining relations between Israelis and Palestinians, Israel has decided to put the military and civilian offices responsible for contacts with the Palestinians under one umbrella. 

Israeli officials say the move is meant to make things more efficient for Palestinian security officials who coordinate with the army, and for Palestinian civilians who use the offices to obtain work permits, entry permits to Israel and other documents.


Election Day Preview: Tom Bates

Compiled by Judith Scherr
Saturday November 02, 2002

Tom Bates 

Age: 64 

Born: San Diego 

Education: B.A. in speech, UC Berkeley 

Occupation: Worked in real estate and as a developer before elected to state Assembly; recently did non-profit work 

Offices held: state assemblymember (Berkeley), 1976 - 1996; Alameda County supervisor, 1972-1976 

Endorsements: Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, councilmembers Linda Maio, Margaret Breland, Dona Spring, Kriss Worthington 

Campaign Spending: raised $134,000 as of Oct. 19 

 

Rent control 

Supported rent control while in the state Legislature; continues to support it. Would make sure landlords who make repairs can pass costs on to tenants.  

 

Housing Trust Fund: Wants fund used for nonprofits to build affordable and low-income housing, not loaned to for-profit developers. 

 

Second Units: Wants to build second units behind homes to increase housing supply. To encourage that, change parking regulations to allow “tandem parking” where one car is parked directly in front of another. 

 

Divisiveness vs. cooperation : 

In Assembly, worked well with opposition and got 220 bills signed, mostly by Republican governors. He and wife, former mayor Loni Hancock blocked bulldozers about to demolish a UC Berkeley building, demonstrating their activism. (University tried to demolish the building at 6 a.m. without alerting community, Bates says.) Built amicable relations with Ira Michael Heyman, then UC Berkeley chancellor; Heyman supports Bates for mayor. Says Dean is divisive, citing her trip to Councilmember Kriss Worthington’s school in Ohio where she tried to get “dirt” on him. Dean’s negative campaign pieces indicate negative leadership style.  

 

Streamlining council meetings: To streamline council work, wants to establish Rules Committee: one progressive council member, one moderate and the mayor, staffed by the city manager; meetings open to the public. Wants the committee to establish the agenda, determine whether an item is placed on the council agenda, referred to the city manager for fiscal/program analysis, or sent to a board or commission for consideration and recommendation. Council meetings will end by 11 p.m. 

 

Streamlining city government: Wants to reduce number of boards and commissions by consolidation; allow some commissions to take their own minutes, freeing up staff; create department of the environment to consolidate functions in various departments addressing the environment. 

 

Addressing budget deficit: Says one reason for deficit is that city allowed police and fire to adopt rules that allows personnel to retire at age 50, with a sizable retirement; Suggests hiring freeze, getting citizen input on where cuts can be made, attracting new businesses and make university pay fees when it takes property off the tax roles. 

 

Economic development: Wants to attract businesses to bring sales taxes, rezone parts of Gilman Street and Ashby Avenue to allow neighborhood-serving retail below housing. Says there is a need for retail space for west Berkeley artisans; wants to market San Pablo and University avenues area as “International Market;” advocates streamlined permitting process. 

 

Parking: Not sure more parking needed; need to do study before building more parking.


State Briefs

Saturday November 02, 2002

Judge blocks ordinances 

LOS ANGELES — Citing free speech guarantees, a federal judge has blocked two ordinances enacted this year that would allow the city of Los Angeles to collect more than $3 million in annual fees from owners of outdoor billboards. 

U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson issued the 17-page ruling Thursday. 

At issue was a $314-per-sign fee imposed for annual inspections of about 10,000 billboards that are supposed to protect the city’s aesthetics and ensure public safety. 

“The only hardship the city will suffer is lost revenue, which can be recouped if the ordinances are ultimately found to be constitutional,” Wilson wrote. 

Three media conglomerates, Clear Channel Outdoor Inc., Viacom Outdoor Inc. and National Advertising Co., had sought the preliminary injunction against the ordinances, which were set to take effect Thursday. 

Richard Kendall, who represented the billboard companies, said his clients were gratified by the judge’s ruling, while a spokesman for the city attorney’s office said he was disappointed. 

 

Women testify against officer 

SAN BERNARDINO — Three women who testified at a pretrial hearing for a former police officer alleged he used his late-night patrols to hunt for potential sexual-assault victims. 

Ronald VanRossum, who has been fired from the department, faces 43 felony counts of rape and other charges involving 13 women, including several who have filed claims against the city seeking damages. 

The three women who testified at Thursday’s hearing — all referred to as “Jane Doe” — are all convicted felons. They told Superior Court Judge Kurt J. Lewin that VanRossum intimidated them with threats of arrest and violence. 

Jane Doe No. 3 said she was on methamphetamine when she met VanRossum in late 2001. She said he handcuffed her, drove her around the city for about 30 minutes, then took her to an abandoned building, where he allegedly raped her. 

In the following weeks, VanRossum allegedly drove near her home and stared at her, she said. 

“That man stalked me,” she said. 

But defense attorney Bill Hadden accused her of fabricating the story in order to sue his client and the city for $5 million. She denied the allegation. 

Jane Doe No. 2 said she was outside a liquor store in August 2000 when VanRossum approached. She said she was driven to a parking lot near an abandoned building and raped behind the officer’s car, then warned not to report the incident. 

 

Teacher pleads guilty 

VENTURA — A former elementary school teacher has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges, a prosecutor said. 

James Robertson, 57, of Thousand Oaks pleaded Thursday to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possessing child pornography, Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise said. He faces up to nine months in jail when he is sentenced Dec. 9. 

Robertson taught at White Oak Elementary in Westlake Village and was an educator for nearly 30 years in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. 

He was arrested Aug. 5 after police received a tip and found a cache of child pornography at his home, most of which had been downloaded from the Internet, Wise said.


Teen delays plea in Oakland shooting

Daily Planet Wire Service
Saturday November 02, 2002

OAKLAND — A 17-year-old boy charged with shooting an Oakland police officer in the head last month delayed entering a plea Friday in Alameda County Superior Court. 

A complaint filed Oct. 16 charges Terrance Laverne Hunter of Oakland in adult court with attempted murder of a police officer, assault with a firearm upon an officer, and unlawful possession of a firearm. 

Hunter, who is being held without bail, appeared in court in Oakland Friday morning wearing eyeglasses, a navy blue sweatshirt and tan pants. 

His court-appointed attorney, Gary L. Sherrer of Oakland, requested that the entry of plea be delayed until Nov. 8. The attorney said he has received 10 audiotapes from the prosecution in connection with the case but is still waiting for investigators' logs to be provided to him. 

Judge Allan D. Hymer agreed to put the matter over for one week. 

Sherrer declined to comment on the case outside of court. 

The charges stem from Sept. 27, when Officer Ilario Juarez, 30, stopped in front of the Mosswood Motel at 683 W. MacArthur Blvd. at about 2:45 a.m. 

As Juarez, who was patrolling alone, approached a group of individuals lingering in the motel's driveway, one person immediately separated himself from the others and fired on the officer, police said. Three bullets grazed Juarez's head, according to court documents. 

Hunter was stopped by police on the day of the shooting and later arrested when a check revealed that he was wanted on a probation violation, police said. He was arrested in connection with the shooting on Oct. 14. 

Court documents state that Juarez picked Hunter out of a photo lineup as the alleged shooter.


East Bay park district to dedicate bird preserve

Daily Planet Wire Service
Saturday November 02, 2002

The East Bay Regional Park District will hold a dedication ceremony for the Waterbird Regional Preserve near Martinez on Saturday. 

The heart of the 198-acre preserve is the Al McNabney Marsh, situated on land owned by the park district and the Mountain View Sanitary District. 

The marshland is part of the Pacific flyway for migratory birds and home to many species of native waterfowl. The completion of the preserve is the result of restoration and rehabilitation of a habitat damaged by an environmental spill in 1988. 

The marsh is part of a larger wetlands area connected by Peyton Slough, which empties into Suisun Bay. 

Speakers at Saturday's ceremony are scheduled to include U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, state Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, D-Pittsburg, Contra Costa County Supervisor Gayle Uilkema, and Will Travis, executive director of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission.


Police want help with investigation

Daily Planet Wire Service
Saturday November 02, 2002

RICHMOND — The Richmond police are requesting the public's assistance with their investigation of an attempted double homicide that occurred Thursday. 

Police say that at 1:30 p.m. they received a report of gunshots being fired in the area of the 1600 block of Portrero Avenue. Officers located evidence of a shooting there, but could not locate a victim. 

Six minutes after this first call, police were notified that two gunshot victims had arrived at Kaiser Hospital. 

The two victims, Marcio Williams, 28, of San Pablo and James Robert Lewis, 19, of Richmond were able to drive themselves to the hospital after being shot by an unknown assailant.  

According to reports, the victims were seated inside a white Mitsubishi sedan when the shooter approached on foot and open fired. 

Williams is currently listed as being in critical condition, while Lewis is described as stable. 

Police say that there is no known motive for this shooting, and anyone with information is asked to call Detective Joe Valle at (510) 620-6628, or Detective Terry Ellis at (510) 620-6625.


Body of Phoenix stuntman found

The Associated Press
Saturday November 02, 2002

OCEANO — The body of a stuntman who had been missing since parachuting into the Pacific Ocean during filming of a Bruce Willis movie was recovered Friday, officials said. 

The body of Michael Kent Barber, 39, was found shortly after 7 a.m. on Oceano Dunes State Beach, said Lt. L.R. Davis of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department. 

Barber, a Phoenix resident, disappeared Tuesday afternoon after jumping among nine skydivers from an airplane 14,000 feet above the ocean. 

All were supposed to land on a beach about 180 miles north of Los Angeles.


Tentative deal in port labor talks

By Justin Pritchard
Saturday November 02, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — West Coast longshoremen and shipping companies reach an important — albeit tentative — agreement Friday on the use of technology, the major sticking point in their bitter contract talks. 

Both sides hailed the deal on how to introduce new cargo tracking systems to the waterfront as the first tangible progress since negotiations resumed after last month’s lockout of dockworkers closed down shuttered major Pacific ports for 10 days. 

The dockworker’s union and the association representing shipping lines were compelled to restart talks after a federal judge granted President Bush’s request for an 80-day “cooling-off” period that reopened the ports. 

“The parties have worked long and hard,” federal mediator Peter Hurtgen said in a written statement Friday. 

The deal concerned “the key issues of new technology and retention of union’s jurisdiction for marine clerk work,” the statement said. 

Hurtgen would not disclose details of the agreement, which he said was reached at 4 a.m. PST Friday after all-night talks. 

Still, it was clear that the deal entailed compromise on both sides. 

The 10,500-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union had said it would agree to cuts in the number of marine clerks, whose jobs will be obsolete with a freer flow of electronic information, only if the Pacific Maritime Association agreed that new jobs created by the technology be under the union’s jurisdiction. 

“We had our bottom line on jurisdiction on what we could do, what we could accept, and they met our bottom line,” union spokesman Steve Stallone said. “So we consider this a real victory and the first real progress we’ve had in these negotiations.” 

Like Hurtgen, Stallone emphasized that the deal on technology isn’t the only issue separating the two sides — and if talks break up over issues such as pensions and arbitration of disputes, the technology deal could be moot. 

Shipping lines and terminal operators will save hundreds of millions of dollars through the technology, “and we want a piece of that action,” primarily in the form of increased pensions, Stallone said. 

A Pacific Maritime Association spokesman also said the deal could prove to be an important breakthrough, but had no further comment, citing Hurtgen’s request for a media blackout on the negotiations. 

The tentative agreement comes as the two sides have been sparring over who’s to blame for slow progress in clearing a massive backlog of cargo off the docks since the lockout ended Oct. 9. 

The association complained to the Justice Department that dockworkers have intentionally slowed work, cutting productivity by 30 percent in some cases. The union countered that mismanagement by shipping lines and terminal operators has led to dangerous congestion and disarray. 

The nation’s 29 West Coast ports handle more than $300 billion in trade each year. Some economists estimated that the U.S. economy lost $1 billion each day as cargo piled up at the docks and ships waited at anchor offshore. Some factories had to shut down for lack of supplies.


Stocks end fourth straight winning week

By Amy Baldwin
Saturday November 02, 2002

NEW YORK — Wall Street shook off a trio of disappointing economic reports and forged ahead with its fall rally Friday, posting a fourth consecutive weekly win for the first time in more than two months. 

Analysts attributed the recovery and subsequent rally to buying momentum that built up throughout October. 

“Investor psychology has changed. The market has become very resilient to bad news. Today is a good example of that,” said Michael Murphy, head trader at Wachovia Securities in Baltimore. “Nobody wants to be left behind.” 

Stocks overcame news that consumer spending and manufacturing activity declined and that the unemployment rate increased. 

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 120.61, or 1.4 percent, at 8,517.64, after falling as much as 87 in early trading. The advance came after the Dow had its second-best October with a gain of 10.6 percent, just short of the 10.7 percent advance in October 1982. It also was the Dow’s best month since January 1987 when the blue chips rose 13.8 percent. 

The broader market also recovered, moving into positive territory. The Nasdaq composite index rose 30.95, or 2.3 percent, to 1,360.70, having advanced 13.5 percent in October. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 15.20, or 1.7 percent, to 900.96, following its monthly advance of 8.7 percent. 

The indexes scored a four-week winning stretch for the first time since the four weeks that ended Aug. 23. For the week, the Dow rose 0.9 percent.


Edison International swings towards profit

By Gary Gentile
Saturday November 02, 2002

LOS ANGELES — Edison International, parent of utility Southern California Edison, swung to a profit in the third quarter on higher revenues, the company said Friday. 

The quarter also benefited from major write-offs last year from power plants sold in the United Kingdom. 

Edison said it was well along in collecting the cost of buying power during California’s power crisis, when a rate freeze was in effect, and raised its full-year earnings expectations. 

Edison reported net income of $352 million, or $1.08 per share, in the quarter ended Sept. 30. That compares with a loss of $413 million in the same quarter last year. 

On an operating basis, which excludes the $1.2 billion Edison wrote off last year for the sale of its power plants in England and a one-time adjustment at SoCal Edison, the company had a net income of $351 million compared to $283 million in the same quarter last year. 

The results easily beat the expectation of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call, who had expected earnings of 82 cents per share. 

Higher operating and maintenance costs at SoCal Edison were offset during the quarter by the effects of decisions made.


From school vouchers to seat belts, races could alter state agendas

By Sharon Cohen
Saturday November 02, 2002

Vermont’s law granting marriage benefits to gay couples and Wisconsin’s ban on concealed weapons are just two of the volatile issues whose fate could be determined by the outcome of close races for control of many of the nation’s legislatures. 

Democrats and Republicans hold majorities in both legislative chambers in almost the same number of states — 18 versus 17 — but redistricting, term limits and retirements likely will change that Tuesday. 

A transfer of just four seats or less in 25 states could shift the power from one party to another in one or both legislative chambers. And that, in turn, has the potential to reshape the outcome of tax, school and health-care bills — all at a time when money is tight everywhere. 

“A whole new set of people will be leading and setting the agenda. That makes a huge difference,” says Tim Storey, an elections analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver. 

Even before Election Day, 22 percent of 6,214 state lawmakers chosen will change because of term limits, retirements or primary losses, Storey notes. He predicts an additional 5 percent turnover after the votes are counted. 

These changes could have a dramatic impact. For example: 

— In Michigan, one of many states facing budget problems, lawmakers will take their cue from a new governor. If Republicans maintain control of both chambers, they may reconsider a bill to increase the number of charter schools. If Democrats take over, they may try to ban Canadian trash from disposal in Michigan and raise the minimum wage. 

— In Kentucky, if Democrats take the Senate — the GOP has a 20-18 edge — that will improve prospects for a mandatory state seat belt law and continued partial public financing of gubernatorial campaigns. 

— In Wisconsin, if Republicans control both chambers — they have a majority in the House, though Democrats hold a three-vote advantage in the Senate — there could be a push to expand the Milwaukee schools voucher program in the state and end a 150-year ban on concealed weapons. 

— In Vermont, a switch to Republican control in the Senate — Democrats hold a two-seat edge — could lead to a move to repeal the civil union law passed two years ago that grants marriage benefits to gay couples and possibly replace it with a broader reciprocal benefits law. 

No matter who is in charge, both Democrats and Republicans will share one problem: money. 

“Next year it’s going to be budget, budget, budget. Everything else is going to be relegated to fifth of sixth place,” says Constance Campanella, president of Stateside Associates, a consulting firm that tracks legislation.


Walkout cancels classes in West Fresno schools

By Brian Melley
Saturday November 02, 2002

FRESNO – The board of the insolvent West Fresno School District could secure a county loan to pay teachers and staff their back pay, but only if the board puts the county school superintendent in control of the district temporarily. 

The board and the superintendent have been in a standoff over control of the district that resulted in canceled classes Friday as most teachers skipped school and most pupils stayed home. 

The walkout was the climax of a two-year feud over finances between the district’s governing board and the Fresno County Office of Education. 

James Tucker, president of the five-member district school board, said county schools Superintendent Pete Mehas is withholding the money the district needs to pay salaries and expenses. 

But Mehas claims he doesn’t have the money because the district, which has an annual budget of $8.3 million, spent it. He estimates the school is at least $220,000 in debt and perhaps as much as $2 million. 

The money issue is just one of the district’s well-publicized problems. It has hired convicted felons, been sued by more than 20 former employees and has had six superintendents in the last year and a half. 

Mehas, who approves budgets for 34 school districts, has offered to loan about $1 million from his office to the district, but he wants authority over personnel and expenses. Tucker said he won’t surrender control to Mehas. 

Among other things, Tucker claims Mehas is crazy. Mehas says the “rogue board” is inept and corrupt. 

In all the controversy, classes have never been canceled. The state Department of Education said the crisis was a first for the state. 

“There have been situations where a school district needed financial assistance, but that has been welcomed by all parties,” said Nicole Winger, state education spokeswoman. “There are certainly political elements to this situation.” 

The tiny two-school district was a chaotic landscape as teachers and staff called in sick in epidemic numbers the day after they didn’t get their monthly paychecks. 

“It was pitiful, absolutely tragic,” said Terry Flanagan, a union representative for nonteachers. “Young children were in tears because their teachers weren’t there. They were afraid to go with any other teacher. They were clinging to their parents.” 

In some cases, parents dropping off their children were angry and frustrated because they had to choose between going to work or leaving their kids with strangers. With little instruction planned, some parents took their children home. 

On Thursday, the board delayed a decision until Saturday on the compromise proposal that would make the county loan available and put Mehas in control until the county and district agree on a temporary administrator. If they can’t agree, the state will appoint one.The board’s decision Thursday might have kept the elementary and middle schools running smoothly Friday. 

Instead, only six of the 59 teachers and about 120 of the 1,000 students came to school Friday. About half of the 65 support staff reported to work. 

The handful of adults had to police a rowdy cafeteria of students at the middle school. Student were seen bolting across a field and hopping a fence. 

For students who stuck around, there were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and even some impromptu entertainment. 

Mayor Alan Autry intervened in the crisis, bringing Dexter the Magician to amuse the kids. 

But Dexter didn’t perform any trick that made the teachers come back.


Handgun found near site of Alabama shooting linked to sniper case

By Bob Johnson
Saturday November 02, 2002

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A stolen handgun has been found near the scene of the Sept. 21 shooting that helped police zero in on sniper suspects John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo. 

Police Chief John Wilson said the gun fits the make and model of a weapon believed used in the shooting outside a Montgomery liquor store that left one employee dead and another wounded. 

Someone found the weapon Wednesday along the route where a police officer said he chased a gunman after the shooting, Wilson said. The gun was underneath leaves in an area of abandoned apartments, he said. 

Wilson said the gun, stolen July 20 at an El Paso, Texas, gun show, will be tested to determine if it is connected to the Alabama shooting. 

Investigators also believe a rifle was used in the Montgomery shooting. Police have said ballistics tests showed that the rifle was also used in the sniper attacks. 

Muhammad and Malvo face state and federal charges in the sniper spree that left 10 people dead and three wounded in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. They also have been charged in the Alabama shooting and a Sept. 23 slaying in Louisiana, and are suspects in a February killing in Washington state. 

Authorities closed in on the suspects after a man — apparently the sniper — called and suggested that they check out the Alabama shooting. 

Wilson said witnesses reported seeing the flash of a handgun during the shooting that killed store employee Claudine Parker and wounded co-worker Kellie Adams. There was no witness account of a rifle being fired, he said, but he expressed confidence that the crime would be solved.


Publishers will give award to Winfrey

The Associated Press
Saturday November 02, 2002

NEW YORK — Her book club is on hold, but the publishing industry has not forgotten Oprah Winfrey. The talk show host is receiving an honorary award from the Association of American Publishers. 

“She’s brought unparalleled excitement and attention to books. All of America should be grateful to her,” Jane Friedman, president and CEO of HarperCollins and vice chair of the publishers association, said in a statement Tuesday. 

The award will be presented next February at the AAP’s annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. Previous winners include Dolly Parton, “for her efforts to improve the lives of children through books,” and to National Public Radio, “for ongoing and outstanding book coverage.” 

Winfrey, who helped make best sellers out of Anita Shreve, Joyce Carol Oates and many other writers, received an honorary National Book Award in 1999. She announced last April she was cutting back on her book club picks, saying she was having a hard time finding worthy selections. 

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry and has approximately 300 members.


Davis, Simon make final weekend pushes for votes

By Erica Werner
Saturday November 02, 2002

ROCKLIN — Bill Simon swept through Northern California Friday, rallying support in GOP strongholds and invoking memories of California’s favorite Republican at a factory for Jelly Bellys, Ronald Reagan’s favorite sweet. 

With three days left to catch up to Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and a new poll showing him seven points behind, Simon urged voters in Rocklin, Redding and Fairfield to the polls while he stepped up criticism of Davis’ fund-raising practices. 

“Four more days and we will be done with the reign of Gray Davis!” he said at the Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield, midway between San Francisco and Sacramento. “My administration will be built upon sound public policy, not campaign contributions,” Simon said. 

Behind him hung a Jelly Belly mosaic of Reagan. One of Simon’s ads uses Reagan’s famous line, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” 

Davis, who starts his own barnstorming tour Sunday, was in Los Angeles picking up the endorsement of Mayor James Hahn, a notable holdout when the governor announced a round of endorsements from the state’s mayors in August. Davis endorsed Hahn’s opponent in the mayoral election this year. 

“Unlike previous governors, you have not balanced the state’s budget on the back of local governments. We appreciate that,” Hahn said in announcing his support with other city officials outside Los Angeles City Hall. 

Davis lashed out at Simon and predicted victory, despite voter apathy about a campaign that has centered on mudslinging by two candidates who are both viewed unfavorably. A Friday Field Poll showed 25 percent of voters either remain undecided or plan to vote for minor party candidates or leave the ballot for governor blank. 

“I really believe we’ve made progress in the face of a national recession and a terrible energy crisis. I believe we will see a substantial number of people coming out to the polls to vote for me because of the four good years we’ve had,” Davis said. 

“I believe in paying your dues. My opponent wants to parachute right in,” he said. 

Simon, his wife Cindy, campaign aides and reporters traveled in a Gulfstream 3 jet provided by GOP donor and real estate developer William Lyons. Simon mingled with voters at Marie Callendar’s in reliably Republican Redding and pumped up a lunchtime crowd gathered to see local conservative talk show host Eric Hogue in Rocklin, a Sacramento suburb. 

Simon unleashed a new attack against Davis’ fund-raising practices, bringing up 14-year-old allegations of campaign improprieties that a former state official made against Davis when he was the state’s controller. 

Former deputy attorney general Vincent Reagor wrote a 1988 memo urging prosecution of Davis for allegedly using state employees, time, facilities and equipment during his campaign to be controller. Reagor’s superiors did not prosecute for lack of evidence. 

The allegations were reported then and two years later Reagor’s memo was reported. 

The Republican Party has been trying for weeks to get reporters to write about the allegations. The party finally arranged a meeting between Reagor and a KCBS-TV Los Angeles reporter. 

KCBS aired the story Thursday and Simon used that Friday, even as he sought to distance himself from the allegations and demurred when asked whether he believed Davis committed a crime. 

“I’m not making any suggestions, no accusations, let me be very clear about that. The question is this. Mr. Davis, you owe the people of California an explanation, you owe the people of California an explanation for your pay-to-play practices,” he told reporters. 

In Los Angeles, Davis said: “He’s got a lot of problems of his own. He is using this to deflect from his own lack of vision and the hot water that he is in.” 

It’s the third time that Simon, a former federal prosecutor, has sought to link Davis to criminal behavior as he struggles to overcome the governor’s lead in fund-raising and polls. 

Earlier this month Simon accused Davis of illegally accepting a campaign check in the state Capitol, but had to retract the claim when it was shown the photo Simon used as evidence was taken in Santa Monica. 

Then Simon called on Davis to answer questions about decade-old allegations of impropriety made by a convicted felon, which were unsealed Monday by a federal judge. Prosecutors decided at the time, as in the Reagor case, not to pursue the allegations. 

Simon repeatedly pushed reporters this week to focus on the allegations, but said he was not making accusations. 

“There’s a distinction in my own mind between accusations and questions that get raised by other people,” he said.


News of the Weird

Saturday November 02, 2002

Tabby owner tracked down 

ELKHART, Ind. — A tiger-striped tabby is home after 10 months thanks to factory workers who took in the wayward feline and tracked down its owner. 

The gray-and-silver cat, named Mercedes, disappeared after running out the door of Beverly VanZandt’s mobile home in Osceola on an unseasonably warm January day. When a snowstorm three days later lowered temperatures to almost zero, VanZandt figured she had seen the last of her cat. 

But on Wednesday, VanZandt got a phone call from an employee at Monaco Coach Corp. in Elkhart. 

Mercedes somehow wandered to the recreational vehicle factory 10 miles east of Osceola, and had been staying there for the past month. The cat was wary of humans for weeks, but finally let a worker get close enough to read its tag so its veterinarian and then VanZandt could be traced. 

VanZandt and Mercedes were reunited Thursday at Monaco Coach. 

“It’s like she died, and now she’s alive again,” VanZandt said. 

 

Candy thief finally caught 

DETROIT — A retiree paid $100 as reimbursement for stealing candy from a school pantry 55 years ago. 

The 1947 Detroit Southeastern High School graduate anonymously mailed a letter and a $100 bill to the school district a few weeks ago. 

The donor admitted raiding the pantry while doing chores in the lunch room a couple times a week. 

“I am a retired professional who has been highly respected all my life,” the letter read. “I have certainly been guilty of much greater offenses over the years, but that basic breach of trust has remained in the back of my mind.” 

The thief admitted taking Hershey bars and a few handfuls of almonds. 

The donor noted that the value of the food “might not have been as much as a dollar at that time.” 

Detroit Public Schools Chief Executive Kenneth Burnley plans to take the money to Southeastern on Friday to teach students that’s its never too late to right a wrong. 

 

Mistake makes glass collectible 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A mistake on the first run of the 2003 Kentucky Derby glass has apparently created a collectible. 

The glass mistakenly lists 1932 Derby winner Burgoo King as a Triple Crown winner and neglects to note that 1937 Derby winner War Admiral did win the Triple Crown. 

Churchill Downs officials said Tuesday that 100,440 glasses, about 20 percent of the glasses that will be produced for next year’s race, contain the error. 

The bad glasses, which retail for between $2 and $3, were expected to be more valuable than the corrected glasses. 

“It’s Christmas morning for those who collect them,” said Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher. “It adds to the fun. We’re unhappy they’re out there — we want everything we market to be perfect — but it’s exciting for the collectible community.”


Marijuana measure gets $1.2 million in donations

The Associated Press
Saturday November 02, 2002

 

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A Washington, D.C.-based organization has poured $1.28 million into a campaign to legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana in Nevada, far outspending opponents of the ballot question. 

Three major Nevada casino-hotel corporations provided most of the funding for opponents of Question 9, on Tuesday’s ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment. 

The latest report from Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, pushing Question 9, showed virtually all its funding came from the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. 

Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement also reported spending $1.1 million. 

The Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable, which is trying to defeat the marijuana petition, reported getting $143,800 in contributions in the August-October quarter — half of that from the Venetian megaresort on the Las Vegas Strip. 

Other big contributors included casino-owning Park Place Entertainment and Boyd Gaming, for $25,000 apiece; and Sunbelt Communications, which contributed $10,000. 

The Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable spent $128,265. Of the expenses, $107,000 went to FFG Advertising and $20,000 went to Rogich Communications for consulting. 

A group called Nevadans Against Legalized Marijuana collected $6,325 and spent $6,225. The major contributor to this group was Stop DUI, which gave more than $5,000. 

The Coalition for the Protection of Marriage, which is supporting a ban on gay marriages in Nevada, reported it collected $351,468 since the primary election in September. At that point it had a balance of $523,231. In its latest report, the coalition said it spent $730,231 since the primary. 

The figures were in campaign finance reports filed this week with the Nevada Secretary of State’s office.


Sen. Feinstein blames Sierra Club for blocking wildfire bill

By Scott Sonner
Saturday November 02, 2002

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., blames environmental ally the Sierra Club for Congress’ failure to pass legislation last month to thin national forests to reduce wildfire threats in the West. 

Sierra Club President Carl Pope said Republican leaders are responsible, and a timber industry leader points the finger at Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who he accused of “election year politics.” 

All sides agree it’s unlikely that Congress will move in its lame duck session after Tuesday’s general elections to seek consensus to reduce the threat of fires that have consumed an estimated 6.5 million acres across the nation this year. 

“You have a very polarized community when it comes to fire and how they view fire,” Feinstein said. 

“The Sierra Club roasted me,” she said. 

The former mayor of San Francisco has averaged a 91 percent scorecard rating from the League of Conservation Voters the past six years, but confounds environmentalists by insisting that logging be used to help ease wildfire threats. 

She said she will press the Senate to hold hearings early next year and that she will attempt to build support among conservationists and others for an emergency program she hopes to develop with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Republicans on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 

Feinstein said she was close to securing a bipartisan agreement with Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, that would have sacrificed some trees to reduce fuel loads and make 7 million acres of forests near urban areas safer from fires. 

“I think the Sierra Club did it in to be honest with you. There was just real opposition,” Feinstein told reporters after a speech to an environmental conference last week at Lake Tahoe. 

Feinstein said the Sierra Club made it impossible for her to gather the support she needed among Democrats to cut off debate and force a vote. 

“So the effort kind of collapsed,” she said. 

Chris West, vice president of the timber industry’s American Forest Resource Council based in Portland, Ore., said Feinstein is partially right. But he puts the blame more squarely on Democratic leaders. 

“From our perspective, the reason nothing moved in the Senate that was workable was because of Daschle. It was all election-year politics,” West said. 

Craig, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on forests and public lands, offers a similar account of the Senate’s refusal to consider his amendment to a spending bill for the Interior Department that still needs congressional approval. 

“The Dianne Feinsteins of this world have every reason to be frustrated and angry. I think she felt herself a friend of that organization only to have them bite her as hard as they did,” Craig said. 

“She kept going to her leadership and got nothing. In the end, Tom (Daschle) did not want to put his people at risk taking a tough vote — which was the right vote — on something the environmental people have so effectively polarized,” he told The Associated Press this week. 

Pope said there was agreement on a plan to do emergency thinning in as much as 23 million acres the Forest Service identified as overstocked forests near homes, known as “urban interface” areas. 

But he said GOP leaders refused to provide funding unless normal environmental reviews for projects outside those areas were suspended, too. 

“Basically, they blackmailed the Senate. And we said, ‘No, that blackmail is not acceptable.’ So in that sense, yes Sen. Feinstein is correct” about the group’s role in blocking legislation, he said. 

Aides to Daschle said he was willing to expedite thinning, even in some areas outside “urban interface zones,” but not with the prohibitions on legal challenges GOP leaders demanded. 

“We agreed that some streamlining of the process makes sense, particularly if you focus most of the resources on thinning in the urban interface zone. But the notion of depriving folks of opportunities they have now for judicial review was going too far and something we were not prepared to support,” said Eric Washburn, a senior legislative to Daschle. 

The conflict centers on disagreement over the amount of logging that should be allowed to remove unnaturally high levels of brush and small trees that have resulted from decades of suppressing fires. In the past, fires periodically cleared forests of such undergrowth. 

Critics say the thinning programs are abused to remove larger, commercial-sized timber and, in some cases, increase fire risks. 

Pope said he doubts any new policy will be adopted during the “lame duck” session of Congress. 

“I would think that what was driving people on both sides (last month) is they wanted to take something home to run on,” he said. 

Feinstein said she understands environmentalists are distrustful of proposals to use logging to reduce fire threats. 

“What we really need to do is build confidence and work with environmentalists to try to come together, just as they have here,” she said at Lake Tahoe where competing interests have united to work to restore the lake’s clarity. 

“This used to be very fractionated community. It is not so any more,” she said. 

Feinstein also criticized the Bush administration for failing to provide necessary funding. 

“Grooming the forests has to become a major priority for this administration. To this date ... it isn’t.”


LA police probe past tips on faith healers

By Laura Wides
Saturday November 02, 2002

LOS ANGELES — Police Chief William Bratton said Friday he has opened an internal investigation into the possible mishandling of tips about dangerous practices by faith healers. 

The investigation comes four days after a man died when an unlicensed faith healer allegedly injected him with an unknown substance. 

Bratton said he recently learned that the Police Department’s narcotics division had received tips about the illegal injections as far back as May 2001 but had failed to investigate. The tips continued over the past 18 months, he said. 

“I’m concerned, very concerned, about how the tip was handled, and I have many questions,” said Bratton, who was publicly sworn in on Monday. “We are going to try to convince the public of our sincere interest in determining what went wrong so that those mistakes are not made again.”


Jackets want payback on Spartans

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday November 01, 2002

 

When the Berkeley Yellowjackets and the Pinole Valley Spartans face off tonight, there will be plenty on the line. A huge step toward the league championship and an automatic bid to the North Coast Section playoffs, a seven-game Pinole Valley winning streak and bragging rights for the next year are among the spoils the winner will take home. 

With both teams sitting at 4-0 in Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League play, the only teams without a loss thus far, tonight’s game at Pinole Valley is a de facto championship. It’s the second straight season the game will decide the league title, with the Spartans winning last year’s finale 35-14 for a second straight undefeated ACCAL record. 

“I’ve been waiting the whole year for this game,” Berkeley linebacker Owen Goldstrom said Wednesday. “Beating Pinole Valley has been our goal since we moved into this league.” 

But while Pinole Valley (6-1 overall) was the favorite last year behind star running back DeAndre MacFarland, the Yellowjackets are favored in tonight’s game. There’s little question Berkeley (7-0 overall) is the more talented team, with tremendous speed at every skill position and a defense that has been strong all season. But Berkeley head coach Matt Bissell still thinks of his squad as the underdog. 

“I don’t think we can be favored until we beat [Pinole Valley],” Bissell said. “Someone has to knock them off the top before becoming the favorite.” 

Bissell will have all his weapons at his disposal tonight, unlike last year when 10 Berkeley players were ruled ineligible due to academics in the week leading up to their showdown with the Spartans. While some Yellowjackets are still having grade issues, they lucked out with this year’s game coming earlier in the season; the first official grades don’t come out until next week. 

Defensive tackle Jamal Johnson-Lucas was one of the Berkeley players who watched from the sideline as their teammates fell to Pinole Valley last season.  

“I can’t tell you how painful it was to have to watch that happen,” Johnson-Lucas said. “It’s not a feeling you want, knowing you let down your teammates and coaches like that.” 

Berkeley defensive coordinator Ronald Moore said the suspensions cost his team the game and league title last season. 

“The game before I had a Magnum, and then we had to play Pinole with a .22 [caliber],” Moore said. “You can’t go to war with a .22.” 

Johnson-Lucas and his linemates bear most of the pressure on the Berkeley defense, as they will have to stop the Spartan running game that features a three-headed monster at tailback. Ronnie Jones, Damarea Johnson and Fontino Hardy are all solid backs who can break big gains. While not as explosive without MacFarland, who ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns in last season’s game, the Spartans can wear an opponent down with their stable of running backs behind a huge offensive line. 

Adding to the offense is the development of wide receiver Thomas Decoud, a 6-foot-4 basketball star who specializes in coming down with jump balls. Although the Spartan passing game has been spotty this season, Decoud is always a threat to make a big play and draws double-team coverage much of the time. 

Moore plans to put his best cornerback, senior Robert Young, on Decoud and let the rest of his defense concentrate on stopping the run for the most part. 

“You have to know where Decoud is at all times. He’s their big playmaker,” Moore said. “I’m not going to let him beat us. If we need to give Rob help, we’ll give him help.” 

On the other side of the ball, the Yellowjackets will need to establish the run early to keep the pressure off of quarterback Dessalines Gant, who will be starting just his fifth game. In Berkeley’s only close game of the year, a 34-28 overtime win over Hercules, Gant threw five interceptions as the opposing safeties sat back and defended the deep pass.  

The Jackets have been working on the short passing game for the last two weeks, but if they can’t run the Spartans will drop back and wait for Gant to make a mistake. Fullback Aaron Boatwright will likely see a lot of carries, and his success will determine how aggressive Pinole Valley can be on defense. If Boatwright can force the Spartans to put more people near the line of scrimmage, Gant will have more room to find speedy wideouts Sean Young and Roberto McBean for big plays, as well as tight ends Robert Hunter-Ford and Rodney Jones in the middle on play-action.


The blame game

Joseph Matossian Berkeley
Friday November 01, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Two letters written by two well-meaning Berkeley residents (Forum, Oct.18) caught my attention. Incidentally, myself and probably many others, share most of the points made by the respective writers. 

Mr. Frank Gebauer blames “landlords and those lucky enough to already own a home” for the congestion and pollution on College Avenue. I suggest that he not blame landlords, but instead that he direct his frustration toward tenants and homeowners who live in those areas. Berkeley landlords are already blamed for everything. 

Ms. Judith Segard Hunt blames Proposition 13 for causing “damage to vital social services.” I suggest that, rather than merely blame Proposition 13 and suggest its repeal, she should mobilize her peers around legislation to fund social services from income taxes, rather than from the limited incomes of the retired. This would enable social services to be more adequately financed and property owners would not be disproportionately burdened. 

 

Joseph Matossian 

Berkeley


The butterfly ballot on the big screen

By Peter Crimmins Special to the Daily Planet
Friday November 01, 2002

If voters gearing up for the election Tuesday have forgotten problematic butterfly ballots and dimpled chads, then a new documentary screening Saturday, at the Berkeley Video and Film Festival, will bring it all back. 

Exhaustively investigated, “Unprecedented: the 2000 Presidential Election” is chock full of information about how the electoral process broke down in Florida two years ago when President Bush’s victory hinged on a few hundred hand-counted ballots. But, for better or worse, filmmakers Richard Ray Perez and Joan Sekler are clearly biased against Republicans, and their film stumbles over itself in laying out the gory details of underhanded election poll tactics. 

The film comes in the second half of the marathon festival produced by the East Bay Media Center, which assembled 45 videos and films (all screened via video projector) to be presented back-to-back for 12 hours at the Fine Arts Cinema beginning noon Saturday. Tickets allow in and out privileges, and the full half-day of movies includes narratives and documentaries as long as 94 minutes, and experimental works and shorts as brief as one minute. 

“Unprecedented” spends most of its 80 minutes scrutinizing Florida’s polling system with a magnifying glass. The contest it uncovers is not between Bush and then-candidate Al Gore, or even Republicans and Democrats. The 2000 election in Florida was a debate over the rules of election process versus the spirit of voter intention. 

The film begins well before the ballots were cast. The voter eligibility roles in Florida were purged of thousands of names via a little-known Florida law revoking the right of ex-cons to vote. As evidenced in the film, the private database company hired by the state of Florida to create the voter roles was instructed to match the names of voters with the names of felons using very general parameters.  

When the company protested that the database parameters would create “false positives,” meaning people would be improperly purged from the voter list, state election officials, overseen by Secretary of State Katherine Harris, instructed them to continue purging voters. When county officials in Tallahassee checked the 690 names purged from their voter lists, only 33 were confirmed ex-cons. 

After the ballots were cast and the recount began, the film passes indictments on Harris, who had earlier campaigned for President Bush in New Hampshire. During the recount, Harris established non-negotiable deadlines for the counties to present their results while Democrat and Republican observers lobbied for favors in determining the intention of each chad – the little square of punched paper on a voting card that determines a selection.  

The film dives headfirst into the battle of the wonks with accounts of very dense political and legal spinning. The final decision of the Supreme Court to favor the technical rules of polling over the intention of the voter is moved by quickly and is poorly described at the end of the film. However, it ends on a high note: the American people now have a deeper understanding of how our democracy is run, even if they might need to carefully watch this film two or three times in order to understand it fully. 

“Unprecedented” screens in the later half of the festival’s schedule, at 8 p.m., when the longer and better-produced films are clumped. The stylistic range of filmmaking is as broad as the difference of running times. Longtime festival entrant Hoku Uchiyama, former Albany High School student now attending film school in Los Angeles, created a handful of short, roughly produced videos of awkwardness and sadism, one featuring a homicidal teenage Santa Claus impersonator. 

At 9:30, during festival primetime, “Crazy Jones” will be played; a quirky, feature-length drama about a 40-year-old recluse with Tourette’s syndrome who tries to break out of his suicidal shell with the help of a perky 12-year-old girl. First time director Joe Aaron wore several hats – lead actor, writer, producer and director – and used the latest cinema technology to make this film.  

“Crazy Jones” is one of the first films to be shot on high-definition video; its 24P HD video system is the same technology George Lucas is using to shoot his Star Wars films, and with 1080 pixels per square inch it has a resolution comparable to celluloid. “Crazy Jones” is able to get a subtle lighting and visual depth that most video works can’t approach. 

Another visually arresting film in the festival is the documentary “Mighty Times; the Life of Rosa Parks” which tells the historical story of the infamous Alabama bus boycott that launched the Civil Rights Movement. Filmmakers Robert Hudson and Bobby Huston matched 1955 archives of police actions and demonstrations with dramatic re-enactments.  

Unlike Aaron’s crisp, high-tech HD video images in “Crazy Jones,” Hudson and Huston sought to make their film look 50 years old. Using vintage cameras and old film stock, they recreated the afternoon Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus with amazing fidelity to old cinema technology. The archival footage and the re-enactments are woven together seamlessly.


Calendar

Friday November 01, 2002

Friday, Nov. 1 

Census 2000: Growing Together or Apart? 

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Wurster Hall Auditorium (Rm. 112), UC Berkeley 

During this one-day conference, scholars will analyze the geographic impact of changes to the population. 

For more info: 

http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/census2000.htm 

 

Featured Speaker Jonathan Kozol 

3 p.m. 

Sponsored by the university’s Center for the Development of Peace and Well-being, Kozol will speak about world issues through the innocent eyes of children, focusing on his most recent book, “Ordinary Rsurrections”. 

International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. 

Reservations required at 643-7491 or lshiota@socrates.berkeley.edu 

Free 

 

Berkeley Women in Black Vigil 

Weekly protest to “End the Occupation” 

Bancroft at Telegraph Ave. 

548-6310 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

Inbound Tourism 

8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Speakers and workshops focusing on development and tourism on local, state, and national levels. Featuring Ms. Barbara Hillman, Director of the Berkeley Convention & Visitors Bureu 

Vista Community College, Room 303 

2020 Milvia St. 

981-2931 

$5.50/ California residents 

 

Spanish Table’s First Anniversary  

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Various activities, including tapas, music, demos, and book signng by author Janet Mendel to celebrate the store’s first year. 

The Spanish Table, 1814 San Pablo Ave. 

548-1383 

 

Sacramento Street Clean-Up Day 

8 a.m. to noon 

Fun chance to clean up the neighborhood and meet your neighbors. Free T-shirts and refreshments. Wear work clothes and gloves (if you have them), tools provided. 

Meet at the northwest corner of 66th and Sacramento in the parking lot of El Nopal. 

981-CITY (2489) 

 

Sick Plant Clinic 

9 a.m. to noon 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. UC plant pathology and entomology experts will diagnose what ails your plant. 

643-2755 

Free 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Sacred Breath” 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Place 

Robin Caton gives this talk on Tibetan Buddhism, and the classic Buddhist practice known as Tong-len. 

843-6812 

Free 

 

Public Speaking Seminar 

10 to 11 a.m. 

First in a four part series. Contact Steve, 595-0878 for more information. 

Free 

 

Beach Clean-Up 

2 to 3 p.m. 

Sponsored by the Friends of Albany Beach, this one hour clean-up will meet at the Albany Waterfront Trail parking lot at the western terminus of Buchanan Street. Bring gloves and trash bags. 

525-3125 

 

Focus On Iraq: What can we do? 

7 p.m. 

Recently returned from Iraq, Barbara Lubin will share first hand observations and assist us in finding ways to respond to the war. Dinner and program included. 

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1935 Hopkis St. 

548-4141 

$15 and up suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. 

 

Monday, Nov. 4 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Home Owners Support Group 

3 p.m. 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Office, 1403 Addison St. 

Resources for low and middle-income home owners, and home maintenance. 

548-9696 

 

“Pathways to Collaboration” 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, Rm. 160, UC Berkeley 

A lecture by Dana Plautz, director of research communications for Intel Corporation, followed by live music. 

Free 

 

 

Tuesday, Nov. 5 

Flu Shots for Everyone 

10 a.m to 12:30 p.m. 

Sponsored by the Berkeley Public Health Department 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

845-6830 

 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation 

7 to 9 p.m. 

Join the bimonthly discussion group informally led by fomer UC Berkeley extension lecturer, investment advisor and finncial planner Robert Berend. Open to all. Please bring light snacks/ drinks to share. This session’s topic: Work ethic vs. playing and having fun. 

Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

527-5332 

Free 

 

Wednesday, Nov. 6 

2002 Surjit Singh Lecture 

5:30 p.m. 

Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Common Room, 2451 Ridge Rd. 

649-2440 for more info. 

 

“The Chinese and Religion in the Context of Globalization” 

Reception 5:30 p.m. / Lecture 7 p.m. 

Bade Museum at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

A noted scholar and author, Professor Zhuo Xinping speaks. 

649-2440 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, Nov. 1 

Festa Da Bunda 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

This Brazilian “love fest and Penta party” features a Batucada jam with Gary Muzynski of One World Music and others. The night includes a Brazilian soccer team look-alike contest. 

525-5054 

$12 

 

Bristol Sessions Anniversary 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

A tribute to the Carter family and Jimmie Rogers. 

548-1761 

$16.50-$17.50 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

The Librarians with The Skyflakes and Plain White Ts 

9 p.m. 

Bear’s Lair 

2475 Bancroft Way 

$5 / 21 and over 

 

Wake the Dead 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

All-star Celtic musicians pay tribute to the Grateful Dead. 

548-1761 

$16.50-$17.50 

 

Vince Black with Root Awakening 

9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Socially conscious reggae classics and original songs. 

525-5054 

$11 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

Workshop and Performance by Akira Tana 

1 to 3 p.m. workshop 

4:30 p.m. concert 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Drummer Akira Tana teaches and performs. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$30-$35 workshop 

$10-$15 performance 

 

CalArts Night of Jazz 

8 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

The first of many collaborations between Jazzschool and CalArts. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

Tish Hinojosa 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 

$17.50-$18.50 

 

Flamenco Open Stage 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Dancers, guitarists and singers, with a costume exhibit and a sale of flamenco items. 

525-5054 

$8 

 

Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth 

4 p.m. 

Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. 

The renowned singer and pianist will perform classical vocal favorites featuring the music of Brahams, Dvorak and Bartok. 

559-6910 

$10 / 18 and under free 

 

 

“Shove Off to Birthday Island” 

Nov. 1 through Nov. 30 

Reception Nov. 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. 

Normal hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday 

Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland 

A collaborative exhibition of Tonya Solley Thornton and Frank Haines including video and sculptural installations. 

836-0831 

 

Ceramics - Opening Reception 

Through Nov. 17 

3 to 5 p.m. 

A New Leaf Gallery, 1286 Gilman St. 

525-7621 

Free 

 

“A Lashing of Malice, a Slice of Humor” 

Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave, near Derby 

Roald Dahl’s adult stories come to life onstage. 

Tickets available at the door and at: 

925-798-1300 

$25 opening night Gala 

$10-$15 otherwise 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

Jan Tissot, 3 to 5 p.m. 

Pegasus Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 

Jan Tissot, longtime West Coast political activist and criminal defense investigator will be signing his new novel, “Keiki”. 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

Avery E.D. Burns and Aidan Thompson 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave. 

Authors will read from their poetry. 

525-5476, $2 donation 

 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Focus” 

2 to 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St.  

William H. Macy stars in this early 1940’s period piece. 

848-0237, $2 donation 

 

To publicize an event, please submit information two weeks in advance. Fax to 841-5694, 

e-mail to calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net or mail to 2076 University Ave., 94704. Include a daytime telephone number. Sending notice does not guarantee publication.


Day of the Dead reaches beyond

By Brian Kluepfel
Friday November 01, 2002

Rather than fearing death, Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) winks at it, seeing it simply as part of the natural cycle of life. Throughout Latin America and other places where the tradition is honored, the first two days of November are a time to remember deceased friends and relatives with altars, visits to their graves and offerings of music and food. 

Berkeley sculptor Carol Stewart first discovered Day of the Dead in her travels through Latin America. Soon afterward she was incorporating them into her art work. “When people in my family died, we didn’t know how to deal with it,” she said. “We could never express our grief. In Latin America, they thumb their nose at death, and see it as the other side of the coin. I think that’s really healthy.”  

In recent years, awareness of the Day of the Dead has grown outside its traditional boundaries. Several Berkeley artists, including Stewart, were chosen this year to make contributions to San Francisco gallery SomArts’ Day of the Dead exhibit, and in doing so, have shown how the non-Latino community has embraced the day of remembrance. 

Stewart’s contribution to the exhibit “Under the Skin” is a collection of figurines draped with fabric, encircled with wire and illuminated from behind.  

She said the piece represents her father’s death this year from melanoma, with the figures symbolizing the body and the wire symbolizing the cancer. “There’s a thin veil between life and death,” she said. “I saw that with my father.”  

Printmaker and Berkeley resident Elizabeth Addison’s altar, “She Could Have Danced All Night,” pays tribute to her friend Nancy Wilcox who also died of cancer this year. Wilcox loved dancing and parties, said Addison, and her exhibit includes prints of couples dancing and embracing. 

“It really took on a life of its own,” said Addison. Her tribute reveals traditional and modern influence. It includes a collage that Wilcox made entitled “Mexican Dresses” and computer-generated music by Wilcox’ son. A slide projection of William Shakespeare’s 30th Sonnet, which Addison read at her friend’s memorial service this spring, enfolds and completes the altar.  

Addison spoke highly of show curator Rene Yañez, who has been organizing Day of the Dead events in the Bay Area for three decades. “Rene really tries to make it cross-cultural, and we all bring our own sensibilities to it. It’s not something that’s strictly Hispanic,” she said. 

Berkeley artist Jos Sances agreed. “I’ve been working with Rene for over 20 years, and he was always a guy who was into sharing culture, not keeping it separate,” said Sances, whose own tribute to the late Fetterly Gallery director Dan Robeski is included in the SomArts show. “The cross-hybridization adds 

vitality to the show,” he said.  

For Sances, who grew up in New England, Day of the Dead evokes “the bittersweet melancholy of autumn. There’s an understanding that the light is diminishing and the cold of winter is in front of you,” he said. “It’s a very profound time for me and as close to spiritual as I get.”  

Sances says that the Halloween he grew up with does not come close to its Latin American counterpart. “It never had the resonance of Day of the Dead,” he said. “This really ties it all together for me.”  

Curator Yañez has personally experienced how the Day of the Dead has changed. “At first, Day of the Dead was celebrated solely within the Mexican-American community,” said Yanez. “Now, it’s been adopted by people of many cultures and religions. The Bay Area can take credit for celebrating the Day of the Dead and influencing mainstream U.S. culture.”


Eastshore Park plan finalized

By Matthew Artz Daily Planet Staff
Friday November 01, 2002

Off-leash dog walkers and artists are howling mad over the final plan for the bayside Eastshore State Park. The plan set to be released this week forbids both groups from using a favorite stretch of Albany coastline. 

“The only thing I feel is disgust. All this proves is that it doesn’t matter... what the users of the park want,” said Jill Posener of Albany Let It Be. The group had called for a roughly 40–acre parcel, called the Albany Bulb, to remain open to off-leash dog walkers and a group of artists that paint on washed-up driftwood. 

The plan finalized last week includes long-debated changes that have received the support of environmentalists and playing field advocates, but make dog walkers and artists feel further alienated. The proposed park plan, which embraces 8.1 miles of coast stretching from Emeryville to Richmond, still needs to be approved by the State Parks Commission this December. 

While dog walkers vented, environmentalists cheered after winning several late concessions from park planners.  

“I’m extremely optimistic that the plan will contain language we can agree on,” said Robert Cheasty, president of Citizens for an Eastshore State Park (CESP).  

Athletic fields currently slated for the Albany Plateau, just east of the bulb, will be moved, if a new site becomes available. 

Members of the Sierra Club and CESP have been lobbying to switch the fields from the wild habitat in Albany to a paved lot in west Berkeley owned by Magna Entertainment Corporation. The company is currently negotiating with the East Bay Regional Park District over the sale of the property. 

Planners have also agreed to make the construction of a boat launch planned for the north Berkeley coast contingent on the results of a study reviewing the effects of kayaks and boats on migrating sea birds. 

The year-long park planning process has been marred by animosity between environmentalists and recreation advocates. 

Dog walkers now insist that their interests have been put below those of environmentalists and playing field advocates which they say had better access to state planners. 

“We didn’t even need a public process,” Posener said. “Ultimately they went into the back room and did the deal they wanted to do.” 

Neuwirth, though, insisted that off-leash dog walkers made out well under the final plan. “Twenty percent of the park is for off-leash dogs more than any other in California,” he said adding that planners determined that off-leash dogs intimidate people and would chase away sea birds around the bulb. 

Posener contended that off-leash dogs have been a fixture at the bulb for years, during which time birds started flocking to the area in greater numbers. 

Regarding the artists, Neuwirth said he was open to letting them stay if they agreed to tone down their often sexually explicit work. 

Posener, however, said the artists were never given a chance to bargain. “We went to a meeting with Neuwirth. He told us that you cannot have that kind of art in a family park. How do you negotiate with that?” she said. 

Members of the State Park Commission, including Commissioner Clint Eastwood, are tentatively scheduled to convene Dec. 6 in Berkeley to rule on the plan. Construction of park facilities would get underway next year and could continue for more than a decade. 

 

Contact reporter at matt@berkeleydailyplanet.net 


Playoff postponed after tension, tears

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday November 01, 2002

 

The Berkeley-Alameda girls tennis playoff ended in tears and consternation on Thursday, and the match wasn’t even decided. 

The deciding match between Berkeley’s Gail Nipitnorasete and Alameda’s Erika Fong was suspended after two sets, tied 1-1, due to darkness, and the players were to meet this morning to play the final set at a neutral court in Berkeley. But reaching that decision was a long and painful process, with opposing coaches butting heads over whether to continue or postpone the match. 

After Nipitnorasete came back from a 3-0 game deficit to win the second set 7-6 in a tiebreaker, both coaches agreed that it was too dark to start the third set. Berkeley coach Alex Kopel suggested moving to a lighted court nearby to finish the match, but Alameda’s coaches urged Fong to hold out for a postponement. The strain proved too much for the Alameda freshman, who burst into tears under the pressure. 

“There’s no reason for high school tennis to make a girl a wreck,” Kopel said. 

With a neutral site coordinator contributing and Fong’s father removing her from the situation things calmed down a bit, but the resolution still took more than 30 minutes to sort out. Nipitnorasete is taking the SAT on Saturday and didn’t want to play Friday after school, while the Alameda coaches didn’t want to wait until next week to finish the match. Instead, each player will miss their morning classes to meet this morning at 9:30 a.m. 

Several Berkeley players expressed outrage at the apparent gamesmanship by the Alameda coaches with the momentum of the match clearly in Nipitnorasete’s favor. 

The stakes are very high, as the winner will earn her team an automatic bid to the North Coast Section team playoffs, while the losing team will be forced to apply for an unlikely at-large berth despite co-champion status. Both teams finished the ACCAL season at 9-1 and split their regular-season matches. 

The Nipitnorasete-Fong match was expected to decide the issue, as Berkeley swept the other three singles and lost all three doubles matches according to form. All of the other six matches were finished when Nipitnorasete began her comeback, with the teams cheering from opposite sides of the court.


Election inexperience?

Betty Olds 6th District City Council member
Friday November 01, 2002

 

To the Editor: 

 

Rob Wrenn (Forum, Oct. 29) seems to have forgotten that when Kriss Worthington first ran for City Council, he had no experience and a rather sketchy past. In fact, he didn’t have a single name endorsing him in the 1996 voter handbook. Micki Weinberg is a strong candidate who will bring to the council a sincere desire to solve problems, rather than create them. He is a consensus builder who focuses on solutions. Berkeley has plenty of nasty, narrow-minded ideologues. What the City Council needs now is new and positive approaches to our problems. Micki Weinberg will be a welcome breath of fresh air on the City Council 

 

Betty Olds 

6th District City Council member 

 


Comically unhip ’King of the Hill’ reclaims old time slot

By Anthony Breznican The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

LOS ANGELES — After years of moving around the Fox prime-time schedule, the working-class comedy “King of the Hill” is back where it started. 

The Fox cartoon series about a small-town Texas family — stoic patriarch Hank Hill, his Boggle champion wife, Peggy, and their vaudeville-loving son, Bobby — is moving to 8:30 p.m. EST on Sundays — the slot after “The Simpsons” that it first occupied when it strongly debuted in 1997. (Most recently the show has aired at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays.) 

“I’m on it and I could never find it,” said Kathy Najimy, who provides the voice of Peggy, an award-winning substitute teacher and pseudo-intellectual with a penchant for “Fat Albert” impressions. 

“I’d tell people I was Bobby on ’King of the Hill’ ... and they’d say to me, ‘I saw that show years ago,” said Pamela S. Adlon, who won an Emmy this year for supplying the scratchy voice of the 13-year-old character. “And I would say, ’Yesss ... we’re still on.”’ 

Just as Hank Hill suppresses all emotion except his passion for selling propane and propane accessories, the makers of “King of the Hill” are tight-lipped about the show’s nomadic past. 

“Fewer people out in the world would come up to you and talk about it,” shrugged Greg Daniels, “King of the Hill” co-creator. “This (new time slot) feels like a little bit of an acknowledgment that we did a good job last season.” 

“It’s good to be back there. It’s good for the morale of people who work on the show,” said Mike Judge, the voice of Hank and the show’s other co-creator, who was previously known for creating MTV’s “Beavis & Butt-head.” 

“King of the Hill” has thrived in syndication, and Judge said the multiple showings each week may have helped rejuvenate its fan base. 

“It’s funnier when you get to know the characters and notice the subtle things,” he said, comparing the show to the low-key comedy of Bob Newhart. 

While Homer Simpson is known for outrageous oafishness, Hank Hill is the soft-spoken opposite — funny because of his blandness. 

Hank is a frustrated man’s man. He loves football, beer, barbecue and trucks, but his feet are too chubby for cowboy boots, the whole neighborhood knows about his bowel problems and other health woes — and he regards pop culture with a restrained disdain. 

“The show is definitely about masculinity,” Daniels said. “Hank’s trying to take his son, who’s sort of a couch potato, and turn him into a man.” 

Hank has a lot of love for the boy, but expressing it isn’t easy. In a moment of overwhelming fatherly pride, he once said: “Bobby, if you weren’t my son, I’d hug you.” 

Although the show pokes fun at Hank and Peggy’s lack of sophistication, it generally favors their orthodoxy. In Sunday’s season premiere, the couple faces down the overly permissive parents of Bobby’s new girlfriend and rescue the boy from an embarrassing situation at the girl’s coed sleepover. 

“It’s not a political show, but it has a lot of sympathy for unhip regular people,” Judge said. 

The family is surrounded by oddball neighbors like bug exterminator and conspiracy-theorist Dale Gribble (voice of Johnny Hardwick); Bill Dauterive (Stephen Root), an Army barber and sloppy bachelor, and mushmouthed stud Boomhauer (Judge). 

“King of the Hill” also isn’t afraid to show its characters’ ugly sides. 

Hank often displays bullheaded chauvinism, second-guessing his wife even when he suspects she’s right and giving the cold shoulder to live-in niece Luanne (Brittany Murphy). 

Meanwhile, Bobby seems determined to take sloth to new levels. In one episode, he develops gout from inactivity and poor eating habits and is delighted to travel around on a Rascal, the kind of slow-moving scooter used by the elderly and infirm. 

“I was trying to capture the kind of kid who is capable of sitting on the couch expressionless for hours and hours,” Judge said. 

Peggy can be obsessive and selfish, undercutting Hank when he taught a shop class so she could win a substitute teaching prize and spending hundreds of dollars on ice cream so she can correctly guess the weight of a sundae at a local store — and therefore get it for free. 

“What I like about her is she’s not the typical boring housewife,” Najimy said. “She’s just this silly ego-inflated person.” 

“Peggy’s wrong a lot of the time,” Judge laughed. “She has a lot of problems.” 

As Hank might put it: Yup.


Oscar de la Renta is guiding brides down the aisle

Friday November 01, 2002

NEW YORK — Choosing a wedding dress is quite possibly the most important fashion decision in a woman’s life. 

With that kind of pressure, it makes sense to turn to an expert, and designer Oscar de la Renta is offering his services. 

De la Renta, well regarded for his ready-to-wear and couture clothing, recently unveiled a collection of bridal gowns that included an elegant-yet-striking strapless gown with bias hem ruffle and matching sheer cathedral cape, and a strapless, fitted lace gown with a flared circle ruffle hemline. 

The gowns might sound as if they have a lot of detail — and they do, which is the norm in bridal designs — but the overall look seems almost restrained for de la Renta whose current fall ready-to-wear collection features elaborately embroidered coats. 

“I don’t really like some overly ornate bridal gowns. I think a bridal gown is something extremely special, the gown has to be really romantic and soft,” de la Renta explains. 

This sensibility dates back to de la Renta’s childhood in the Dominican Republic. He was born on the island in 1932, arriving in New York, after detours through France and Spain, in 1963. 

“Being from a strict Catholic country, there is an essence of dignity and romance that a bride represents,” he says. 

De la Renta says he senses modern brides are once again interested in traditional weddings and traditional wedding gowns — which is part of the reason he decided the time was right to do a collection. 

He also hints at his desire to offer a fashion democracy. “People like Vera (Wang), I like Vera, but it’s nice to have a choice,” he says. 

Deborah Moses, editor-in-chief of Elegant Bride magazine, is pleased to see so many well-known designers, including de la Renta and John Galliano for Christian Dior, doing gowns. “It’s very exciting for the bridal industry and, more to the point, it’s exciting for brides.” 

And the designs seem to come naturally to de la Renta, she adds. “Oscar has stayed modern over the years and he has such an incredible feminine hand. ... He captures the spirit of well-bred America.” 

De la Renta says his bridal gowns feature fabrics of high quality because the dresses are standing on their own without any camouflage for any fabric flaws. 

Silk satin organza, duchess satin and French alencon lace don’t come cheap, but de la Renta says he learned from a previous experience in the bridal business that the quality and integrity of the dress are more important than price. 

“I used to do a bridal collection years ago but we ended the relationship over price. They wanted to me to do less expensive gowns and then I didn’t want my name on them,” he explains. “But I continued to do (wedding dresses) for people who came to me for special gowns.” 

De la Renta adds: “I haven’t lost my hand.” 

In fact, he says, the gowns in his bridal line really are a “recollection” of what all the brides-to-be have told him over the years. De la Renta’s contribution is adding stylish elements from the life that these young women want to lead: The designer is a happily married, successful world traveler who has a craving for experiencing new things while maintaining traditions. 

“Ninety percent of the time girls know exactly how they want to look on their wedding day,” he says. 

“They’ve been dreaming about it for so long.” 

Their dream dress, however, isn’t always what their mother or fiance had in mind. 

“When I’ve done gowns for private customers, the girl usually comes with her mother to the fitting. I ask the mother to leave because mothers have their own vision of what their daughters should look like, and the girls want to please their mothers,” de la Renta says. 

As for the soon-to-be husbands, de la Renta encourages the brides to be considerate and thoughtful of the men’s tastes but not to make a huge sacrifice either. “Every girl has the thought ‘On the day I get married, this is how I want to look.’ And that thought comes long before the boyfriend. ... If he doesn’t like anything tight, and she wears everything tight, the marriage is in bigger trouble than a fight over the dress.”


Weinberg and Israel

Aftim Saba Berkeley
Friday November 01, 2002

 

To the Editor: 

 

When I first saw Micky Weinberg’s name as a candidate for City Council, I thought this was either a joke or some pathological hubris. I have debated Mr. Weinberg on Larry Benski’s Sunday Salon on KPFA, observed him speak at some events and therefore I know where he stands on important contemporary moral and human issues. He is a student who dreams to be an Israeli soldier who fully supports the settlers and the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. Micky Weinberg does not consider the West Bank and Gaza as occupied territories. As a soldier, he will do many things Israeli soldiers routinely do during their occupation, including: he will enforce perpetual curfews on millions of Palestinians, shoot at children whether they are throwing stones or watching the streets from a window during a curfew, bulldoze homes of families and protect the settlers during their bloody rampages against Palestinian farmers harvesting their olive crops. This will mean we have a settler soldier ideological candidate for Berkeley City Council – a real first in Berkeley. Mr. Weinberg is opposed to a two state solution, one Palestine, in the West Bank and Gaza and the other, Israel living in peace side by side.  

Mr. Weinberg’s political views are so far to the right of the political spectrum. His views do not even come close to the majority of the Israeli public. A poll by the Israeli newspaper, Yedihot Ahronot, in Oct. 2002 revealed that 78 percent of the Israeli public say that Israel should accept the dismantling of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza against 20 percent who opposed. 

Moreover, as a student, I would have thought that Mr. Weinberg should support free speech, even if he disagrees. However, he has consistently attacked the pro-Palestinian students on campus and called for their punishment and their expulsion from the university, which puts him squarely in the rabidly anti-free speech camp. 

Berkeley is known all over the nation and the world for its humanitarian, ecofriendly, politically-correct and free speech environment. Weinberg certainly does not respect Berkeley’s values, principles or its history. Who is behind this extreme right winger? Why is Mayor Dean pushing for the candidacy of an immature individual (She also appointed him to the Peace and Justice commission)? Who is she pandering to? Why is Mayor Dean intending further to damage Berkeley’s reputation as a beacon for free speech and tolerance? 

 

Aftim Saba  

Berkeley


Neighbors try to wipe out blight

By Matthew Artz
Friday November 01, 2002

A group of south Berkeley neighbors wants to meet the first African American to officiate a professional football game. But they’re not asking for his autograph. They want to tell him to fix up his run-down property on the corner of Sacramento and Julia streets. 

Blighted property is a citywide phenomenon, said Michael Caplan, a city neighborhood services liaison and a member of the city manager’s problem property team. Team members track derelict properties and work with neighbors who have become increasingly willing to take action against troublesome tenants and owners. 

Burl Toler, a San Francisco resident, a retired National Football League official and current board member of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, has owned the south Berkeley lot where the defunct King Liquors store sits since 1994. 

The shop closed down in the mid–80s’, and since then, neighbors say the lot has been used as a dumping ground. 

“A lot of homeless people come here to go through the trash. It makes the place look ghetto,” said Runni Vermel who lives directly behind the lot. 

Last December, fed-up neighbors sent Toler a letter imploring him to either renovate the property or sell it to somebody who would. 

Toler never responded. Now the neighbors, represented by the Russell, Oregon and California Street Neighborhood Organization, are considering legal recourse. 

Mark Goldowitz, an attorney who lives and works near the lot has offered his assistance in organizing a small claims suit against Toler. Neighbors who live in the lot’s immediate vicinity could sue Toler for $5,000 because of the negative effects his derelict property has had on adjacent homes, Goldowitz said. 

Stephanie Roesner, a neighbor, said that the tactic worked 13 years ago on Russell Street when more than 20 neighbors filed individual suits against the owners of the crime–ridden Rosewood Apartments on the 1600 block of Russell Street. The owners lost in court and ultimately sold the building to the city. 

However, Toler’s son, Gregory, said legal action will not be necessary in this case. 

“We’re going to work with the city of Berkeley as best we can to make sure the property is maintained until it is developed in the near future,” he said, adding that last week he had trash removed from the lot. 

Taj Johns, a city neighborhood services liaison, met with Toler and his father on Tuesday and said they made progress on addressing the neighbors’ concerns. 

In the short term, the Tolers agreed to do weekly maintenance and install lights on the property, Johns said. If the Tolers fail to keep the lot free of trash, the city has the authority to put a lien on the property. 

The ultimate future of the plot, though, remains unclear.  

Gregory Toler said his family would like to build a small development with a ground floor shop and fewer than 20 units of housing above. 

But he acknowledged that developers have not shown interest. He and his father are working on financing the project themselves. They have not hired a designer and have no timetable on when their plans will be finalized. 

Neighbors cringed when told of the Tolers plans. “He’s got to be kidding,” said Roesner, noting that at 3,100 square feet, the lot is less then a tenth of an acre and smaller than the nearby lots with single family homes. “Certainly a retail space is needed with maybe one or two apartments above, but anything else is totally out of scale,” she said. 

Neighborhood cleanup efforts continue today in south Berkeley with a city sponsored cleanup of Sacramento Street from Dwight Way to the Oakland border. 

 

Contact reporter at matt@berkeleydailyplanet.net


Bates absolved of charges

By Matthew Artz Daily Planet Staff
Friday November 01, 2002

Mayoral candidate Tom Bates was cleared Wednesday of accepting illegal corporate campaign donations.  

The Fair Campaign Practices Commission voted unanimously that Bates did not violate Berkeley campaign law when he accepted money from fundraising committees of state politicians which were funded in part by questionable corporate donations.  

Berkeley campaign law prohibits candidates from taking corporate money. 

Berkeley resident Sam Herbert had alleged that the donations were illegal because there was no way Bates could verify that the money did not come from an outlawed corporate source. 

But according to City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque, Herbert had misinterpreted the law. She said candidates may receive donations from the campaign funds of political allies, as long as they receive assurances that the money donated was not from a corporate source. 

Bates’ campaign treasurer Mal Burnstein insisted that he had received the proper assurances


Down with height limits

Ed Gulick Program Manager, Green Resource Center Berkele
Friday November 01, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

The Green Resource Center is committed to supporting the widespread adoption of sustainable building practices in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to advocating resource-efficient and healthy building materials, we encourage building and community designs that support alternatives to automobile use and reduce development of greenfield sites. 

Because Measure P, The height initiative, severely limits the development of housing at the densities necessary to support mass transit and neighborhood services, we believe Measure P is inconsistent with the goals of sustainable development. We therefore oppose Measure P and encourage all citizens to vote against it. 

 

Ed Gulick 

Program Manager, 

Green Resource Center 

Berkeley 


Mall Santa Claus in Pleasanton fired for wearing fake beard

Friday November 01, 2002

 

PLEASANTON — Santa’s out of a job this year. No, it’s not the economic downturn, it’s his lack of facial hair. 

Tom Galletti, who’s played Santa Claus at Stoneridge mall for the past 16 years, will be replaced by someone with a real beard. 

“This is a national trend,” said Robert Wolfe, chief executive of New Jersey-based Cherry Hill Photo Enterprises, which hires and fires mall Santas. “Stoneridge is just one of hundreds of malls that want their Santa Claus to have a real beard. People are demanding it.” 

Wolfe said most of the 350-plus malls the company supplies with Santas insist on ones with real beards. 

Galletti, who wears a trimmed beard, said he cannot grow a full Santa Claus-like beard because he doesn’t feel it’s appropriate for his day job as an investigator for a local utility. 

“I could grow one, but I don’t see what’s wrong with a fake beard,” Galletti said. “Natural beards aren’t usually white and shiny like fake ones anyhow. Real ones don’t look like a Santa Claus beard.” 

“We have a brand-new holiday set this year and our Santa Claus will be out in the open,” said Diana Jan Coelho, the mall’s marketing director. “Many of our customers had asked for a Santa Claus with a real beard, so we thought this was the perfect opportunity with the new holiday decor.” 

Galletti said Santas with a natural beard can make up to twice as much as ones with a fake one.


Demand for speedy U.N. action on Iraq runs into opposition

By Edith M. Lederer The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

 

UNITED NATIONS — The U.S. demand for speedy U.N. action on Iraq has run into strong opposition from Russia, France and China, who want Washington to change a draft resolution and eliminate any license for the United States to attack Baghdad on its own. 

The three powerful Security Council members want to ensure that Iraq is given a chance to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors before any military action is authorized — and they are now waiting to see what the United States and Britain are going to do to address their concerns. 

“It’s time for some careful thinking about what next,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said Thursday. “I think the United States and the United Kingdom need to absorb the results of the last three council meetings.” 

After Wednesday’s third council session on the U.S. proposal, Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Gennady Gatilov said Moscow still has “quite a number of problems” with the U.S. draft, centered on the automatic authorization to use force. 

The U.S. and British consultations on possible changes to the U.S. draft, coupled with Friday’s handover of the Security Council presidency from Cameroon to China and next Tuesday’s U.S. election, have pushed back the Bush administration’s timetable for a U.N. vote. 

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in London he hopes the Security Council can reach agreement this week or next but it may take longer. 

“I can’t be certain that we will reach a resolution on these issues in the next couple of weeks,” he said. 

The Security Council only got the U.S. draft on Oct. 23 and the three sessions since then gave all 15 members the opportunity to go over it line by line and suggest changes. 

Greenstock said contacts between key capitals are continuing but no council meeting has been scheduled on Iraq, and the issue will likely be taken up again next week. 

Whether the U.S.-British response will meet Russian, French and Chinese demands remains to be seen. 

Greenstock said the United States and Britain haven’t decided yet whether to revise their draft resolution. 

“All I can say is it’s unlikely that we’ll put exactly the same draft back down again. We are taking account of what we’ve heard,” he said. 

China’s Ambassador Wang Yingfan expected the United States and Britain to come back with revisions. 

“I don’t know what kind of progress in the end we’ll have,” he said. 

France’s U.N. Ambassador Jean-David Levitte said everyone knows Paris’ position, but “frankly we don’t know where the U.S. is” now on the issue of authorizing force. 

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said debate would likely be concluded toward the end of next week, but he stressed that U.S. action in Iraq will not be decided by the United Nations. 

“There is nothing that we would propose in this resolution or we would find acceptable in a resolution that would handcuff the president of the United States in doing what he feels he must do,” Powell said, reiterating the administration’s view that the U.S. Congress has already given its authorization for U.S. military action against Iraq. 

But the administration also wants the United Nations to support a resolution that strengthens inspections, warns Iraq of “serious consequences” if it fails to cooperate, and declares that Iraq is still in “material breach” of its obligations to get rid of its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs. 

In an effort to win support, Washington signaled a readiness this week to make some minor concessions involving a new weapons inspection regime. These were welcomed, but the United States has yet to find a solution to the critical issue of the automatic use of force. 

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday it isn’t the words “material breach” or “serious consequences” that are at issue but their context and the meaning it implies. 

In the case of the U.S. draft, Gatilov said Wednesday that Russia still has concerns that references to “material breach” could trigger an attack on Iraq. 

He stressed that any assurances from the United States and Britain that this is not the case must be in the draft resolution. Diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington could be willing to offer such assurances privately. 

At Wednesday’s council meeting, diplomats said many nations also objected to an introductory paragraph recalling U.N. resolutions adopted after Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait which authorized member states “to use all necessary means” to oust Iraqi troops and restore Kuwait’s freedom. There were concerns this could trigger new military action if Iraq failed to cooperate 

On Wednesday, President Bush hosted chief weapons inspectors Hans Blix of the United Nations, and Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency, at the White House.


Heights and sprawl

Barbara Sargent Berkeley
Friday November 01, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

What will Berkeley look like if Measure P, the height initiative passes? I have read many letters for and against it. All the writers are certain about the effects on Berkeley should P pass. As for my own vote I'm still undecided. 

A few things are clear to me. In NYC, where I come from, there is density, liveliness, a world class, inexpensive transportation system and horrendous traffic. It can take 10 to 20 minutes to drive just five to ten city blocks in any direction; one needs a touch of insanity to drive in city traffic. There is also a spread of density into suburbs which had been semi-rural areas not very long ago. Density did not prevent buildup around the city nor dense traffic within it despite the excellent public transit; and the cost of housing there is not low. 

Does anyone really know what Measure P or a vote against it would bring us? 

I still don't know what my vote will be. 

 

Barbara Sargent 

Berkeley


Hey, where you from? Town ponders life as Got Milk? California

By Jim Wasserman The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

 

BIGGS — In a nation where Minute Maid spends $100 million to name a Houston ballpark, NASCAR hosts a Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 and people seeking $1 million willingly expose their inner flaws on TV’s “Survivor,” what’s so wrong about becoming Got Milk? Calif.? 

That’s the question bedeviling 24 tiny California towns swept up in the milk industry’s newest promotional stunt. 

All are being offered cash, fame and possible hordes of tourists — to change names like Sand City, Dorris, Etna or Biggs to Got Milk? Calif. 

Credit the California Milk Processor Board. As it struggles to stabilize declining and flat milk sales in the nation’s leading dairy state, it hopes one brave town will dare to be different: for a possible Got Milk? museum, free school computers, a library expansion or new playground. Name a price. 

In turn, the board promises Got Milk? Calif., will become the centerpiece for a national publicity campaign celebrating 10 years of “Got Milk?” advertising. The campaign, which opened in 1993 and went national in 1995, features TV commercials of comical human dilemmas without milk, and milk mustaches on celebrities from President Clinton to Spike Lee. The aim is to counter a national 21 percent decline in per capita milk drinking since the 1970s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as teenagers, especially, turn to soft drinks. 

“What I want,” says the milk board’s Berkeley-based director and ad man Jeff Manning, “is to be so happy to pick up a newly printed California map and run my finger down a road and see Got Milk? California.” 

In Biggs, a Central Valley hamlet of 1,793 best known for the state’s biggest rice miller and last year’s Wolverines high school football division championship, merely considering becoming Got Milk? has turned the town into a carnival of visiting reporters and a sense of what it’s like to be Michael Jackson or Cher. 

“We’ve been unplugging my phone,” says an exasperated Mayor Sharleta B. Callaway, recounting media calls from London, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, Albuquerque, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Idaho and Wisconsin. 

“NOTmilk.com has my e-mail address,” she says. 

Initially humored by a local newspaper to pose in a “Got Milk?” T-shirt, the 37-year-old mother of four, who runs a day care center and serves as town commissioner of police, fire, water and sewers, now calls the idea preposterous. 

“I don’t think it’s going to happen. They’re using our name to go national in exchange for nothing,” Callaway says, “and I don’t think it’s fair to the community.” 

The City Council scheduled Nov. 18 to present the idea to townspeople. 

Many in Biggs, situated near Highway 99 an hour’s drive north of Sacramento — and near a road sign that asks, “Got Tractors?” — believe becoming Got Milk? will make them a laughingstock. 

“We’ll get made fun of all the time,” says Biggs High School student Laura Rodriguez. “Where you from? We’re from Got Milk? They’ll say, ’Here come the cows.”’ 

“It’s bad enough our Wolverine looks like a beaver,” chimes in fellow student Amanda Vargas. 

Manning concedes the idea may not be right for Biggs, named for a prominent 1870s’ citizen, Major Marion Biggs, who eventually moved to nearby Gridley. Attempts later to rename Biggs to Pittsville (in honor of another prominent citizen) failed. 

Biggs’ instant fame, Manning says, has attracted calls from two other California towns — neither invited to become Got Milk? — asking, “What about us?” He declines to name them. 

“I said, “This isn’t a bidding war here.”’ 

But Manning may want to keep the numbers. City officials in Maricopa, San Juan Bautista and Sand City — all invited to become Got Milk? — can’t imagine any town changing a name for less than millions of dollars. 

“We’re on the Monterey Peninsula and it would surely cause us to come in for some ridicule,” says Sand City Administrator Kelly Morgan. 

“It’s not worth it. We already have what we need to bring in the tourists,” echoes G. Dan Reed, city council member in San Juan Bautista, home of a 1797-built California mission. 

Despite such huffing, every town does has a price. In 1999, Mayor John Dindak of West Homestead, Pa., offered naming rights to his for $1 million — and still waits. But in 2000, Halfway, Ore., renamed itself for one year to Half.com to promote an e-commerce Internet startup later absorbed into ebay.com. Halfway, population 360, got $73,000 and several computers, and another $20,000 in 2001, says Steve Backstrom, publisher of the weekly Hells Canyon Journal. 

“There’s a couple of signs that say, ’Welcome to Half.com., America’s first Internet city,”’ he says. “Other than a couple of film crews and journalists that came in, I wouldn’t say we saw a boost in tourism from that.” 

Now it’s up to towns like Colma, Colfax and Fort Jones to bite.


Judge blocks Navy sonar deployment

By David Kravets Associated Press Writer
Friday November 01, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Amid concerns about marine life, a federal judge temporarily has blocked the U.S. Navy from deploying a new high-frequency sonar system used to detect enemy submarines. 

Magistrate Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte, however, said Thursday that the Navy may use the sonar during wartime and must be allowed to train with it beforehand. Given that, the magistrate ordered both sides back to court Nov. 7 to begin formulating a plan balancing environmental and military concerns. 

The case stems from a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental organizations that sought to stop the Navy from training in most of the world’s waters with a powerful sonar system the groups maintain can strand, harass or kill marine mammals. 

“It is undisputed that marine mammals, many of whom depend on sensitive hearing for essential activities like finding food and mates and avoiding predators, and some of whom are endangered species, will at a minimum be harassed by the extremely loud and far-traveling ... sonar,” Laporte wrote in her lengthy ruling. 

On the other hand, she added, the Navy demonstrated that the new technology “is likely to significantly increase our ability to timely detect very quiet submarines.” 

Pauline Storum, a Navy spokeswoman, said the government was “reviewing the decision” and declined further comment. 

The Navy was planning to immediately begin testing the system throughout the world and had previously agreed to exclude polar waters and areas within 12 miles of any coast. 

“We want the tests carried out far away from coastlines, those are among the richest and most diverse areas,” said Joel Reynolds, an NRDC attorney. “Areas we would certainly favor is where there’s very small numbers of marine mammals, and ones where it is unlikely to do serious harm, such as away from feeding, migrating and breeding areas.”


VH1 halts filming of Liza Minnelli reality show

By David Bauder The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

NEW YORK — Liza Minnelli won’t become another Ozzy Osbourne. 

VH1 has pulled the plug on the singer’s planned reality TV show, complaining that her husband, David Gest, was impossible to work with. 

“We weren’t given the kind of access and cooperation we needed to make the show work,” VH1 spokeswoman Laura Nelson said Wednesday. 

It was a blow to the struggling cable network, which watched corporate partner MTV hit the jackpot with “The Osbournes” and had high hopes for the Minnelli show. But VH1 apparently didn’t need the aggravation. 

Gest would repeatedly cancel production meetings and shooting schedules, and restricted VH1’s access to his wife, according to an official at VH1 who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

He was also a “neat freak” who ordered a VH1 staff member to stand duty with a portable vacuum cleaner while a hole was drilled in a wall, the source said. The New York Post said Gest required VH1 crew members to wear surgical booties while in their apartment. 

When plans were announced this summer, the show was supposed to start in October. But it got pushed back to December and then January. 

Finally, with only one episode filmed, VH1 backed away entirely.


Davis hits campaign trail

By Alexa H. Bluth The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

 

COMPTON — Gov. Gray Davis rallied enthusiastic supporters in this working-class, heavily minority town south of Los Angeles Thursday as part of a final re-election campaign push to shore up his Democratic base. 

“I come to Compton, as I have many times before, to thank you for supporting us through thick and thin,” Davis told about 80 volunteers who gathered with cheers and signs in a parking lot outside a strip mall that houses a Democratic Party field office. 

Davis told the crowd that during his four years in office he has aimed to make life better for them, and he warned that Republican Bill Simon would undo that progress. 

“It’s down to this — I want to continue to move this state forward for all people. He wants to move it back and to the right,” Davis said. 

“Let’s keep working for five more days and we’ll have four more years of progress,” he said. 

Inside the headquarters a handful of volunteers dialed up Democrats to get them to the polls, a key aim for both parties in an election where turnout is expected to be low. 

Davis appeared with local officials including former Congressman Mervyn Dymally, now a state Assembly candidate, and U.S. Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, D-Carson. 

“Simple Simon will return to where he came from,” Millender-McDonald told the crowd. 

Blacks are traditionally one of the Democratic Party’s most reliable constituencies. Davis pulled in 76 percent of the black vote in 1998 and he got one of his warmest receptions of the campaign trail Thursday as his listeners mobbed him for autographs and snapshots and chanted “Four more years!” 

“There are clear choices in the governor’s race. This is not a gray election. This is a black or white election,” Davis said, citing his support for abortion and gun laws, areas where Simon’s views are notably more conservative. 

Davis later rallied about 100 Democratic volunteers in Long Beach. 

“These are real choices before the electorate and we are just trying to galvanize the people who in turn galvanize the troops,” Davis said. 

The governor then called a handful of voters on the volunteers’ lists and spoke to a husband and wife named Dottie and Chuck, explaining his handling of the energy crisis. 

He told reporters he had just learned that the couple’s “lights never went out.” 

Simon, meanwhile, was joined on the campaign trail in Santa Monica by Jack Kemp, the former congressman and U.S. housing secretary. He campaigned on a business theme, meeting with about 30 small-business executives. 

The round-table was closed to reporters at the last minute, which Simon campaign traveling press secretary Craig Turk blamed on miscommunication. That left the candidate shut inside an office building away from a bank of TV cameras that could provide badly needed publicity in the campaign’s final days. 

Simon told reporters going in that job creation and business-friendly policies would be central to his administration.


CSU enrollment breaks record, chancellor wants more funding

By Chelsea J. Carter The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

LONG BEACH — Enrollment at California State University has reached a record 406,896 students, due in part to a shaky state economy and the growing number of children of baby boomers headed to college, the chancellor said Thursday. 

The record enrollment reflects an increase of 18,291 students, or 5 percent over last year. It was the eighth consecutive year of growth at the nation’s largest public university system. 

With the children of baby boomers reaching college age and the growing demand by high school students for a college education, the postsecondary education commission estimated an additional 120,000 students would enter the university system by the 2010. 

But with the state’s slowing economy sending people back to college, Chancellor Charles B. Reed said the enrollment increase has put increased pressure on the university’s campuses. 

“Our only worry is that the state budget problems may mean tighter enrollments next year if we are not fully funded for all enrolled students,” Reed said. 

The CSU was funded for an additional 15,000 students this fiscal year, bringing its budget to more than $3 billion. Reed has said the CSU will need an additional $400 million to handle next year’s expected enrollment increase. 

The news of the enrollment boom came as Reed met with trustees to discuss funding for next year. 

Reed urged trustees, faculty and staff members to find ways to ease enrollment pressures. He advocated the use of online classes and an integrated use of computer and classroom teaching techniques that require students to meet in class just once a week. 

“We really can’t keep taking the students without being funded for it,” said Richard West, CSU’s executive vice chancellor and chief financial officer. “ 

“If we don’t get the funding, we will have to tighten enrollment requirements.” 

The chancellor also has given permission to some campuses to close open registration periods. 

Enrollment at the Long Beach and San Diego campuses must be made in November for the following school year, West said. 

CSU Sacramento cut off registration in May and June, instead of enrolling students right up to the start of fall classes after Labor Day. 

“They’re trying to put the best face possible on it, but already they’re saying they’re going to have to limit enrollment again this spring,” said Jon Ortiz, a 40-year-old returning student from Sacramento. “Even with the cutoff, we’ve had a thousand more students enrolled. A lot of students are having to beg to add” classes. 

CSU has already tightened its enrollment requirements for high school students and aligned its entrance requirements with the University of California. It also expanded its summer school and online classes. 

Among the options the CSU may also consider is requiring community college students to complete their two-year lower division course work before transferring to CSU.


ChevronTexaco suffers third quarter loss of $904 million

By Michael Liedtke The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — ChevronTexaco Corp. wrote off most of its investment in fallen energy merchant Dynegy Inc. on Thursday, resulting in a third-quarter loss of $904 million. 

The San Francisco-based company absorbed $1.55 billion in charges to account for its soured investment in Houston-based Dynegy, punctuating a disappointing quarter for the oil giant. 

If not for the Dynegy setback and other one-time charges totaling $485 million, ChevronTexaco said it would have recorded a profit of $1.24 billion, or $1.17 per share. 

That fell well below the consensus earnings estimate of $1.30 per share among analysts polled by Thomson First Call. 

ChevronTexaco’s third-quarter loss of 85 cents per share contrasted with a profit of $1.27 billion, or $1.19 per share, last year. Third-quarter revenue totaled $25.35 billion, a 2 percent decrease from last year. 

The company’s shares fell $3.77, or 5 percent, to close at $67.63 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. 

“It’s hard to call this anything but a weak quarter,” said Banc of America Securities analyst Tyler Dann. 

ChevronTexaco said oil production problems and lackluster demand for its refined products diminished its third-quarter performance. 

In one of its bright spots, the company said the savings from Chevron’s $39 billion takeover of Texaco are piling up faster than anticipated. ChevronTexaco reduced the combined company’s overhead by $1.8 billion about six months ahead of schedule. The company expects to realize an additional $400 million in savings by April. 

The cost-cutting so far has included the elimination of about 5,500 jobs — about 1,000 more than management projected shortly after the merger. ChevronTexaco attributed the increase to government requirements that forced the company to put about 1,000 international contractors on its payroll. 

This marks the second consecutive quarter that ChevronTexaco has been tainted by its 26.5 percent stake in Houston-based Dynegy, which emerged as a rising corporate star when power prices soared in 2000 and the first half of 2001. 

Dynegy is now struggling to survive amid dramatically lower power prices and the financial fallout from the accounting scam uncovered a year ago at Enron Corp., once the nation’s largest energy trader. 

Dynegy’s downfall has saddled ChevronTexaco with more than $2 billion in losses so far this year, a jarring about-face from 18 months ago. 

When Dynegy’s stock peaked at $57.95 during the spring of 2001, ChevronTexaco’s stake was worth about $5 billion. Dynegy’s success also boosted ChevronTexaco’s earnings by $188 million between January 2000 and June 2001. 

Even after the Enron scandal broke a year ago, ChevronTexaco demonstrated its support of Dynegy by investing an additional $1.5 billion as part of a bid to buy Enron. That deal eventually was called off, but ChevronTexaco’s investments in Dynegy continue to haunt the company. 

“This has been an expensive lesson and a real headache for ChevronTexaco,” said industry analyst Fadel Gheit of Fahnestock & Co.


Paint maker settles sealant suit for $107.5 million

Friday November 01, 2002

STOCKTON — A Southern California paint company has agreed to pay $107.5 million to settle a class-action suit over faulty wood sealants that left mildew damage on fences, decks and houses. 

San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Carter Holly gave preliminary approval to a settlement with the maker of Behr Paints on Tuesday. 

Consumers who purchased Super Liquid Rawhide or Natural Seal Plus wood sealants after Jan. 1, 1991, may be qualified to share in the settlement if they suffered mildew damage. Those who applied the sealants but did not have damage may be eligible for discounts on other Behr products. 

Consumers have until Feb. 7 to accept, object or opt out of the settlement. A March 6 hearing is scheduled to determine lawyers’ fees and give final approval to the settlement. 

Masco Corp., the parent company of Santa Ana-based Behr Process Corp., made no admission of liability or wrongdoing in the proposed settlement. 

“Unfortunately, litigation is just part of doing business these days,” said Samuel Cypert, vice president of Masco, which is based in Taylor, Mich. 

Stockton lawyer James B. Brown represented Stockton homeowner Judy Herum, the wife of his legal partner, in a lawsuit filed in July 2000. 

Brown was later named liaison counsel in a nationwide class-action suit joining at least a dozen California lawsuits and others from around the country. 

Behr has stopped making the two sealants targeted in the suit.


Vignette buys S.F. company

Friday November 01, 2002

 

AUSTIN, Texas — After months of painful cost cutting, Vignette Corp. has splurged. 

The software company is dipping into its $335 million cash reserves to buy a company, something it hasn’t done since the tech bubble burst in early 2000. 

Vignette is paying $32 million, mostly in cash, to buy San Francisco-based software maker Epicentric Inc. 

Epicentric is the first, but probably not the last, acquisition arranged by new Vignette chief executive Tom Hogan, who has been interested in putting Vignette’s cash to work. 

“Cash is king in this environment,” Hogan told analysts earlier this month. 

It’s a good time to go shopping. Tech companies struggling with low sales are easy prey for those that have cash to spare. 

Analysts say Epicentric is a good technology fit. But in a research note, Salomon Smith Barney analyst Heather Bellini, who is keeping her “underperform” rating for Vignette, said the move would not help the company reach its goal of breaking even any faster. 

Epicentric, which makes business portal software, raised more than $85 million in venture capital and now has about 265 employees, down from more than 330 in 2001. Earlier this year, Epicentric considered going public but decided against it. 

The acquisition, expected to close in December, involves $26 million in cash up front from Vignette and another $6 million coming if Epicentric employees stay with the company.


Police sniffing for possible sniper ties around country

By Jeff Donn The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

 

Police are checking unsolved murders around the nation for ties to the Washington, D.C.-area sniper attacks — a task that took on renewed urgency Thursday as the extraordinary crime spree’s latest leg extended to Louisiana. 

Law enforcement officials said they had linked the rifle used in the sniper case to a Sept. 23 killing in Baton Rouge. Authorities already have laid charges in Alabama and connected two shooting cases in Washington state, all with ballistics evidence. 

Police have identified at least two other cases — a killing in Michigan and a separate string of slayings in Louisiana — they believe could be linked, but with little real evidence so far. 

The task of determining the spree’s full scope is daunting. 

The two men accused in the capital-area sniper shootings, John Muhammad and John Lee Malvo, have lived in or drifted through many states and spent time in the Caribbean. 

Beyond the D.C.-area, Alabama and Louisiana cases, police have linked Muhammad to other seemingly disparate crimes — a possible rage killing at a home and an attack on a synagogue, both in Washington state. The capital-area sniper demanded $10 million — a twist that further expands the range of possible criminal methods and motives. 

“It’s difficult because he could reasonably be a suspect in just about anything,” said Stanton Samenow, a psychologist who evaluates violent criminals for the courts and wrote “Inside the Criminal Mind.” 

Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday that investigators were also still exploring if other people took part in the crime spree. 

Spurred by a national advisory from the Maryland-based sniper task force, police in many states have reopened old files to check for elements common with the sniper case. That three-week killing field left 10 dead and three wounded and brought charges from Virginia, Maryland and federal prosecutors. 

State and local police have reported checks for any related cases in at least Washington state, Oregon, California, Arizona, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan. 

— In the Louisiana case, beauty supply worker Hong Im Ballenger was killed during a Baton Rouge robbery. There is suspicion the rifle used to shoot her in the head also might have been involved in another shooting in the city that did not kill anybody. Muhammad grew up in Baton Rouge and also visited relatives with Malvo there in the weeks before the sniper attacks. 

Baton Rouge police also are seeking DNA samples from each man to check for links to the other case — the serial murders of three women between fall 2001 and last summer. One woman was strangled, one stabbed and one had a slit throat. 

Authorities, however, say they are still leaning toward a white man, as predicted in an FBI profile, as a more likely kind of suspect in those murders. Muhammad and Malvo are black. 

— In Michigan, Lansing police were following up with the sniper task force to check on any connection to the shooting death of Bernita White at a zoo entrance in June 2001. She was shot by someone hiding behind a fence about 200 yards away. The capital-area sniper also fired at long range. 

“It’s something we’re looking into, but it’s nothing formal,” said police Lt. John Parks in Lansing. “You can’t ignore it.” 

There is no known evidence that Muhammad and Malvo were in Michigan. However, a friend of Muhammad’s, who helped buy the car allegedly used in the sniper case, was arrested in Michigan as a material witness. 

In Montgomery, Ala., the Sept. 21 robbery attempt left one woman dead and another wounded outside a liquor store. Police also have linked Muhammad and Malvo to the February murder of a woman shot in the face at her door in Tacoma, Wash., possibly out of fury toward her aunt for taking sides with Muhammad’s ex-wife in a custody scrap. Police suspect the pair, too, in connection with shots fired at a Tacoma synagogue in May, an incident in which no one was hurt. 

At the sniper command center in Montgomery County, Md., detectives asked police agencies around the country to scan for similar cases soon after the sniper arrests. 

But what is similar? Should they look at all long-range sniper shootings, crimes with the same caliber rifle, fatal shootings, all homicides or even severe assaults? Departments are taking varying approaches. 

“You just kind of look at everything to check if it really fits,” said Brooks Wilkins, who oversees criminal intelligence for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. 

Knowing Muhammad lived in Monterey, Calif., for about a year while in the military, the county sheriff’s department scanned for any likely matches with all unsolved murders during that time. It came up empty, Deputy Bill Cassara said. 

In Oregon, where Muhammad once served in the national guard, state police glanced back at several dozen sniping cases over the last decade or so, without finding any matches, spokesman Andy Olsen said. 

N.G. Berrill, who teaches about criminal behavior at John Jay College in New York City, said investigators should try to reconstruct every place the men went — especially Muhammad. 

“There’s every opportunity and every possibility that if he ran out of money, there would have been a robbery. If he had become angry or disconsolate or highly agitated, he might have shot someone,” Berrill said. 

“You would look at unsolved crimes that you had an itch to solve. I wouldn’t confine it to a certain type of crime,” added Jeffrey Smalldon, a forensic psychologist in Columbus, Ohio, who worked on the serial sniper case of Thomas Lee Dillon. Dillon pleaded guilty in 1993 to killing five strangers. 

However, Clint Van Zandt, a former FBI agent who examined patterns of criminal behavior, suggested police could focus their search. “I think part of what they need to look for is unsolved assaults or homicides where it appears the victim was again chosen at random,” he said. 

Northeastern University criminologist Jack Levin, in Boston, who writes on serial murders, cautioned against scanning too aggressively for connections, because police could waste time and resources and finger the wrong suspect. 

“When you’ve got guys like Muhammad and Malvo who are charged with crimes in a number of jurisdictions, there’s a tendency for police departments around the country to want to clear their cases. Sometimes they go overboard,” he said.


Sniper suspects linked to slayings in Louisiana, Alabama

By Melinda Deslatte The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

BATON ROUGE, La. — Authorities charged the Washington-area sniper suspects with murder Thursday in a Louisiana attack and said they had definitively linked the two men to an Alabama slaying just two days earlier. 

John Allen Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17, are now charged with a month-long series of killings stretching from the Gulf Coast to the suburbs of the nation’s capital. Police nationwide are said to be looking for links to the men with help from federal authorities. 

The two suspects face multiple state and federal counts in the Alabama and Louisiana cases and the sniper spree that left 10 people dead and three others wounded in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. They are also suspects in a February killing in Washington state. 

Baton Rouge Police Chief Pat Englade issued first-degree murder warrants for Muhammad and Malvo after ballistics tests matched the rifle used in the sniper shootings to the Sept. 23 slaying and robbery of a beauty shop worker in the Louisiana capital. 

Hong Im Ballenger, 45, died from a single shot to the head as she left work. Witnesses said the gunman was a young black man who fled into a nearby park and evaded bloodhounds called in to track him down. 

According to the arrest warrant, police believe Muhammad shot the woman and Malvo stole her purse and fled. 

Earlier in the day, Alabama authorities said the same rifle, a .223-caliber Bushmaster, had been linked to the shooting death of a liquor store worker in Montgomery on Sept. 21, two days before the Louisiana slaying and 315 miles away. 

In that case, the suspect — allegedly Malvo — was seen rifling through one of the victim’s purses before he was chased off by a police officer. 

The sniper suspects have been in custody in Maryland since they were captured at a highway rest stop Oct. 24. Authorities found the rifle in their car, which they say was modified so someone could fire unseen through a hole in the trunk. 

In Washington, Attorney General John Ashcroft said the investigation was continuing into the possibility other people may be involved or that the suspects have committed more crimes. 

“We will proceed deliberatively, cautiously and not jump to any conclusions,” Ashcroft said. “The facts ... will determine the final outcome and we intend to follow the facts wherever they may lead.” 

A senior Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no specific evidence that others were involved but authorities would not rule out the possibility. 

Police nationwide are checking unsolved crimes for links to the sniper suspects, the official said, with a particular focus on the Gulf Coast and East Coast. 

In Alabama, officials said new ballistics evidence had linked the rifle to Claudine Parker, 52, who was shot to death during an attack that also wounded her liquor store co-worker, Kellie Adams, 24. 

State forensics director Taylor Noggle said the slug taken from Parker’s body matched bullets test fired from the Bushmaster. Muhammad and Malvo have already been charged with capital murder in the crime. 

First-degree murder carries a possible death penalty in Louisiana. Doug Moreau, the Baton Rouge district attorney, said he did not know when he would get the case and did not know whether he would push for the death penalty. 

Englade said the unusual type of bullet used to kill Ballenger led police to investigate a possible connection. Police also said dated receipts from two Baton Rouge stores were found in the suspects’ car. 

Muhammad grew up in Baton Rouge and still has relatives and friends there, including one of his ex-wives. He visited the area this summer, friends said. 

A task force working on the serial killings of three Baton Rouge women in the past year is working to obtain DNA evidence from Muhammad and Malvo. However, the two have not been linked to those killings, Englade said. 

Also Thursday, officials in Prince Georges County, Md., where a 13-year-old boy was wounded outside his school, charged Muhammad and Malvo with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, both of which carry life sentences. 

Ashcroft is considering whether the federal government will take the lead in prosecuting the two men or have the first trials in Maryland, Virginia or elsewhere. 

 

Associated Press writer Curt Anderson  

contributed to this report. 


9th Circuit bars Exxon Valdez from operating

By David Kravets The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

 

SAN FRANCISCO — The Exxon Valdez oil tanker cannot return to the Alaskan sound it fouled 13 years ago with nearly 11 million gallons of crude, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. 

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Oil Pollution Act, which among other things prohibits any ship from operating in Prince William Sound if it has spilled more than 1 million gallons of oil anywhere. The 1990 act has prohibited 18 vessels from sailing into the sound, Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said. 

Congress adopted the rule on grounds that the sound was an “environmentally sensitive area” and that it would encourage vessel owners to take steps to avoid spills. The act also provided for a navigational light on Bligh Reef, where the Valdez ran aground, and demanded new equipment and standards for oil spill cleanups. 

The Valdez spill was March 23, 1989. Congress made the act retroactively enforceable to cover that accident. 

A spokesman for SeaRiver Maritime International Inc., a Houston-based shipping concern that owns the ship, said the Exxon Mobile Corp. subsidiary may appeal the decision. 

“We’re disappointed with the outcome,” spokesman Ray Botto said. “We’re currently evaluating it and have not determined what a go-forward plan would look like.” 

He said the ship, which cost $125 million to build, has been shipping internationally under the U.S. flag since the company spent about $30 million fixing its damaged hull. 

The company argued to the appeals court that the Valdez, since renamed the S/R Mediterranean, was being wrongly singled out and punished. The company said there was no basis for believing that a vessel that spilled oil in the past would spill in the future. 

The three-judge panel disagreed unanimously. 

“The concern that the Exxon Valdez presents an unreasonable risk to Prince William Sound is sufficient to justify the restriction on SeaRiver’s use of the vessel in that area,” Judge Richard Paez wrote.


Former UC Berkeley chancellor dies

By David Scharfenberg
Thursday October 31, 2002

Former UC Berkeley Chancellor Chang-Lin Tien, the first Asian-American to head a major U.S. university, died Tuesday night at the age of 67. 

Tien, who served as chancellor from 1990 to 1997, died at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Redwood City, two years after suffering a brain tumor and debilitating stroke, according to a UC Berkeley statement. 

Tien made his reputation as an award-winning scientist who worked on insulation tiles for the space shuttle, a prodigious fundraiser who guided UC Berkeley through tough economic times and a tireless fighter for affirmative action, even in the face of opposition from the UC Board of Regents. 

Locals remember a warm leader who made a strong effort to reach out to the city. 

“He was a wonderful, personal friend,” said Mayor Shirley Dean, on the verge of tears, describing a great intellect who still took time to lecture before students at Berkeley High School. 

“He would take his personal time and actually be there,” she said. “It wasn’t just lip service.” 

Tien was born on July 24, 1935 in Wuhan, China. In 1949, his family fled China’s communist regime for Taiwan. After completing his undergraduate education at National Taiwan University, Tien emigrated to the United States in 1956 to study at the University of Louisville and later Princeton University, receiving two masters degrees and a PhD in mechanical engineering. 

During his time in the South, Tien learned about racism firsthand. A Louisville professor repeatedly referred to him as a “Chinaman,” Tien recalled, and the black-white divide was plainly evident. 

“One day I got on a bus and saw that all the black people were in back, the white people in front. I didn’t know where I belonged, so for a long time I stood near the driver,” Tien once said. “Finally, he told me to sit down in front, and I did. I didn’t take another bus ride for a whole year. I would walk an hour to avoid that.” 

In 1959, Tien joined the UC Berkeley faculty as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and in 1962, at the age of 26, he became the youngest professor to win UC Berkeley’s Distinguished Teaching Award. 

An expert in thermal science and engineering, Tien helped the governments of Hong Kong and the United States work through several problems, including the nuclear reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island. 

“He was a visionary,” said Richard O. Buckius, a former Tien student who heads the department of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “He marked out new high-impact areas, and then he lead everybody to the next area.” 

In 1988, Tien briefly left UC Berkeley to serve as executive vice chancellor at UC Irvine. But in 1990, he returned to take the reins as UC Berkeley chancellor. 

Tien faced a series of crises shortly after taking office – a fraternity house fire that killed three students, a hostage-taking at a hotel bar near campus in which a gunman killed a student before being shot dead by police, and an assassination attempt by a machete-wielding local activist with a history of mental illness. 

“People say that I must have been really shaken over the fact that someone tried to assassinate me,” Tien told Asian Week newspaper in 1997. “But I don’t feel that way.” 

Tien said the hostage situation and fire were more difficult. 

“When I first heard about the fraternity fire that killed two students, I was not really prepared to handle that,” he told Asian Week. “I have children. I went to see the parents at midnight and talked to them – that was hard, the human suffering.” 

Tien also faced a fiscal crisis when he took office. With the California economy lagging, state funding for UC Berkeley dropped by $70 million or 18 percent within four years, according to a university statement. 

In response, Tien launched an ambitious fund-raising drive in 1996 that collected $1.44 billion by the time it was complete. At an April 2001 gala to celebrate the end of the campaign, current UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl announced the creation of the Chang-Lin Tien Center for East Asian Studies. 

Tien also gained notoriety for his outspoken support of affirmative action, which the UC Board of Regents banned in 1995. In 1996, Tien took his case to the editorial page of the New York Times. 

“It would be a tragedy if our nation’s colleges and universities slipped backward now, denying access to talented but disadvantaged youth and eroding the diversity that helps to prepare leaders,” he wrote. 

The UC Berkeley campus mourned its own leader, forged in the fires of American diversity, Wednesday. 

“Chang-Lin was an exceptional leader during one of UC Berkeley’s most challenging periods,” said Chancellor Berdahl, in a statement. “His energy and optimism, his willingness to fight for the principles he cherished, and his loyalty and love for this campus made it stronger and better.” 

Tien is survived by his wife Di-Hwa, of Berkeley; a son, Norman, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Davis; and daughters Phyllis, a physician at UC San Francisco, and Christine, the deputy city manager of Stockton. Tien also leaves four grandchildren. 

A campus memorial service will be held Nov. 14 from 3 to 4 p.m. at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall. 

 

Contact reporter at  

scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net


Battle of the brochures

James Day
Thursday October 31, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

We are blessed to live on an obscure, quiet little block that is not a battleground in the 2002 mayoral campaign. We watch baseball and eat dinner, uninterrupted by politicians or their earnest canvassers. Since we screen our calls, they're not going to get us that way, either.  

So to us, the mayoral campaign has been a battle of the brochure. Judging it on that basis, it's not been a very inspiring campaign, but it has run true to the personalities of the two candidates and to that dreary battle between liberal and left. 

Tom Bates sent us a big brochure of happy yellows and blues that included a list of all the problems he would solve and then added a card we could mail in, in case he had forgotten to mention anything. It was a very progressive “process,” catchall approach that rendered the thing almost meaningless. Recently we received an equally unforgettable flyer from him about, we think, education.  

He comes across as a moderate lefty, experienced and goodhearted. But it's all a little rote, and you wonder if maybe he lacks a real fire in the belly for this particular race and perhaps for the job itself.  

A recent mailing from incumbent Shirley Dean goes for the throat and doesn't let go. There are a couple of nice pictures of nice people who are supporting her. But they're lost in the spooky, blood-red lettering, the grey-patina pictures of dilapidated housing, and the dire warnings that Bates will return the city to the clutches of wild-eyed radicals, some of whose more flamboyant moments are mentioned – no matter how ancient or of dubious relevance.  

It's fear-mongering, something Dean has never been able to resist. And, once again, it overshadows her good works and her commendable urge to, at some point, just get things done. It also foolishly cedes the high ground to her opposition, some of whom can be just as nasty. 

 

James Day 

Berkeley


Bridging the past and present

By Jane Yin
Thursday October 31, 2002

 

Alfonso Maya is living proof that music is a universal language. This new singing talent from Mexico City is receiving high praise and respect for his native contemporary music during his first U.S. tour, which commenced early September. From Chicago to Milwaukee to California, he has touched the hearts of many who might not understand his words but are drawn to the passion of his performances. 

“[My audience] understands the emotion. They get in contact with the emotion. Even when I sing sad songs, at the end of the concert, people always thank me. It’s like an event of nourishing the soul,” Maya said. 

The Trova musician, whose hits include “Tu Fantasma,” “Giros Y Giros,” and “La Niña de Las Flores,” will be performing at La Peña Cultural Center this Sunday with a multicultural group of musicians and performers. Joining him are Arubah, a world fusion band, and Caminante, featuring Francisco Herrera, a Bay Area activist who is a vocal advocate of human rights. Silvia Parra will also be performing spoken word in English and Spanish.  

“[Alfonso] will be performing a piece with Francisco Herrera, in which they sing ‘who says that everything is lost, I come here to give you my heart.’ It is very poetic,” described Parra. 

Maya’s music is an assortment of bittersweet love ballads and satirical observations of social norms that can be heard on his debut album “Giros y Giros,” which came out last year. He casually, yet dexterously, strums his guitar through songs that speak of the farewell of romance. The delicate, longing tunes are juxtaposed with other humorous melodies, one in which he cleverly sings, “Mindless tunes, get airtime, don’t say anything, nasty little tune gets in your system.” 

La Niña de Las Flores, track five on his album, has made the largest impact on U.S, audiences. He speaks of a real-life girl who has resorted to a life of labor at a young age. 

“He sings so tenderly to this little girl [who is ] selling flowers in the middle of the night. It reminds me that a child is doing this work. And there are a lot of children in Mexico doing this kind of labor,” said Parra.  

In the last piece, a humorous commentary, Maya croons, “People are so addicted to the night of drinking.” And Maya would know about these people, having performed in bars all over the world. He has also graced international audiences in a wide array of venues, from universities to churches and performance halls.  

Maya fondly remembered an experience after his friends’ wedding in France, “I found very interesting that the French people were so moved by my song, that they would stand up in ovation at a wedding ceremony. Later at the party, some of the people told me, through translators, that they could not understand a word that I was saying, but they could feel a lot of emotion in their heart, and they were very touched.” 

The Trova music that Maya performs is an old style of music that has transformed into what is known as contemporary music in Mexico. It is a Spanish ballad style of music that is more than a century old and has evolved over the years. During the 60s’, it developed quite a bit, generating astonishing songs from brilliant artists.  

Art and performance was always a part of Maya’s family, some being circus performers and musicians. In fact Maya’s homeland Cuernavaca, meaning “Place of Eternal Spring,” is known as the capital of language studies and arts, housing many foreign exchange students who want to take a breath of Mexico’s arts and literature.  

Maya began singing at the age of 14 when he was drawn to the music coming from his Uncle’s guitar playing. In high school he took guitar and music lessons and continued his musical studies through college. In college he also received a chemistry and theater degree. 

“I took on theater because I like to be on stage and to personalize somebody at some point,” said the adored Mexican Troubadour. “When I am up on stage, I am recreating myself. And that’s the way I relive the song again.”


Calendar

Thursday October 31, 2002

Thursday, Oct. 31 

“Once in a Boo Moon” 

6 to 9 p.m. 

Chabot Museum, 10000 Skyline Blvd. 

This Halloween party includes a haunted house, hair raising science experiments, creepy creatures, and tricky treats. Costumes encouraged, children must be accompanied by an adult  

Tickets available at www.ticketweb.com or 336-7373 

$10/ $8 for Chabot members 

 

Halloween Carnival 

4 to 9 p.m. 

1730 Oregon St. 

Sponsored by the City of Berkeley Young Adult Project, this “Dead of the Dead” celebration includes a haunted house, carnival, parade, costume contest, food, and games. Contact Phil Harper-Cotton of the Young Adult Project with questions  

981-6670 

 

“Trick-Or-Treat For Unicef” 

Eat out at Chez-Panisse and other local restaurants and help Gourmet Magazine raise funds for children’s programs overseas. For a complete listing of participating restaurants and program details call (800) 252-KIDS or visit www.unicefusa.org 

 

Friday, Nov. 1 

Census 2000: Growing Together or Apart? 

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Wurster Hall Auditorium (Rm. 112), UC Berkeley 

During this one-day conference, scholars will analyze the geographic impact of changes to the population 

For more info: 

http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/census2000.htm 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

Sick Plant Clinic 

9 a.m. to noon 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. UC plant pathology and entomology experts will diagnose what ails your plant  

643-2755 

Free 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Sacred Breath” 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 

Robin Caton gives this talk on Tibetan Buddhism, and the classic Buddhist practice known as Tong-len. 

843-6812  

Free 

 

Monday, Nov. 4 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Home Owners Support Group 

3 p.m. 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Office, 1403 Addison St. 

Resources for low and middle-income home owners, and home maintenance 

548-9696 

 

“Pathways to Collaboration” 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, Rm. 160, UC Berkeley 

A lecture by Dana Plautz, director of research communications for Intel Corporation, followed by live music 

Free 

 

Wednesday, Nov. 6 

“The Chinese and Religion in the Context of Globalization” 

Reception 5:30 p.m. / Lecture 7 p.m. 

Bade Museum at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

A noted scholar and author, Professor Zhuo Xinping speaks 

649-2440 

 

Saturday, Nov. 9 

Book Sale and Auction 

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Center for AIDS Services, 5720 Shattuck Ave., Oakland 

This “big” sale will benefit the AIDS center 

655-3435 

 

Sunday, Nov. 10 

World RunDay - national charity benefit 

All day 

Various cities across the nation - contact www.runday.com 

(516) 859-3000 for more info 

 

Tuesday, Nov. 12 

Holiday Craft Baazar 

10 a.m. to noon 

Handmade items, sweet treats, and knick knacks will be for sale. Everyone is invited 

St. John’s Presbyterian Curch, 2727 College Ave. 

845-6830 

 

Wednesday, Nov. 13 

Public Lecture by the Rev. Canon Naim Ateek 

7:30 p.m. 

Founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and native of East Jerusalem, Rev. Ateek will lead a discussion sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Berkeley (UCC) and the Pacific School of Religion 

UCC, on Dana St. between Durant St. and Channing 

848-3696 

$10/ suggested donation  

 

League of Women Voters Meeting 

Noon 

LWVBAE office, 1414 University Ave. 

Discussion will focus on regional issues 

849-2154 

 

 

Thursday, Oct. 31 

Halloween Party with the Venusians 

8 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

The Venusians are a shamanic trance-dance septet known for their costume-laden, colorful performances 

525-5054 

$10 

 

Friday, Nov. 1 

Festa Da Bunda 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

This Brazilian “love fest and Penta party” features a Batucada jam with Gary Muzynski of One World Music and others. The night includes a Brazilian soccer team look-alike contest 

525-5054 

$12 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

The Librarians with The Skyflakes and Plain White Ts 

9 p.m. 

Bear’s Lair 

2475 Bancroft Way 

$5 / 21 and over 

 

Vince Black with Root Awakening 

9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Socially conscious reggae classics and original songs 

525-5054 

$11 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

Workshop and Performance by Akira Tana 

1 to 3 p.m. workshop 

4:30 p.m. concert 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Drummer Akira Tana teaches and performs 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$30-$35 workshop 

$10-$15 performance 

CalArts Night of Jazz 

8 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

The first of many collaborations between Jazzschool and CalArts 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

Flamenco Open Stage 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Dancers, guitarists and singers, with a costume exhibit and a sale of flamenco items 

525-5054 

$8 

 

Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth 

4 p.m. 

Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. 

The renowned singer and pianist will perform classical vocal favorites featuring the music of Brahams, Dvorak and Bartok 

559-6910 

$10 / 18 and under free 

 

Saturday, Nov. 9 

An Evening of Cultural Harmony 

8 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 

The Barbard Ensemble, the San Francisco Klezmer Experience and Lichi Fuentes & Jackeline Rago will treat listeners to music from Iran, Eastern Europe, and Latin America 

704-7480 x755 

$25 general admission 

 

Sunday, Nov. 10 

The Sheldon Brown Group 

4:30 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

 

 

Timoteo Ikoshy Montoya 

Through Nov. 1  

Gathering Tribes Gallery  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Acrylic/air brush paintings  

by this Native American artist 

528-9038 

 

“Recent Acquisitions” 

Through Dec. 14 

Thurs., Fri., and Sat., 1 to 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. 

848-0181 

Threads: Five artists who  

use stitching to convey ideas 

Through Dec. 15, Wed.-Sun., noon to 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

Live Oak Park, 1275 Walnut St. 

Information: www.berkeleyartcenter.org, 644-6893 

Free 

 

“A Lashing of Malice, a Slice of Humor” 

Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave, near Derby 

Roald Dahl’s adult stories come to life onstage 

Tickets available at the door and at: 

925-798-1300 

$25 opening night Gala 

$10-$15 otherwise 

 

Alarms and Excursions 

Nov. 15 through Dec. 22 

Aurora Theatre Company,  

2081 Addison St. 

Michael Frayn's comedy about  

the irony of modern technology 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35. 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

Jan Tissot 

3 to 5 p.m. 

Pegasus Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 

Jan Tissot will be signing his new novel, “Keiki” 

 

Saturday Nov. 9 

Dorothy Allison and Jewelle Gomez appear in support of Boadecia’s Books 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano Ave. 

559-9184 

$25, sliding scale 

 

Saturday Nov. 16 

Alice Walker and Brenda Boykin 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano 

559-9184 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Focus” 

2 to 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St.  

William H. Macy stars in this early 1940’s period piece 

848-0237 

$2 donation 

 

Thursday, Nov. 7 

“Desert Hearts” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst St. 

A 1950’s lesbian romance featuring Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau 

 

Friday, Nov. 8 

“El Che” 

7 p.m. 

Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St. 

Film screening followed by salsa dancing to support Berkeley’s Cuban Sister-City Palma Soriano 

548-6941 

$10 / Sliding scale 

 

“Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times” 

7:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way 

The Middle East Children’s Alliance will premiere a new film by Academy award-nominated documentary filmmaker John Junkerman 

548-0542 

$15


Cal Football Notebook

Jared Green
Thursday October 31, 2002

He’s a fan: Cal head coach Jeff Tedford will spend his Saturday just like millions of others across the country: watching college football on television. 

Tedford will be paying special attention to the Arizona State-Washington State game on Saturday, as the Sun Devils are slated as the Golden Bears’ next opponent. With the luxury of a bye week, Tedford will watch his first football game of the season that isn’t on tape. 

“I’m really going to enjoy sitting back and watching someone else sweat it out for once,” Tedford said Tuesday. “I’ll be scouting, but I’ll be a fan too.” 

 

Injury report: Tedford’s team’s health should benefit from the weekend off. All three starting wide receivers are nursing injuries, as well as three offensive line starters, three defensive line starters and tight end Tom Swoboda. The injury report Tedford received on Monday was two pages long for the first time this season. Tedford said his backups will see extensive practice time this week, and the team will be in full pads only one day. Here’s a list of injuries to Cal starters: WR Jonathon Makonnen (shoulder), WR LaShaun Ward (shoulder, thumb), WR Geoff McArthur (hamstring), OT Chris Murphy (ankle), C Ryan Jones (wrist), G Jon Geisel (knee), FB Pana Faumuina (shoulder), TE Tom Swoboda (shoulder, ankle), DT Josh Beckham (ankle), DE Jamaal Cherry (foot), DE Tom Canada (thigh). 

 

Running woes: Tedford said the next two weeks will be largely dedicated to the running game, which is averaging just 94 yards per game, including games of 40 and 16 yards against UCLA and Oregon State, respectively. Tedford emphasizes balance on offense, and he hasn’t been getting enough production from the run game, which ranks eighth in the Pac-10. 

“Our running game has been non-existent lately,” Tedford said. “It’s something we’re going to have to address right now.” 

Tedford pointed to several factors that may have contributed to the weak efforts lately, including injuries on the offensive line, tough opponents and poor communication. 

“It might be my fault by having too many plays to remember,” he said. “The players might not be comfortable with having so many plays to remember. We have to get back to basics and be able to play at full speed.” 

 

Echemaandu update: Junior tailback Adimchinobe Echemaandu is likely to play at some point this season, perhaps as soon as the Bears’ penultimate game against Arizona. Echemaandu (formerly Joe Echema) tore the ACL and lateral miniscus in his right knee during spring drills. He started running a few weeks ago and has been practicing lightly for two weeks, running without a brace on the injured knee during sprints on Monday. 

“[Echemaandu] will get quite a bit of action this week,” Tedford said. “We’ll have him hitting a little bit and see how he responds.” 

Echemaandu came out of spring drills as the Bears’ top tailback but hurt his knee on April 24. He set a goal to play in the UCLA game but didn’t make it back in time. Tedford said he wants Echemaandu to play this season as the player used his redshirt a year ago due to academic issues. 


Merchants vent after lootings on Telegraph

By Matthew Artz
Thursday October 31, 2002

Telegraph Avenue merchants demanded justice Wednesday, one day after about 30 teenagers looted more than $2,000 in merchandise from a sporting good store. 

But police said arrests in the case were unlikely. “We are taking the matter very seriously,” said Officer Mary Kusmiss. But Kusmiss noted that without good descriptions of the kids, the looters would probably not be found. 

According to police, a group of teenagers left an AC Transit bus slightly before 11:30 a.m. at Durant and Telegraph avenues. Several of the kids ran into the Gap on the 2300 block of Telegraph, where they reportedly threw clothes on the floor and tried to steal merchandise. After being stopped by Gap security, they barged into the Foot Locker across the street and ran off with jerseys and other clothing. It is not known which high school the teenagers attend. 

Merchants connected the looting to a nearby protest held by the pro-affirmative action group Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN). They noted that BAMN held a similar rally March 8, 2001 in which an estimated 75 high school students scheduled to attend the protest instead stole about $12,000 in footwear from The Athlete’s Foot on the same block of Telegraph as the Foot Locker. No arrests were made in that case. 

“The big question is who is By Any Means Necessary and what is the message being delivered to the schools,” said Kathy Berger, president of the Telegraph Area Association. 

Police, however, say that unlike last year there is no evidence tying Tuesday’s looting to the rally. According to police, the protesters were attending a pre-rally event at the First Congregational Church at 2345 Channing Way when the looting was taking place. 

BAMN organizer Yvette Felarca said Wednesday that she was not aware of any violence and refused to discuss which high schools participated in the rally and what level of supervision was provided by the schools. 

Local high school officials were also hesitant to address the subject. 

An assistant principal at Oakland Technical School, the only school confirmed to have sent students to Wednesday’s rally, insisted that they were chaperoned by school staff. The assistant principal declined to give his name. 

 

Berkeley High School security officer Craig White said students in Berkeley were not authorized to attend the rally and that he did not see any large exodus of students heading by bus to Telegraph Avenue. 

No other officials from local high schools returned telephone calls. 

According to UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore, BAMN failed to alert university officials that they planned to bus in high school kids for the rally. Nevertheless, she said, in light of last year’s violence, UC Berkeley staff telephoned local schools to anticipate attendance. 

Merchants vented most of their anger at the police department. 

“What’s disturbing here is that the police knew this was taking place and they knew what happened last year, but they didn’t inform the merchants and they didn’t put police on Telegraph,” said Ed Munger who owns the property leased to Foot Locker. 

Kusmiss said that UC Berkeley police advised Berkeley officers that the rally was expected to be peaceful. Acting on that information, Berkeley police dispatched six bicycle officers to the church rally, about two blocks from the site of the looting. 

According to Kusmiss, at 11:27 a.m. while the protesters were still at the church, police received a non-emergency call from the Gap about teenagers ransacking the store. The bike officers were sent from the church to the Gap, but when they arrived at 11:31 a.m., the kids had left the store. Then at 11:33 a.m. police received a 911 call from Foot Locker, directly across the street from the Gap. Berkeley police dispatched 25 officers to the scene, but none of the officers, including the officers at the Gap, were able to catch the kids. 

Munger insisted that the response was inadequate and indicative of the city’s lack of will to protect Telegraph merchants. “We’re trying to make this an attractive place, but those stumblebums in City Hall don’t seem to really care,” he said. 

 

Contact reporter at matt@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net


Limiting heights

Russ Tilleman
Thursday October 31, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

My house is zoned R-3 and I am applying for permits to increase the standing room in my attic. With the existing height limit of 35 feet I can make this change. Under Measure P, the height initiative, I could not continue this project. R-3 would be the only residential district absolutely and unconditionally limited to 28 feet. This is much more brutal treatment than proposed for any other residential zoning district. The lower density residential districts R-1, R-1A, R-2 and R-2A would be limited to 35 feet with Zoning Adjustments Board approval. The higher density R-4 and R-5 would be limited to 35 feet and 40 feet. 

Measure P prohibits variances, which preserve the rights of people who live near business districts, on corner lots or steep hills, and those with large trees in their yards. I cannot fit 3 floors into 28 feet without tearing down my 1906 brown shingle and building a flat-roofed box. 

My next door neighbor's house is essentially identical to mine but is zoned R-2. Even though he is in a lower density zoning, he could ask for zoning board approval to improve his attic but I could not. This unequal treatment seems ludicrous and badly unfair to me. 

Measure P does not just affect transit corridors. Walk by my house at 2670 Parker Street and compare it with the house next door and the other buildings on my block before you make up your mind on this issue. We will live with Measure P for 10 years and it will single out some homeowners for disproportionately bad treatment with no appeal process. 

 

Russ Tilleman 

Berkeley 

 


Jackets split at ACCAL tourney

Staff Report
Thursday October 31, 2002

Staff Report 

 

The Berkeley High water polo teams split their games at the Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League championship tournament on Wednesday, with the girls advancing into the championship bracket and the boys dropping into the consolation bracket. 

The Lady Jackets, the third seed in the tournament, beat St. Vincent High, 12-3, and will play Bishop O’Dowd High today at 2:30 p.m., with the winner moving on to the championship game on Saturday. All games are being played at Contra Costa College. 

The sixth-seeded boys fell to St. Patrick, 12-8, and face Encinal at 4:30 p.m. today. The winner will play in the fifth-place game on Friday.


District 1 candidates take the high road

By Matthew Artz
Thursday October 31, 2002

The most gentlemanly campaign In Berkeley this election season is being run by the two women vying for Berkeley’s 1st District City Council seat. 

“I think we are setting a record for the most polite campaign ever run,” said Rhiannon, who uses only one name and is mounting a longshot effort to unseat 10-year incumbent Linda Maio. 

Maio, for her part is used to mellow campaigns. Since winning her council seat, which serves northwest Berkeley, in a 1992 run-off election, she has coasted through four easy re-elections. 

Maio, who is a member of the council’s progressive majority, is viewed as one of council’s strongest advocates on education and small business development. Her accomplishments include school programs on conservation and a ban on fast food restaurants along San Pablo Avenue. 

Rhiannon is not expected to upset Maio’s five-term winning streak. A full-time student, who lives in city-subsidized housing with her daughter, she has been active in district politics for many years, serving as secretary of the Oceanview Neighborhood Association and as a member of the West Berkeley Project Area Committee. 

She is rallying her campaign around a proposal to give residents advance notification of council items, by publishing agendas two weeks before meetings, instead of the current five-day warning. Rhiannon argues that extra time will give residents a chance to fully grasp the issues. Maio calls the suggestion unrealistic, noting that often items are too urgent to wait several weeks before debate. 

Despite a background that suggests progressive leanings, Rhiannon is playing the moderate in this race. Although she has not sought, nor received, the backing of moderates on City Council, Rhiannon is opposing Maio and her progressive council faction on several ballot initiatives. 

Maio, who is considered one of council’s strongest advocates for affordable housing and was a founder of non-profit homebuilder Resources for Community Development, supports a ballot measure to increase the tax on home sales from 1.5 to 2 percent. 

She argues that the tax hike on people who sell their homes for more than $350,000 can effectively build more affordable housing and reduce homelessness.  

Rhiannon sees the issue differently. She contends that the extra $5,000 added to the cost of an average home purchase would eliminate potential home owners from the Berkeley market. Although the measure would leave it up to the buyer and seller to determine which party pays the tax, she assumes the buyer will be made to cover the cost. “It seems like the tax is taking from the little guy and giving to the big non-profit developers,” she said. 

The candidates also differ on the most controversial ballot measure – a limit on the heights of new Berkeley developments. Rhiannon supports the initiative, arguing that it is needed to reign in developers who have exploited the city’s loose zoning regulations and unfairly built high-rise buildings near residential neighborhoods.  

“People should be able to be in a neighborhood and not warehoused in tall buildings,” she said. 

Maio, however, counters that the ballot measure would actually force more incursion into neighborhoods. Whereas current Berkeley zoning law calls for spaces between a new development and a neighboring property, Maio said the height initiative would force the developer to put the building right up against the edge of the property line in order to qualify for an extra floor of housing units. 

Traffic circles divide the candidates as well. Maio, who called commuter traffic racing through streets the district’s number one problem, supports a measure that will generate $10 million from property tax hikes to fund traffic calming measures such as traffic circles and pedestrian-activated traffic lights. Parents are scared to have their kids play outside because commuters are rushing through streets on their way to downtown, Maio said.  

Rhiannon, though, said the measure sounded like just another general tax. “Property owners are taxed enough and as a renter I know that gets passed on to tenants,” she said. As an alternative, she proposes that the city better time traffic lights to keep cars from building speed through district streets. 

Rhiannon has been most forceful criticizing Maio’s record on local environmental concerns. The district is home to the Berkeley Transfer Center as well as sections of Interstate 80 and the railroad, all of which add to local pollution. Rhiannon claims that Maio has blocked attempts to get air quality studies done and that she has ignored air pollution stemming from passing trains that kick up dust. 

Maio, however said she initiated the first west Berkeley air study in 2000. Additionally she said she has supported switching the city’s sanitation fleet from diesel to environmentally-friendly fuels and has passed measures providing environmental education in public schools. 

 

Contact reporter at matt@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net


Who deserves credit?

Dona Spring
Thursday October 31, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Mayor Dean recently sent out a campaign flier alleging that if Tom Bates were elected mayor, we would return to trash and graffiti in downtown Berkeley. This is pure political garbage. The Clean City Program was initiated by Tom Bate's wife, former Mayor Loni Hancock, and cosponsored by Councilmember Maio and myself. We also advocated to have homeless people given jobs to do these tasks.  

There was a time before the mayoral election in 1994, when the funding for the program ran low and cleanup slowed, with obvious results. After her election as mayor, Dean joined me in urging the public works director to find some additional funding for the program. Additional funding was taken from the refuse fund, which is comprised of fees that residents pay for garbage pickup. 

In 1998, when Mayor Dean was again running for mayor, the staff told the council that there was not enough money to continue the additional service of trash and graffiti cleanup on the commercial corridors without a fee increase. Mayor Dean voted against the fee increase. It was the progressive majority who saved the day by having the political courage to raise the fees (even though it was close to the election) so that the Clean City Program could continue to be adequately funded. We also added San Pablo Avenue to the commercial streets getting the program.  

It is irksome to have Ms. Dean continually trying to take credit exclusively when it was under the progressive majority leadership that the cleanup and blossoming of the downtown happened. Without the progressive majority votes, there wouldn’t have been funding for the Clean City Program or for subsidizing the arts district. Without progressive council members voting, there would not have been a $4 million subsidy to the Berkeley Repertory and financial assistance to the Aurora Theater and Freight and Salvage folk music club.  

 

Dona Spring  

8th District City Councilmember 


Scoreboard

Thursday October 31, 2002

Girls Volleyball - Berkeley 3, Encinal 0 

The Yellowjackets clinch their third straight Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League championship with a win over the Jets (13-6 overall, 8-2 ACCAL), 15-7, 15-2, 15-8. Vanessa Williams leads the way with 14 kills and 17 digs, while fellow senior Amalia Jarvis has 12 kills. Berkeley (15-8, 10-0) is headed for a third straight undefeated ACCAL season with just three games left. 

 

Girls Tennis - Berkeley 4, El Cerrito 3 

Berkeley wins all four singles matches against the Gauchos to tie Alameda High for the ACCAL championship. Megan Sweeney, Gail Nipnorasete, Clara Mattei and Alison Headley win their individual matches for the Yellowjackets. Berkeley and Alameda will face off in a playoff match for the league’s automatic berth to the North Coast Section playoffs. 

 

Girls Volleyball - St. Mary’s 3, St. Joseph 0 

The Panthers beat St. Joseph (16-15 overall, 6-5 BSAL) to solidify a spot in the Bay Shore Athletic League playoffs. Jazmin Pratt has 11 kills and 11 aces for the Panthers (9-3, 7-3) in the win. Martha Ryan pitches in with eight kills, while Brittany Murphy has four kills and four aces for St. Mary’s.


UC lecturers reject offer, state intervention likely

By David Scharfenberg
Thursday October 31, 2002

University of California lecturers announced Wednesday that they have rejected UC’s latest contract offer, which is likely to trigger state intervention in the 2 1/2-year-old labor dispute rooted in salary, job security and contract arbitration issues. 

“We’re not going to accept their offer,” said Fred Glass, spokesperson for the University Council-American Federation of Teachers, which represents 4,000 lecturers across the nine-campus UC system, according to a union count, and 2,500 according to UC. 

University spokesperson Paul Schwartz said Wednesday that the university had not yet reviewed a formal union response to UC’s latest contract offer, which was issued Oct. 23. As a result, Schwartz said, he could not definitively reply to the union’s apparent rejection of the contract. 

But Schwartz indicated that, if the union is unwilling to compromise, the university may tell the state that an “impasse” exists in negotiations. If the state confirms that there is a deadlock, it would begin an official “fact-finding” process and propose contract terms of its own. If the university and union turn down the state’s proposal, the university would have the power to impose a final contract. 

“If we continue to be far apart on the issues, we could be headed toward fact-finding,” Schwartz said. 

By all indications the lecturers, who took part in a UC Berkeley strike in August and walked off the job at five other UC campuses earlier this month, are unwilling to cave in on several key contract matters. 

In its Oct. 23 proposal, the university offered to raise the minimum annual salary for lecturers, which currently stands at $28,968, to $35,868 for those with less than six years experience and $40,200 for those with more than six years. 

The lecturers, who teach 25 to 30 percent of UC classes, have maintained that the raise is insufficient and will only affect a relatively small number of instructors who currently make less than the proposed $35,868 minimum. University officials have countered that the $7,000 increase is a significant one. 

Glass said Wednesday that the union still considers the salary offer inadequate. He added that job security language and professional development money included in the latest UC offer is insufficient. Glass also clung to long-standing union insistence on independent arbitration of contract disputes. The university currently serves as the final authority in any dispute. 

“We’re absolutely committed to neutral dispute resolution,” Glass said, arguing that the rest of the contract won’t mean a “darn thing” without it. 

Glass said a move toward “impasse” and state mediation would be a university decision, not a union move. 

“That’s not what we’re going for,” he said. “We believe there’s more room for negotiation.” 

Union officials said last week that the university sprung a comprehensive, take-it-or-leave-it contract proposal on them Oct. 23 in the midst of contract negotiations, and criticized the university for cutting off talks.  

University officials countered that 2 1/2 years of negotiations was “more than sufficient time to discuss the issues” and said the union must be willing to compromise to get a final contract. 

The university hires lecturers to focus on teaching courses, while tenure-track professors are expected to conduct research as well. Lecturers work on one-year contracts until they have six years of experience, at which point they receive three-year deals, contingent on solid job performance reviews. 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net


Support for education

Cynthia Hecker
Thursday October 31, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

For the past six years, I’ve been going to school with struggling kids at King Middle School and Berkeley High School, tutoring them and otherwise helping them out whenever they needed it. I’ve seen creative, motivated people develop projects which start out with lots of enthusiasm, but wither for lack of support or funding or who knows what. Berkeley has no shortage of good ideas and willingness to experiment on our school kids. We could use more discipline in sticking with projects and ironing out their wrinkles, instead of abandoning them in favor of jumping on the next bright idea. 

Tom Bates’s proposal of an “educational summit” sounds like an election campaign invitation for more experimentation. Tom Bates may want a conference to catch himself up on what’s going on in education today, but if he had been involved in Berkeley’s public schools in the six years since he retired from the Assembly, he wouldn’t need an educational summit. There is so much going on that could have used his and other citizens’ support. For example, Check and Connect, a project that proved effective in other cities, monitored attendance of high school students and connected floundering youth with mentors. It floundered itself for lack of mentors. If Tom Bates’ call for an emergency reunion of his friends in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. is a sincere effort to help Berkeley’s public schools, why didn’t he offer this help during the past six years? 

 

Cynthia Hecker 


Sharon’s coalition falls apart over dispute about settlements

By Dan Perry
Thursday October 31, 2002

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s broad-based coalition collapsed Wednesday when Cabinet ministers from the moderate Labor Party resigned in a dispute over funding for Jewish settlements, threatening to push Israel into a bitter election. 

The crisis ended an uneasy 20-month “unity government” formed as a common front against the Palestinian uprising, and could sabotage U.S. efforts to win support for a peace plan. 

Sharon told parliament he would continue to lead the country, suggesting he would try to govern with a narrow coalition of far-right and religious parties rather than call early elections. 

The crisis was precipitated by Sharon’s rejection of Labor Party leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer’s demands to cut $145 million in funds for Jewish settlements in the $57 billion 2003 state budget. Compromise proposals failed and Ben-Eliezer resigned from his post as defense minister, followed by the rest of Labor’s Cabinet ministers. 

Under Israeli law, the six resignations only take effect within 48 hours, leaving room for last-ditch maneuvers — but politicians from both sides predicted Sharon’s broad-based coalition was at an end. 

“We must fight terror, but this is the day when we have to present a diplomatic horizon,” Ben-Eliezer said, referring to peace talks with the Palestinians. “The prime minister is unable to present a diplomatic horizon.” 

Critics accused Ben-Eliezer of partisan politics, noting that in polls ahead of Labor’s Nov. 19 leadership primary he trails two more dovish challengers, and leaving the government over a settlement dispute could boost his standing. 

“It’s the height of irresponsibility,” said Education Minister Limor Livnat of Sharon’s Likud Party. 

The budget was put to parliament after the Labor ministers resigned, and it passed with the support of parties outside the coalition — as expected — by a 67-45 vote; it must pass two more readings in coming weeks before it is final. 

Several officials involved in the last-minute talks said Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who led Labor for much of the past two decades and has been a key supporter of the unity government, tried to persuade Ben-Eliezer to back down. Peres then resigned along with Ben-Eliezer and four other Labor Party ministers.


Election Day Preview

David Scharfenberg, Matthew Artz, Erik Totten, Kathryn Klages and Kurtis Alexander.
Thursday October 31, 2002

Editor’s Note: Today is the first of a three-part series outlining the Berkeley ballot and provides a capsule of the ballot measures. Friday’s paper will profile candidates running for City Council and the Berkeley Unified School District board. Saturday’s paper will profile the mayoral candidates and their positions on various issues. 

 

Measure I; Animal Shelter - New Facility,  

General Obligation Bond 

Measure I authorizes the city to issue a $7.2 million bond to build a new animal shelter. A property tax increase would fund construction and would cost the average homeowner about $12 a year for the next 30 years. Proponents say that the current animal shelter, built in the 1940s, is too small and structurally unsound to provide humane treatment to animals. Opponents say the measure is an unnecessary new tax. A two-thirds majority is needed to pass. 

Supporters include Mayor Shirley Dean; former state Assemblyman Tom Bates; councilmembers Betty Olds and Dona Spring. 

No official opposition. 

 

Measure J; Old City Hall - Retrofit for Seismic Safety and Accessibility, General Obligation Bond  

Measure J authorizes the city to issue a $21.5 million bond to renovate and seismically retrofit Old City Hall, which currently houses the Berkeley Unified School District headquarters and the City Council chambers. A property tax increase would fund the project, with the average homeowner paying about $20 per year for 30 years. Proponents argue that a retrofit is necessary to ensure the safety of the historic building’s occupants. Opponents say the bond is too expensive in the midst of an economic downturn and argue that the renovation plan includes an inadequate City Council chambers. A two-thirds vote is required to pass. 

Supporters include Mayor Shirley Dean; City councilmembers Linda Maio, Miriam Hawley, and Margaret Breland; member and past Chair of Landmarks Preservation Commission and Design Review Committee Burton Peek Edwards; Commission on Disability member Norman Rabkin. 

Opponents include councilmembers Dona Spring and Kriss Worthington; Disability Commisioner Karen Rose; Disabled Healthcare Advocate Jonathan Gold. 

 

Measure K; School Board Directors Compensation,  

Charter Amendment 

Measure K would raise school board members’ salaries from $875 to $1,500 per month. Proponents say the raise is long overdue and argue that it could be diverted to pay for staff, which board members currently do not have. Opponents say a raise is inappropriate when the school district faces a multi-million dollar budget shortfall. A majority vote is required to pass. 

Supporters include Berkeley Board of Education member John Selawsky. 

Opponents include Board of Education candidate Lance Montauk. 

 

Measure L; Pedestrian Safety Improvement Tax 

Measure L would raise roughly $10 million for pedestrian safety improvements like traffic circles and lighted crosswalks. The average homeowner would pay $24.70 more in property taxes each year for 10 years to fund the initiative. Proponents say the measure would boost a meager city budget for safety improvements and save lives. Opponents say pedestrian injuries in Berkeley are declining and call the measure unnecessary and expensive. A two-thirds vote is required for approval. 

Supporters include Mayor Shirley Dean; former state Assemblyman Tom Bates. 

Opponents include former chair of Citizens Budget Commission Art Goldberg. 

 

Measure M; Affordable Housing, Real Property Transfer Tax  

Measure M adds an additional 0.5 percent to the tax on the sale of property. The increase would add an average of $5,000 to new home sales, but would not apply to sales of less than $350,000 or on homes sold for a loss. Money raised from the tax would fund affordable housing, seismic retrofitting of at risk apartments and homelessness prevention. Proponents argue that the tax will only affect residents who are selling their home for a large profit and will increase the city’s affordable housing stock. Opponents say that the tax unfairly puts the entire onus of funding new affordable housing on people who sell their homes. A two-thirds majority is needed to pass. 

Supporters include Supervisor Keith Carson; State Assemblymember Dion Aroner; Center for Independent Living Executive Director Jacqueline Garrett; League of Women Voters of Berkeley Nancy Bickel. 

Opponents include Berkeley Association of Realtors President Miriam Ng. 

 

Measure N; Waterfront Development - Change the Amount and Type of Development on Private Property 

Measure N would empower City Council to revise development guidelines for a 45-acre parcel of waterfront property west of Gilman Street. The property’s owner, Magna Entertainment Corp., has planned to put two hotels and retail space on the property. Proponents of the measure say that council should be able to rezone the property because Magna’s plans would not compliment the proposed Eastshore State Park that will be adjacent to the development. Magna opposes the measure, but has not released a statement explaining their stance. A majority is needed to pass. 

Supporters include Mayor Shirley Dean; former state Assemblyman Tom Bates; Sierra Club representative Helen Burke. 

No official opposition. 

 

Measure O; Coffee - Restrict Sale of Brewed Coffee to Organic, Fair-Trade or Shade-Grown Certified, 

Citizen Initiative 

Measure O would restrict the sale of brewed coffee to only those that are organic, shade grown or fair-trade certified. Proponents say that corporate coffee growers have unfairly denied a fair price to local growers and have undermined their way of life. They say the approved coffees would allow coffee growers to make a fair living and would not lead to higher prices or less selection for Berkeley consumers. Opponents say that such strict restrictions will actually hurt local growers who do not have the money to become certified and will lead to more expensive coffee and less selection for Berkeley consumers. A majority is needed to pass. 

Supporters include former Berkeley Mayor Gus Newport; Organic Consumers Association representative Simon Harris; Global Exchange Founding Director Medea Benjamin. 

Opponents include Berkeley Chamber of Commerce; Councilmember Polly Armstrong; Jeremiah’s Pick Coffee owner Jeremiah Pick. 

 

Measure P; Height of Buildings - Amend Zoning Ordinance to Regulate Heights, Citizen Initiative 

Measure P would lower existing height limits for new Berkeley developments. Not all neighborhoods would be affected, but the measure reduces building heights by two stories on San Pablo Avenue and one story on parts of University and College avenues. Proponents say that new high rise developments have jeopardized the health of Berkeley neighborhoods and that current zoning regulations are so vague that developers are allowed to build projects taller than what should be permitted. Opponents counter that the measure would make new developments unfeasible for developers, reducing the city’s affordable housing stock and making it more difficult for middle class people to live in Berkeley. A majority vote is needed for the measure to pass. 

Supporters include Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance co-author Martha Nicoloff; Council of Neighborhood Associations President Marie Bowman. 

Opponents include Mayor Shirley Dean; County Supervisor Keith Carson; State Assemblymember Dion Aroner.


Simon, Davis, prepare for marathon tours in race

By Alexa H. Bluth
Thursday October 31, 2002

SACRAMENTO — Republican candidate for governor Bill Simon repeated his frequent attacks Wednesday on Democratic Gov. Gray Davis’ handling of the state’s finances, saying Davis “spent California into a budget crisis.” 

Throughout the campaign for governor, which entered its final week Wednesday, Simon has said he expects Davis to raise taxes to address an anticipated multibillion-dollar shortfall next year. In recent days he’s predicted the tax increase will be $10 billion or more. 

But Simon, who appeared with Republican legislators at his Sacramento campaign headquarters, gave no details of where he would cut the budget to avoid raising taxes, which he has pledged not to increase if elected. 

Simon’s stepped up attacks on Davis’ handling of the budget, energy crisis and California’s schools come as part of a last-minute effort to win support in the final five days before Election Day. 

Davis dismissed Simon’s tax claims as “more fantasy and fiction from my opponent” and criticized Simon for not proposing his own plan to close the state’s $23.6 billion shortfall this year. 

“I stepped up to the plate, proposed a responsible budget and signed a responsible budget without any taxes,” Davis said. “Obviously our goal is to do the same in the future.” 

Davis spoke after appearing Wednesday at the groundbreaking of a renovation of the historic Griffith Observatory near downtown Los Angeles, where he announced the allocation of $6 million from voter-approved Proposition 40 for the project. 

Although it was an official state event, the ceremony had the air of a campaign stop as Davis collected praise from Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and the city councilman for the area. 

Davis also criticized new attack ads launched by Simon. 

“It’s really pathetic in the closing days of the campaign that Mr. Simon has no vision, no plans for the state, all he wants to do is attack me,” said Davis, whose campaign has spent tens of millions of dollars running aggressive television advertisements criticizing either Simon or former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, one of Simon’s opponents in the March Republican primary. 

Simon, meanwhile, said his campaign had no role in airing a 60-second Spanish-language radio ad paid for by the Glenn County Republican Party that accuses Democrats of promoting gay behavior and urges a vote for Simon. 

“Democrats are supporting abortion and they are teaching our children in the schools that the homosexual practice is OK,” says the ad, airing on a local station in the far Northern California county. 

The ad also says Democrats don’t want to give drivers’ licenses to “our countrymen” — a reference to a bill Davis vetoed that would have allowed some illegal immigrants to obtain licenses. The ad does not mention that Simon has also said he would have vetoed the bill.


Four men arrested after robbery

Daily Planet Wire Service
Thursday October 31, 2002

OAKLAND — A spokesman for the Oakland Police Department says four men are in custody this Wednesday afternoon after leading officers on a brief vehicle chase from the scene of a bank robbery they allegedly committed. 

The spokesman said a Bank of America located at 1959 Mountain Blvd. was robbed at 9:45 a.m. 

Responding officers gave chase and arrested the foursome in the 7600 block of Bancroft Avenue. 

The names of the suspects have not been released.


Bay Area Briefs

Thursday October 31, 2002

Cancer awareness ads criticism 

SAN RAFAEL — Two new cancer awareness television ads showing people ignoring a dead body on a hiking trail and reaching over a corpse in a grocery store were criticized by Marin County officials. 

The creators said Tuesday they designed the ads to raise awareness about the high incidence of breast and prostate cancer in the county. 

“It’s not about (public officials) not doing their jobs,” said Judi Shils of Ross, director of the Marin Cancer Project, who commissioned the ads for a Nov. 9 canvassing effort. “It’s about the community not doing its job, collectively — all of us need to wake up.” 

The 30-second spots started airing this week. At least one major television station refused to air them, according to Jeff Goodby of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, the San Francisco ad agency that created the ads. 

 

Pacifica woman held for alleged bridge bomb threats 

 

REDWOOD CITY — A Pacifica woman accused of calling in phony bomb threats to the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco federal building has been held to answer following a preliminary hearing in a San Mateo County courtroom. 

Authorities say Anita Hanson, 44, was “very drunk” when she called 911 late at night Oct. 10 and in the early morning Oct. 11 claiming that bombs had been placed at the two locations. 

In Hanson's hearing Tuesday, defense motions to gain her release and reduce her bail, which is set at $50,000, were both denied. She was held to answer on two counts of falsely reporting a bomb and three counts of making terrorist threats. 

After Hanson allegedly made the bogus 911 calls, several law enforcement agencies responded to both locations to investigate and discovered the threats were unfounded. The California Highway Patrol said  

officers traced the calls to Hanson's cell phone and sent Pacifica police to arrest her. 

Hanson has pleaded innocent to all charges against her. 

She will be arraigned in San Mateo County Superior Court Nov. 14. 

 

Activists dies from bus accident 

 

SAN FRANCISCO — A Marin County man died in San Francisco General Hospital Wednesday morning from head injuries he received while standing through the skylight of a double-decker bus passing through a tunnel en route to a peace rally in the city Saturday. 

Hospital spokeswoman Gloria Rodriguez said Tony Hernandez died at 11:43 a.m. in the intensive care unit of the hospital where he was on life support. 

Dianne Canning, of Sebastopol, also was injured when she, like Hernandez, was struck on the head by a building overhang at the end of the Broadway Tunnel in San Francisco. She remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit.  

Hernandez and Canning were among about 25 people riding in a school bus.


State Briefs

Thursday October 31, 2002

Animal lovers try to halt poison drop 

SANTA BARBARA — Animal protectionists asked for emergency federal action to halt the second phase of a poison drop designed to kill off the destructive black rats on Anacapa Island. 

Tuesday’s request seeks protections for the native deer mice that will also die in the eradication program. The Fund for Animals and the Channel Islands Animal Protection Association demanded that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service list the Anacapa deer mouse for protection under the Endangered Species Act. 

Fund for Animals spokesman Michael Makarian said the rat eradication plan would be an ecological disaster for the island. The mice inhabit only the three Anacapa islets.


Levi seeks to boost sales with discount

By Michael Liedtke
Thursday October 31, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Seeking to win back bargain-minded shoppers, slumping jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. on Wednesday unveiled a discount clothing line that will be sold by Wal-Mart Stores next year. 

Levi’s new Signature brand represents the San Francisco-based company’s long-awaited attempt to appeal to a fast-growing consumer segment with frugal fashion tastes. 

Shoppers buy nearly one-third of their clothes at Wal-Mart, Target and other discounters, a trend that forced Levi’s to expand beyond the department store business that has generated most of its sales. Levi’s hopes to sell the Signature clothes in other discounters besides Wal-Mart. 

“We want to sell our clothes in places where people want to shop,” said Phil Marineau, Levi’s chief executive officer. 

Levi’s previous refusal to sell its jeans in discount chains contributed to the company’s steadily declining sales since 1996. Levi’s sales this year will total about $4 billion, down from a peak of $7.1 billion six years ago. 

“If they didn’t make this move, Levi’s would be dead in three years,” said Kurt Barnard, president of Barnard’s Retail Trend Report in Upper Montclair, N.J. “This could be their salvation.” 

The new Signature jeans, which will be available in Wal-Mart in July 2003, probably will sell for $23 to $26, Marineau said Wednesday. 

That’s about 15 percent to 35 percent less than the typical $30 to $35 price for Levi’s most popular basic jeans. 

For Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart, Levi’s Signature line will be a premium brand. Most Wal-Mart jeans sell for under $20, with some prices falling below $10, said San Francisco fashion industry consultant Harry Bernard. 

Levi’s also plans to sell discount corduroy pants, shirts and jackets under the Signature brand — the company’s first new clothing line since the 1996 launch of Slates slacks. Slates has since been folded into the company’s Dockers brand. 

Counting on Wal-Mart to handle all the promotion, Levi’s isn’t budgeting money to advertise the Signature brand. 

While Levi’s says the new brand will be as durable as its other clothes, Signature jeans will have a bare-bones look. For instance, there won’t be any stitching on the back pocket and the label will be distinguished by a black Levi Strauss signature instead of the traditional red label. 

Fashion consultant Bernard questioned whether Levi’s will be able to deliver the high volumes of low-cost clothes needed to stock Wal-Mart’s 3,000 stores. During its slump, Levi’s has been plagued by high manufacturing costs and delivery problems. 

“The cards are stacked against them,” Bernard said. “They are taking their weaknesses into an arena where they need them to be strengths.”


Man leaves tree-home

The Associated Press
Thursday October 31, 2002

BRISBANE — The tree home on San Bruno Mountain that attracted national attention when two squatters refused to leave a pair of meager huts after 12 years there, is now just a tree again. 

Besh Serdahely, 58, cleared out of the tree house Tuesday and park officials dismantled the dwelling, two months after San Mateo County officials stapled a notice to the 300-year-old oak in August saying Serdahely and his wife, Thelma Caballero, no longer were welcome. 

“I spoke to him Sunday, and he was acknowledging that this chapter was ending,” said Bill Johnston, a lawyer and family friend who has been counseling Serdahely since the ordeal began. 

Caballero left the tree earlier this month and is now living at a board and care facility.


AC Transit buys hydrogen buses

By Justin Beck Special to the Daily Planet
Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

Hydrogen, the most abundant substance in the universe, will soon power some AC Transit buses, eliminating noisy, polluting diesel vehicles.  

And today, the bus agency is scheduled to open a hydrogen fueling station in Richmond that will power the environmentally-friendly buses when they arrive in 2004.  

In the meantime, the new fueling station, which is being plugged as the first in the Bay Area, will serve the handful of private and public hydrogen vehicles that are currently in operation. Stuart Energy and the California Fuel Cell Partnership are partners in the new station. 

The three hydrogen buses that AC Transit plans to put in operation are being bought from a Belgian company and are powered by fuel cells designed by ISE Research-ThunderVolt, Inc. of San Diego and UTC Fuel Cells, based in Connecticut.  

The buses come as part of a $14.9 million study that will compare the performance of hydrogen vehicles with diesel buses. More than $10 million for the study will come from the state. 

The hydrogen buses, each worth about $3 million, will operate in a variety of settings including hilly areas, urban lines that carry more than 20,000 daily riders through densely populated neighborhoods, and the Transbay Express service to San Francisco, where speeds can reach 65 mph. Performance in all operating conditions will be evaluated. 

Fuel cells are “revolutionary and evolutionary,” said Jaimie Levin, AC Transit’s director of marketing. 

The cells combine hydrogen fuel with oxygen from the atmosphere to produce electricity, heat and water. Since the tailpipes of fuel cell buses emit only steam, they don’t pollute the air. And because fuel cells contain no moving parts, they operate silently. 

“The fuel cell has clearly grounded potential in replacing the internal combustion engine,” said Levin. But, he said, “there are still many unknowns about durability and cost.” Among those unknowns are the long-term costs of hydrogen fuel as well as the cost of maintaining and repairing a fuel cell bus over its lifetime. 

One of the challenges facing the introduction of the new technology, said project manager Doug Byrne, is overcoming the public’s concern about hydrogen as a fuel.  

“The first thing people associate with hydrogen are bombs or the Hindenberg,.. There’s a widespread belief that hydrogen is dangerous.” Byrne said. “But with fuel cells there is no burning or ignition of hydrogen.” 

A more technical challenge for fuel cell buses is matching the standards of diesel buses. “In terms of cost and performance, fuel cell technology initially will not meet that of diesel but we expect it to get there eventually,” Byrne said.  

If AC Transit demonstrates that fuel cell buses are more reliable, easier and cheaper to maintain than their diesel counterparts, then large-scale production will become possible, Byrne said. With increased production, the price of the fuel cells will drop, he added. 

Other important comparisons between hydrogen fuel and diesel buses include safety, maintenance, parts availability, general reliability and equipment down time, said Byrne. 

If all goes well, within the next decade 15 percent or more of AC Transit buses will run on hydrogen fuel cells. 

 


Skydiving dog worries animal rights groups

Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE — Animal lovers are howling over a skydiving dog. 

The parachuting Dachshund — known as Brutus the Skydiving Dog — is scheduled to perform at this weekend’s Air and Space Show at Vandenberg Air Force Base. 

“What we feel is this is cruelty to animals,” said Shirley Cram, shelter director and treasurer.


Calendar

Wednesday October 30, 2002

Wednesday, Oct. 30 

Premiere of “Code 33: Emergency- Clear the Air” 

5 p.m. 

Oakland City Council Chambers, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland 

A one hour made-for-TV documentary on youth and public relations. Followed by a reception and refreshments. 

887-0152 

 

Berkeley City Council Forum 

7 to 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Hillel Foundation 

2736 Bancroft Way between Piedmont and College Avenues 

Candidates Gordon Wozniak, Andy Katz, Micki Weinberg, Kriss Worthington and others speak in this forum. 

839-2900 

 

“An Agenda for the Next Papacy: Two Views” 

7 p.m. 

Chapel at the Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

Robert Blair Kaiser and John L. Allen Jr., both journalists, will share information. 

549-5017 

 

Monster Bash 

6 to 9 p.m. 

Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

A singles celebration of an ancient Celtic end-of-summer observance, with a lavish feast of foods from the fall harvest. 

Register: 601-7247  

$25 / includes meal and cooking lesson 

 

Friday, Nov. 1 

Census 2000: Growing Together or Apart? 

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Wurster Hall Auditorium (Rm. 112), UC Berkeley 

During this one-day conference, scholars will analyze the geographic impact of changes to the population. 

For more info: 

http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/census2000.htm 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

Sick Plant Clinic 

9 a.m. to noon 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. UC plant pathology and entomology experts will diagnose what ails your plant. 

643-2755 

Free 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Sacred Breath” 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Place 

Robin Caton gives this talk on Tibetan Buddhism, and the classic Buddhist practice known as Tong-len. 

843-6812, Free 

 

 

Monday, Nov. 4 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Home Owners Support Group 

3 p.m. 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Office, 1403 Addison St. 

Resources for low and middle-income home owners, and home maintenance. 

548-9696 

 

“Pathways to Collaboration” 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, Rm. 160, UC Berkeley 

A lecture by Dana Plautz, director of research communications for Intel Corporation, followed by live music. 

Free 

 

Wednesday, Nov. 6 

“The Chinese and Religion in the Context of Globalization” 

Reception 5:30 p.m. / Lecture 7 p.m. 

Bade Museum at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

A noted scholar and author, Professor Zhuo Xinping speaks. 

649-2440 

 

Saturday, Nov. 9 

Book Sale and Auction 

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Center for AIDS Services, 5720 Shattuck Ave., Oakland 

This “big” sale will benefit the AIDS center. 

655-3435 

 

Sunday, Nov. 10 

World RunDay - national charity benefit. 

All day. 

Various cities across the naton - contact www.runday.com 

(516) 859-3000 for more info 

 

Tuesday, Nov. 12 

Holiday Craft Baazar 

10 a.m. to noon 

Handmade items, sweet treats, and knick knacks will be for sale. Everyone is invited. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Curch, 2727 College Ave. 

845-6830 

 

Wednesday, Nov. 13 

Public Lecture by the Rev. Canon Naim Ateek 

7:30 p.m. 

Founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and native of East Jerusalem, Rev. Ateek will lead a discussion sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Berkeley (UCC) and the Pacific School of Religion. 

UCC, on Dana St. between Durant and Channing. 

848-3696 

$10/ suggested donation.  

 

League of Women Voters Meeting 

Noon 

Discussion will focus on regional issues 

LWVBAE office, 1414 University Ave. 

849-2154 

 

 

 

Wednesday, Oct. 30 

Courtableau 

Cajun dance lesson 8 p.m. 

Show 8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Veterans of the Bay Area Cajun/zydeco scene perform classic Cajun dance hall music. 

525-5054 

$8 

 

Thursday, Oct. 31 

Halloween Party with the Venusians 

8 p.m. 

The Venusians are a shamanic trance-dance septet known for their costume-laden, colorful performances. 

525-5054 

$10 

 

Friday, Nov. 1 

Festa Da Bunda 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

This Brazilian “love fest and Penta party” features a Batucada jam with Gary Muzynski of One World Music and others. The night includes a Brazilian soccer team look-alike contest. 

525-5054 

$12 

 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

The Librarians with The Skyflakes and Plain White Ts 

9 p.m. 

Bear’s Lair 

2475 Bancroft Way 

$5 / 21 and over 

 

Vince Black with Root Awakening 

9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Socially conscious reggae classics and original songs. 

525-5054 

$11 

 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

Workshop and Performance by Akira Tana 

1 to 3 p.m. workshop 

4:30 p.m. concert 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Drummer Akira Tana teaches and performs. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$30-$35 workshop 

$10-$15 performance 

 

CalArts Night of Jazz 

8 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

The first of many collaborations between Jazzschool and CalArts. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

Flamenco Open Stage 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Dancers, guitarists and singers, with a costume exhibit and a sale of flamenco items. 

525-5054 

$8 

 

Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth 

4 p.m. 

Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. 

The renowned singer and pianist will perform classical vocal favorites featuring the music of Brahams, Dvorak and Bartok. 

559-6910 

$10 / 18 and under free 

 

Saturday, Nov. 9 

An Evening of Cultural Harmony 

8 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 

The Barbard Ensemble, the San Francisco Klezmer Experience and Lichi Fuentes & Jackeline Rago will treat listeners to music from Iran, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. 

704-7480 x755 

$25 general admission 

 

Sunday, Nov. 10 

The Sheldon Brown Group 

4:30 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

“Hunger: What will you do about it?”  

Through Oct. 30  

Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The Civic Center Building 

2180 Milvia St., 5th floor 

Featuring 40 photographs  

by Berkeley artist David Bacon. 

834-3663, Ext. 338,  

uchanse@secondharvest.org 

 

Timoteo Ikoshy Montoya 

Through Nov. 1  

Gathering Tribes Gallery  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Acrylic/air brush paintings  

by this Native American artist.  

528-9038 

 

“Recent Acquisitions” 

Through Dec. 14 

Thurs., Fri., and Sat., 1 to 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. 

848-0181 

Free 

 

Threads: Five artists who  

use stitching to convey ideas 

Through Dec. 15, Wed.-Sun., noon to 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

Live Oak Park, 1275 Walnut St. 

Information: www.berkeleyartcenter.org, 644-6893 

Free 

 

Alarms and Excursions 

Nov. 15 through Dec. 22 

Aurora Theatre Company,  

2081 Addison St. 

Michael Frayn's comedy about  

the irony of modern technology. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35. 

 

 

Saturday Nov. 9 

Dorothy Allison and Jewelle Gomez appear in support of Boadecia’s Books 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano 

559-9184 

$25, sliding scale 

 

Saturday Nov. 16 

Alice Walker and Brenda Boykin 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano 

559-9184 

$25, sliding scale 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Focus” 

2 to 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St.  

William H. Macy stars in this early 1940’s period piece. 

848-0237 

$2 donation 

 

Thursday, Nov. 7 

“Desert Hearts” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst St. 

A 1950’s lesbian romance featuring Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau.


Do we want war?

Lucy Jane Bledsoe Berkeley
Wednesday October 30, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

This is the time to speak up for peace. As American citizens, we must decide: Do we want to be responsible for the deaths of our young people and for those of many more innocent Iraqis? Do we want to do this in spite of overwhelming evidence that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction? Do we want to do this in spite of the fact that nearly every country on the planet opposes a U.S. strike against Iraq? It is time for Americans to think about what is motivating the handful of politicians in Washington D.C. who want war? Finally, it is time to dream about what might happen in our communities if all that money being designated for war could instead go to schools and healthcare? 

We can stop this war, if we all speak up for peace. 

 

Lucy Jane Bledsoe 

Berkeley


Pratt’s spikes are leading Panthers to big season

By Dean Caparaz Daily Planet Correspondent
Wednesday October 30, 2002

Jazmin Pratt is the key to St. Mary’s girls volleyball rebirth. 

Pratt, a senior outside hitter, has powered the Panthers to an 8-3 record (6-3 in the Bay Shore Athletic League) through Oct. 22. As a junior last year, Pratt saw St. Mary’s win just twice all season. But the 5-foot-6 dynamo with a wicked shot averages 9.1 kills per match to lead her team in what has been the most successful season in the program’s history. 

Cherise Revell was the St. Mary’s freshmen coach last year and saw from a distance what Pratt could do. Now as varsity coach, Revell benefits from Pratt’s play as a senior. 

Pratt has improved every area of her game, Revell says, from her defensive skills to her hitting. The 17-year-old has arguably the hardest spike in the BSAL. 

“Jazmin definitely has one of the hardest hits around, as in hard, down and intimidating,” Revell said. 

Perhaps the most noticeable improvement has been in Pratt’s leadership skills. The outspoken player is a co-captain for the second straight season and enjoys building the team community. 

“She seems much more team motivated,” Revell said. “I’ve told her, ‘I’m relying on you to get the girls together, to get them motivated.’ She’s had the girls do meditation to get ready for the games. I’ve really let her take on a leadership role that I don’t know was there last year. She’s really risen to the expectation.” 

The chatty Pratt isn’t shy when talking about her play – “I average three or four kills, and that’s per game,” she says – but won’t take sole credit for the Panthers’ turnaround. She points to some talented freshman, including 5-foot-10 middle blocker Natalie Bogan and setter Aleesha Woodruff, and having Revell around for inspiring the team. 

“[Revell] focuses on team unity, on and off the court,” Pratt said. “We’ve had team dinners, team slumber parties. We worked together as a team at the Cal games to raise money. Being friends with people on and off the court makes a big difference. When you seen them on campus, you have a whole new respect for them.  

“When you’re on the court, it’s just that much easier. You know they have your back. If they miss something, if they get a kill or if they hit the ball in the net, you know they still like you. That team support makes a huge difference. We really didn’t have that team unity last year.” 

Just having Pratt around full-time this year has been a major difference. Last season, she missed half the season with a pulled muscle in her back. That was a death knell for the Panthers, who struggled all year. 

She hasn’t missed a match in 2002, including the battle with Salesian High on Oct. 10. Pratt had a bad cold and a fever but was not going to miss taking on the Panthers’ rival as she did last season. Pratt starred in the match, hammering 13 kills to go with 16 digs. Her season high in kills came in a five-set win over St. Elizabeth on Oct. 1, when she had 18 kills, 10 digs and three aces. 

Revell says Pratt’s talent will translate to the college game, though Pratt just hopes to get there. She’s talking with Miami and Morgan State. Most universities would push her to the back row because, even though she has a good vertical leap, she’s too short to be an outside hitter at the Division 1 level. 

“I’d be a defensive specialist if I went anywhere, because of my height,” she said. “I’m vertically challenged.” 

Wherever she goes, she’ll remember fondly the legacy she built at St. Mary’s. 

“Look out for St. Mary’s to maybe be a powerhouse,” she said. “Albany, look out. Piedmont, look out, because St. Mary’s is coming up.”


Candidates duel over education in mayoral race

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday October 30, 2002

There’s only so much a mayor can do about education, given that the Berkeley Unified School District has jurisdiction over the city’s 15 schools. But that hasn’t stopped the two chief mayoral candidates, incumbent Shirley Dean and challenger Tom Bates, from laying out competing visions on an issue that tops poll after poll. 

Bates, Berkeley’s former state Assemblyman, has called for an “education summit” within 100 days of taking office. The summit, he said, would pull together national, state and local players to discuss youth programs provided by both the city and the school district and develop plans for improved, coordinated services. 

But Dean said the summit would simply amount to “talk, not action” and argued that the cash-strapped city should focus on seeking state funding to strengthen existing programs. Dean said, for instance, that Berkeley should pursue state grant money to place city-run health centers, like the one at Berkeley High School, at the district’s three middle schools. 

Dean said the high school health center has provided effective peer education programs on HIV/AIDS and identified cases of tuberculosis and other diseases among students. 

“This is a real point where we can reach these students,” she said. 

“It’s a good idea,” Bates said. “I would just wonder how to pay for it.” 

Bates said a projected state budget shortfall of more than $10 billion next year would prevent the city from winning significant new state funding in the short-term. 

The challenger said he hoped to develop low-cost youth programs through the educational summit – recruiting parents, for instance, to patrol Berkeley High and boost student safety. 

Bates also said the summit, which would draw on national political leaders like Congressman George Miller (D-Martinez) and state figures like state Sen. Dede Alpert (D-San Diego), would provide a perspective on what other communities are doing to serve children. 

But Dean criticized the idea of a forum featuring political figures from outside Berkeley. 

“They don’t know our district,” she said. “They don’t know our problems.” 

Dean said Berkeley should focus its efforts on a Nov. 18 community meeting, organized by Berkeley Unified’s Superintendent Michele Lawrence, which is designed to weigh community priorities for the school district in the midst of budget-cutting. 

But Board of Education member Ted Schultz, who has endorsed Bates, said the Lawrence and Bates meetings could complement each other. While community meetings called by a superintendent tend to center mainly on the school district, he said, a broader summit could focus on the city- and state-funded health and housing services that help children and schools succeed. 

“I personally think the summit’s a great idea and I’m going to be a part of it,” added board member Terry Doran, who has also endorsed Bates. Doran said that, because most of the district’s funding comes from the state, it makes sense to meet with state leaders. 

Board president Shirley Issel, who is supporting Dean, declined to comment on the summit, but said she was disappointed that the schools have been dragged into the mayoral race. 

“It’s divisive,” she said. 

In addition to seeking new health centers, Dean wants to boost a state-funded program of pre- and post-natal visits by Berkeley’s public health nurse to at-risk families. She also wants to build affordable housing for teachers above a parking lot adjacent to the Ashby BART stop in south Berkeley. Dean said the housing would help to offset low salaries. 

Bates dismissed the idea as a “pipe dream.” 

“Dealing with BART is like dealing with the Soviet Union,” he said, arguing that it would be more realistic to build housing on existing, school-owned property, like the former site of City of Franklin elementary school on Virginia Street, closed at the end of the last school year as a result of budget cuts. 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net


A vote against Worthington

Gregory S. Murphy Berkeley
Wednesday October 30, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington talks a lot about “fighting” in his campaign literature: for students, for progressive values, for neighborhoods. He is fighting all right, but not for students, values or neighborhoods. He's sent his companions out to trash the mayor for endorsing his opponent Micki Weinberg, while dozens of Micki's public campaign signs have been torn down from lamp posts (I'll let folks draw their own conclusions as to who might have done that and why). As someone who has spent a lot of time on local issues, I know there are times when you have to fight – fairly and ethically – for what you believe in. But usually, I have found that to get something done, you have to bring people together, motivate them and make sure you are really listening to their concerns. 

Many of my neighbors share my concern that the issues really affecting us have not been effectively addressed over the past six years of Mr. Worthington's tenure and I was delighted to hear Micki Weinberg talk about many of them during his campaign: safety and crime (especially around Telegraph Avenue), traffic and transit policy, and housing. I was interested to see that a lot of Micki's agenda – a student agenda – matched mine.  

What I am particularly impressed with is Weinberg's willingness to work with the various constituents to solve problems. It is a refreshing change from Mr. Worthington's pattern of pitting groups against each other – the us vs. them syndrome. Worthington's style of attacking opponents with insinuation, innuendo and implication is what makes him such a controversial politician, not necessarily his votes on the issues. As much as Worthington wants to turn the mayor's race into a referendum on Shirley's Dean's leadership and personal style, so too is this race a referendum on Worthington's. 

Micki has heard the rhetoric for what it really is – self-serving politics designed to keep Worthington in power. He believes we need to stop “fighting” each other and start working together to tackle the real problems we all face, students and neighbors alike, and that's why I am enthusiastically supporting him for City Council. 

 

Gregory S. Murphy 

Berkeley 


Roberts’ goal nets Pac-10 honor

Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

Cal sophomore defender Troy Roberts and UCLA junior goalkeeper Zach Wells have been named the Pac-10 Men’s Soccer Co-Players of the Week for Oct. 22-28, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced Tuesday.  

Roberts scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over No. 8-ranked Stanford on Saturday. The goal was his first on the year, his second collegiate goal, and came on his only shot of the day. Roberts’ goal was the first scored by Cal against the Cardinal since 1997, and marked the Bears’ first win over Stanford in six years.  

Wells helped the Bruins shut out both Oregon State (3-0) and Washington (1-0) on the road, keeping their perfect Pac-10 record intact. Wells tied the school record with 11 saves on 25 shots against the Beavers, including eight in the second half. Wells also added his first career assist on the Bruins’ third goal of the game. He recorded four saves at Washington to give UCLA its first road win over the Huskies in 22 years.  

Cal is 11-3-1, 4-1-0 in Pac-10 competition. The Bears travel to take on Stanford this week. Cal is No. 11 in the NSCAA/adidas poll, and ranked 8th by Soccer America. 

This is the third weekly honor for Wells and the 13th all-time Player of the Week honor for UCLA. For Roberts, it is his first weekly honor and the 4th all-time for California.  


First dean of journalism school dies

Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Edwin R. Bayley, the first dean of the graduate school of journalism at UC Berkeley, died Sunday at a local hospital. He was 84 and suffered from several chronic health problems that became acute in recent months, a family friend said. 

Bayley arrived at UC Berkeley in 1969, and guided the graduate journalism program for more than 16 years. He not only administered the school, but also taught and founded the Summer Program for Minority Journalists. 

During World War II, he was on active duty as an armed guard officer in the central Pacific. 

After the war, he became the Milwaukee Journal’s chief political reporter. He also worked as correspondent for the paper in London. 

In 1961, he became the first public information officer for the Peace Corps. Later that year, he was appointed special assistant representing President Kennedy on interdepartmental committees involving information and the hiring of minorities. 

His book, “Joe McCarthy and the Press,” was a finalist in the competition for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. 

The book concludes that newspapers could have hastened McCarthy’s downfall if they had better appreciated their influence and found the courage to speak out against him. 

After his retirement in 1985, Bayley and his wife, Monica Worsley, divided their time among homes in London, Door County, Wis., and Carmel, Calif.


Mulling over the ballot

Walter Wood Berkeley
Wednesday October 30, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

The recent Daily Planet article “New project would oust parking” (Oct. 26-27) highlights the need for measure P, the height initiative. Berkeley's parking lots are under attack by greedy developers who want big buildings and more people. Yes on Measure P is a must for people who value parking and a moderate population density in Berkeley.  

Other ballot items are not so simple. Does anyone know all those judges? I do know Lisa Pearlman would be a superb Superior Court Judge. For the 1st District City Council seat, Rhiannon gets my vote. Maio, although she is kind and has her heart in the right place, has almost never seen a tax she does not like – she is too much a profligate spender and also a pawn of developers. Shirley Dean gets the nod for Mayor.  

No, no, and hell no to all the bonds and taxes. Every separate bond measure and tax for a seemingly noble cause is more taxpayer money available for those wasteful things that voters would never approve, for example, replacing perfectly good trees in the park across from city hall. Make them reduce spending. 

 

Walter Wood 

Berkeley 

 


Horstmeyer adds to family

Wednesday October 30, 2002

The Cal women’s basketball family grew by one Tuesday.  

Head coach Caren Horstmeyer and her husband, Bill, became proud parents of a healthy baby girl at 8 a.m., at Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae. The baby, whose name is still to be determined, was born a healthy eight pounds, five ounces, and 21 inches tall.  

The couple also have a two-year-old son, Arend.  

Horstmeyer is expected to take a brief maternity leave and return to the team on Nov. 6. Cal assistant coach Barb Smith will serve as the acting head coach at Friday’s exhibition game against Team Concept at Haas Pavilion. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.  


Teenagers loot Telegraph shop

By Matthew Artz Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

A group of roughly 30 high school-aged students ransacked Telegraph Avenue shops slightly before noon Tuesday. The teenagers made off with about $2,000 in merchandise form one sporting good store and prompted neighboring shops to close their doors for part of the afternoon, according to the Berkeley Police Department. 

Officer Mary Kusmiss noted that the incident coincided with a nearby protest in support of affirmative action, and though a connection could not be verified, police and residents remarked that a similar protest last year invoked nearly identical disturbances on Telegraph. 

 

“We have to find out how this happened again because it is outrageous,” said Telegraph Avenue Association President Kathy Berger, who speculated that local high schools once again allowed students to attend the UC Berkeley protest (See Page 3) without supervision. 

“It all happened so fast,” explained Thomas Ma, a manager at the Telegraph Avenue Foot Locker where merchandise was stolen Tuesday. Ma refused to comment further on the incident, but Jose Garcia an employee at nearby Greg’s Pizza described what he saw. 

“About 35 kids, mostly guys, a few girls, all black, grabbed shirts and caps,” he said. “Everyone was laughing and guys were passing shirts back and forth to each other. A few of them came into [Greg’s Pizza], but then others said ‘hey where are you going,’ and they all ran away.” 

None of the teenagers involved were caught, police said. 

According to police, the teenagers got off an AC Transit bus near Durant and Telegraph avenues. Some immediately went into the Foot Locker, but then left and went into the Gap across the street. Police said that about 8 to 10 kids were reported inside the Gap, throwing clothing on the ground, but were stopped by store security when they tried to walk out with merchandise. 

The kids then left the Gap and returned to Foot Locker with another dozen youth, police said. They broke a display and shoved one employee while he tried to close the door to prevent them from entering. The kids then grabbed sports jerseys and other merchandise and proceeded to run south on Telegraph. The force from pushing on the front door caused the glass to break at the bottom of the door, police said. 

Foot Locker and several other area shops lowered their security gates immediately after the incident, but re-opened later that afternoon. 

On March 8, 2001, several shops on Telegraph were similarly stormed by high school students. An Athlete’s Foot store, just a few shops down from Foot Locker, was the hardest hit. 

A rally in support of affirmative action was also taking place when the 2001 robberies occurred. The group Fight For Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) was the organizer of both rallies which took place at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza. 

BAMN members and UC Berkeley officials could not be reached before press time. 

 

Contact reporter at matt@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net 

 


Look who’s fighting height limits

Martha Jones Berkeley
Wednesday October 30, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Measure P, the Berkeley height initiative, is the measure which stops out-of-scale development in the neighborhoods while promoting responsible development. I am appalled to learn that 90 percent of the funding from the opposition on Measure P comes from developmental interest and 50 percent of this funding is from outside of Berkeley. After living 54 years in this city, I cannot imagine the intelligent Berkeley citizens voting along with developers. 

 

Martha Jones 

Berkeley 

 


Cal’s Veress advances to semis

Wednesday October 30, 2002

MORAGA - Fifth-seeded Cal senior Balazs Veress defeated No. 4-seed Scott Lipinsky of Stanford 7-6, 6-3, in a quarterfinal match of the 2002 Omni Hotels ITA Northwest Regional to advance to the semifinals of the main draw. Veress will face No. 2 Alex Vlaski of Washington in the semifinals.  

All in all, three Bears advanced to the quarterfinals, more than any other school in the tournament. Within the quarterfinal draw, only three schools were represented, Cal, Stanford and Washington - all belonging to the Pac-10. Besides Veress, No. 6-seed Conor Niland defeated No. 9-16-seed Sam Warburg of Stanford in the Round of 16 before losing to No. 3 Matt Hanlin of Washington, 7-6(5), 6-1 in the quarters. The third Bear, No. 9-seed Wayne Wong upset No. 8-seed Peter Malacek of Portland before running into the top-seeded David Martin of Stanford 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinal bracket. 

In earlier singles action, No. 9-16-seed Robert Kowalczyk fell in the Round of 16.  

In the back draw, seniors Jeff King and Kevin Patrick both advanced to the fourth round with third round wins over Cal Poly and Nevada-Reno, respectively.


More than 200 illegal Haitian migrants run ashore in Miami

By Coralie Carlson The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

MIAMI — More than 200 illegal Haitian immigrants jumped overboard, waded ashore and rushed onto a major highway Tuesday after their 50-foot wooden freighter ran aground off Miami. 

There were no known fatalities and no injuries other than dehydration, Detective Delrish Moss said. Miami police counted 206 immigrants, the youngest about 18 months old. 

The migrants departed from Port-au-Prince and picked up three Cubans on a raft along the way, said North Miami Mayor Joe Celestin, a Haitian-American who went to the scene and spoke to some of the migrants. Moss said they had been at sea for eight days. 

The Coast Guard spotted the vessel about 2 p.m. and followed it for about two hours, said Coast Guard spokesman Luis Diaz. The boat ran aground and the immigrants began coming ashore near Hobie Beach on Virginia Key, just southeast of Miami’s downtown. 

“They were all over the front of the boat, the top of the boat, the back of the boat. They were all over it,” said windsurfer Ovidio DeLeon, who witnessed the scene. “Then they started jumping.” 

Some of the Haitians jumped from the deck; others were lowered into the water. They ran into the streets, causing the six-lane Rickenbacker Causeway to be shut down. 

Coast Guard personnel were seen pulling people from the water and throwing them life preservers; children were being transferred from the boat to people in the water. 

Seven helicopters and five Coast Guard boats searched for people who may still be in the water. A Miami Fire Rescue spokesman dispatcher said emergency crews were treating several Haitians and giving them water. 

Hours after they arrived, the immigrants’ empty boat was towed away and the migrants were loaded onto five buses. Police escorted the buses to Krome Detention Center in west Miami-Dade County for processing. 

Border Patrol agents had begun interviewing the migrants, said spokesman Carlos Roches. 

“If they claim political asylum, we will process them accordingly,” Roches said. 

Unlike Cubans who reach dry land, Haitian immigrants usually are denied asylum in the United States and sent back to their homeland, which is in an economic and political crisis. 

“It’s very sad to see the way human beings who are fleeing their country for a better way of life are treated,” Celestin said. “The Cubans that were on the same boat will be released. The Haitians will probably be deported. It’s a double standard.” 

The Bush administration changed its detention policy on Haitian refugees in December to discourage a feared mass exodus from the Caribbean nation. Immigration attorneys sued the government in March, saying the new policy of detention was racially biased. 

Human rights advocates said the policy treats Haitians differently than asylum seekers from other countries, who are generally freed until their asylum requests are granted or denied. 

“It is plainly and simply a racist policy that singles out black Haitians and denies them the treatment we give other groups seeking asylum,” U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami, said in a statement. 

“They imprison Haitians indefinitely; they don’t release Haitians into the care of the Haitian community; they don’t let Haitians get the help they need to prepare their asylum cases; and then they deport them,” Meek said. 

Gov. Jeb Bush said he spoke to White House officials about the migrants’ status. 

“I have been assured that these individuals will receive fair and decent treatment by federal authorities,” Bush said. 

Thousands of Haitians each year risk dangerous voyages aboard rickety, crowded boats in search of economic opportunities. 

Some end up in the Turks and Caicos Islands, others in the Bahamas, and some make it to Florida. Many are sent back home. 

Many are driven to risk their lives because of crushing poverty in their homeland, the hemisphere’s poorest country where two-thirds of the population is unemployed or underemployed and most people survive on less than $1 a day. 

Haiti’s chronically depressed economy has further


Think pedestrian safety

Kristi Kimball Surface Transportation Policy Project San Francisco
Wednesday October 30, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Pedestrian safety improvements are long overdue in Berkeley, a city that again had one of California's highest pedestrian-vehicle accident rates in 2001. Although its population hovers just above 100,000 residents, more than 100 Berkeley pedestrians have been injured by automobiles in each of the past 10 years, and the city has averaged more than one pedestrian fatality annually during this span. With numbers like these, it is safe to say Berkeley has a significant public health problem on its hands. 

Efforts the city has taken in recent decades to improve pedestrian safety – including the installation of traffic calming devices in some neighborhoods and streetscape improvements on University Avenue – have made Berkeley a safer place for walking than many other cities.  

But the high overall number of injuries and fatalities makes it clear that more work needs to be done to improve pedestrian safety in Berkeley. Just 12 cities in California experienced more pedestrian incidents than Berkeley last year, and these cities all have populations substantially larger than Berkeley's. That's why we urge voters to approve Measure L, a Nov. 5 ballot item that would raise Berkeley property taxes to pay for pedestrian safety improvements. Expected to raise about $10 million over the next decade, Measure L would provide the money the city needs to upgrade existing pedestrian infrastructure and to install additional pedestrian safety and traffic calming devices, such as sidewalk extensions, traffic circles, pedestrian-activated traffic signals and median protectors.  

 

Kristi Kimball  

Surface Transportation Policy Project 

San Francisco


Victim barricades himself in home

Wednesday October 30, 2002

OAKLAND — Police are reporting that a gunshot victim who barricaded himself in an east Oakland home is currently in critical condition at Alameda County Hospital. 

After suffering at least one gunshot wound on High Street shortly before midnight Monday, police say the victim fled to a nearby residence and hid inside. 

Oakland police speculate that the man was trying to protect himself from further gunshot wounds. 

The residents of the home on the 4000 block of Suter Street then called the police to report, incorrectly, that they were being burglarized. 

Police say the victim did not know, and has not yet been able to provide any useful information about his attacker.


Trial begins in Oakland deputy’s death

Wednesday October 30, 2002

OAKLAND — A hotel security guard described in Alameda County Superior Court Tuesday how he watched in horror as a sheriff's deputy was hurled backward by a hail of bullets at an Outback Steakhouse in Dublin four years ago. 

Sheriff's Deputy John Paul Monego, 33, was shot and killed as he entered the front doors of the restaurant on Regional Street just before midnight on Dec. 11, 1998. 

Reuben Eliceo Vasquez, 27, of Modesto, and Turlock residents Miguel Galindo Sifuentes and Hai Minh Le, both 23, are charged with Monego's murder. Prosecutors allege that the men were robbing the restaurant at the time of the killing. 

If convicted as charged, the men could face the death penalty. 

Jeffrey DeRespini, 42, took the stand Tuesday morning in the Oakland courtroom of Judge Alfred A Delucchi. He was working near the restaurant, as a security guard at the Monarch Hotel, the night of the shooting. 

He testified for about an hour under direct examination today, explaining how he was smoking a cigarette in front of the hotel when he saw Deputy Angela Schwab arrive on the scene first and enter the restaurant. Law enforcement officers had been dispatched to the business because of a 911 hang-up call that had been placed there.


Federal court protects docs who recommend marijuana

By David Kravets The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court ruled for the first time Tuesday that the government cannot revoke the prescription drug licenses of doctors who recommend marijuana to sick patients. 

The court also ruled that the Justice Department may not investigate doctors merely for recommending marijuana, since this would interfere with the free-speech rights of doctors and patients. 

“An integral component of the practice of medicine is the communication between doctor and a patient. Physicians must be able to speak frankly and openly to patients,” Chief Circuit Judge Mary Schroeder said. 

The unanimous opinion by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a 2-year-old court order that prohibited such federal action before any doctors’ licenses were revoked. 

Federal prosecutors argued that doctors who recommend marijuana use are interfering with the drug war and circumventing the government’s judgment that the illegal drug has no medical benefit. 

But the San Francisco-based court, noting that doctors are not allowed to dispense marijuana themselves, said physicians had a constitutional right to speek candidly with their patients about marijuana without fear of government sanctions. 

Doctors who recommend marijuana in the eight states that have medical marijuana laws “will make it easier to obtain marijuana in violation of federal law,” government attorney Michael Stern had said. 

States allowing medical marijuana are Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. All but Maine fall under the 9th Circuit jurisdiction. 

Justice Department spokeswoman Susan Dryden said the decision was “currently under review” and declined to say whether the government would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court or ask the 9th Circuit to reconsider. 

Graham Boyd, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, said the ruling preserves state medical marijuana laws by preventing the federal government from silencing doctors. 

“If a doctor can’t recommend it, then no patient can use it,” he said. “This was the federal government’s first line strategy, to shut down doctor recommendations.” 

In a concurring opinion, Judge Alex Kozinski wrote that there was a wealth of evidence that may support marijuana use for sick patients, and said the government attacked doctors as a means to paralyze California’s medical marijuana laws. 

“The federal government’s policy deliberately undermines the state by incapacitating the mechanism the state has chosen for separating what is legal from what is illegal under state law,” Kozinski wrote. 

The case was brought by patients’ rights groups and doctors who said they have been fearful of recommending marijuana, even if it’s in a patient’s best interest. 

U.S. District Judge William Alsup blocked the Justice Department from revoking doctors’ Drug Enforcement Administration licenses to dispense medication “merely because the doctor recommends medical marijuana to a patient based on a sincere medical judgment.” Alsup’s order also prevented federal agents “from initiating any investigation solely on that ground.” 

The case was an outgrowth of Proposition 215, which California voters approved in 1996. It allows patients to lawfully use marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. The other seven states also allow the sick to use marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. 

The Clinton administration said doctors who recommended marijuana would lose their federal licenses to prescribe medicine, could be excluded from Medicare and Medicaid programs, and could face criminal charges. The Bush administration continued Clinton’s fight. 

The government argued that doctors were aiding and abetting criminal activity for recommending marijuana because it’s an illegal drug under federal narcotics laws. 

But the appellate court said doctors could be liable only if they actually assisted patients in acquiring marijuana. Merely recommending the drug “does not translate into aiding and abetting, or conspiracy,” Schroeder wrote. 

Neil Flynn, a plaintiff in the case and a University of California at Davis doctor specializing in AIDS treatment, said he has recommended marijuana for about three dozen of his 1,500 patients. He said he feared government retribution for discussing what he said were the beneficial aspects of marijuana to reduce pain, nausea and to stimulate eating. 

“I now feel comfortable in discussing it with my patients and recording it in my chart,” Flynn said. 

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court said clubs that sell marijuana to the sick with a doctor’s recommendation are breaking federal drug laws.


Stanford freezes hiring and considers layoffs

Wednesday October 30, 2002

STANFORD — One of the nation’s wealthiest universities has frozen hiring for some nonfaculty positions and may be forced to lay off workers as early as next spring. 

Many public universities, which rely heavily on state revenues, including the University of California and California State University systems, put limited hiring freezes in place last year. 

But education experts said Stanford’s announcement, one of the first in the nation from a top private institution, may signal a decline in funding for private colleges and universities, which rely heavily on endowments. 

Dartmouth College in New Hampshire announced layoffs Thursday, the same day Stanford made its plans public. And Duke University earlier this month raised the possibility of cutting as many as 50 faculty positions. 

Stanford officials say they hope the hiring freeze and other moves will avoid layoffs. 

“We are going to be asking people to do more, and we are going to have to look at where we can cut back on programs, where we can cut services that will not impact academics,” said Randall Livingston, Stanford’s chief financial officer and vice president for business affairs. 

Stanford said the cutbacks are due to increasing costs plus a decline in the university’s endowment, donations and federal research funding. University officials have projected an 8 percent drop in Stanford’s $507 million general fund next year. The general fund is about one-quarter of the university’s $2.1 billion consolidated budget.


Bad road conditions led to firefighter deaths

By Jessica Brice The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

SACRAMENTO — Bad road conditions and driver inexperience contributed to an accident that killed three firefighters this summer, a U.S. Forest Service investigation has concluded. 

Firefighters Steven Oustad, 51, of Westwood; Heather DePolo, 29, of Redding, and John Self, 19, of Susanville were killed July 28 when their fire engine rolled 800 feet down a mountainside. 

The engine crew was based on the Lassen National Forest in Susanville.


Angels fans celebrate Series win at rally

By Chelsea J. Carter The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

ANAHEIM — Tens of thousands of red-dressed, flag-waving fans turned Disneyland’s Main Street into a highway to heaven salute Tuesday for the Anaheim Angels. 

With Jackie Autry riding alongside Mickey Mouse, fans cheered the team’s first World Series championship at the Disneyland parade and later at a huge rally at Edison Field. 

“For all the Angels fans who have been here from the beginning, and all the Angels we had above, this championship is for you,” team manager Mike Scioscia said at the rally. 

Two hours earlier, Scioscia held the World Series trophy aloft at Disneyland, which was awash in Angels red, with shirts, hats and faces painted with halos. Fans there had paid as much as $45 for a ticket to the park, where the parade was held along Main Street. 

Fan Carl Romano shouted congratulations to Jackie Autry, the widow of Gene Autry, who formed the expansion team in 1961. 

“She’s waited a long time for this,” Romano said. 

The Walt Disney Co. bought the Angels after Gene Autry died in 1998. 

The hard-luck team had never won a playoff series before beating the New York Yankees earlier this month in an American League division series. They followed that up by beating the Minnesota Twins to win the American League pennant and then defeating the Giants in seven games. 

A second parade began at Arrowhead Pond, home of the Mighty Ducks hockey team, and ended with a rally at Edison Field, home of the Angels. 

“I waited 10 years for something like this,” veteran Angels slugger Tim Salmon told the screaming crowd. “But I know you guys have been waiting a lot longer. This is yours.” 

Added Angels relief pitcher Troy Percival: “We want to do this every year.” 

Anaheim police had no estimate of the crowd but said as many as 300,000 people were expected for the rally. 

Mike Goetz, 44, arrived at Edison Field at 5:30 a.m. armed with signs that read, “Thanks for the dream, Walt and Gene” and “And after the seventh game, we party.” One young girl who apparently skipped school carried a banner reading, “Sorry teacher! Angels forever!” 

Goetz said the Angels had suffered from lack of respect over the years. 

“Nobody took them seriously,” he said. “Now everybody has to.” 

The parade and rally at Edison Field were free. However, fans had to pay an admission charge at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure park. Disney has come under fire for charging fans who wanted to attend the events. 

John McClintock, a spokesman for the Disneyland Resort, said there could have been severe overcrowding and other logistical problems if the parks had been opened free.


Porn business booming in San Fernando

By Paul Wilborn The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

LOS ANGELES — In the vast, suburban expanse of the San Fernando Valley, one of the largest industries thrives quietly, hidden inside unmarked warehouses, walled estates and hidden studios. 

The region is home to most of America’s pornography industry — videos, Web-sites, phone sex businesses, adult toys and even the old-fashioned dirty magazine. 

While many parts of the nation’s economy are suffering, the past five years have been good for the adult industry, as new video and computer technology open the doors to hundreds of millions of potential customers here and around the world. 

It’s an industry estimated to be worth between $4 billion and $10 billion annually. 

“The adult industry doesn’t follow the same ups and downs that other businesses do,” said Paul Fishbein, publisher of Adult Video News, the trade paper of the adult industry. “It still grows every year in terms of sales and rental volume.” 

The valley is home to some of the biggest names in the movie business — Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Brothers and Universal Studios. 

But the 354 square miles of tract homes, strip centers and freeways on the north side of the Hollywood Hills also hosts some less famous names in the industry — Vivid Entertainment, VCA, Wicked Pictures and dozens of other studios churning out X-rated DVDs and videos. 

Pornography is just a small part of Southern California’s entertainment industry, but its long history, growing revenues and the steady employment prospects it provides have colored the valley’s reputation. 

A longshot proposal on Los Angeles’ November ballot would make the San Fernando Valley its own city. While most polls give it little chance of passing, the initiative has given rise to debate over what a new city would be called. The “San Pornando Valley” is one popular, tongue-in cheek suggestion. 

On a set in Chatsworth recently, porn actresses named Dee and Jordan Haze, a married mother from Long Beach, killed time tossing around possible names of a separate valley city. 

“What about Pornopolis?” Haze said. “Or Babylon?” 

Dee (there are no real names in the porn industry) shook her long, black hair. 

“It has to be Pornoville,” she said. “That’s what everybody calls it already.” 

One-liners aside, the industry has come into its own in recent years and is thriving despite the economic malaise across the rest of the country. 

“Twenty years ago, you had people sneaking into those little theaters. That’s all changed with technology,” said Bill Asher, president of Vivid Entertainment. “We’ve gone from a market of hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions.” 

The film, television and Web-based products produced by Vivid alone grossed $1 billion in retail sales last year, he said. A 1998 study by Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass., estimated that the industry generates $10 billion a year. 

But in a business where few companies are public and new providers blossom like wildflowers, real numbers are hard to come by. 

“It’s hard to put a dollar figure to it because we don’t see many hard revenue numbers,” said Michael Goodman, an entertainment industry analyst at the Yankee Group in Boston. “But it is a very profitable business and pretty recession proof.” 

Sales and rentals of adult videos produced by American companies was a $4 billion business last year, Fishbein said, based on a survey of thousands of video stores and overall sales figures from the Video Software Dealers Association. 

That growth has produced dozens of large and small valley studios producing hundreds of new titles each year and created a star-making machinery much like the old Hollywood studios.


Stocks recover from drop in consumer confidence

By Amy Baldwin The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

NEW YORK — An unexpected plunge in consumer confidence incited another wave of profit-taking on Wall Street Tuesday, but stocks recovered by late in the session, and renewed buying offset some of the losses. 

The Dow Jones industrials eked out a slim gain, while the rest of the market posted moderate declines, bouncing back from a sharp downturn. 

Analysts said the market was pressured more by the temptation to secure gains rather than increased skepticism about the economy or the market. Investors were already inclined to collect some of their winnings in recent sessions following a surprisingly strong three-week rally. 

“It is just an excuse to take some profits. There is nothing new here. We all knew consumers were worrying about the decline in the stock market and the geopolitical situation,” said Peter Cardillo, president and chief strategist of Global Partner Securities Inc. 

After falling as much as 170 points early in the session, the Dow closed up 0.90 at 8,368.94. On Monday, the Dow lost 75 points to profit taking. 

The market’s broader gauges pulled back. The Nasdaq composite index fell 15.29, or 1.2 percent, to 1,300.54. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index declined 8.08, or 0.9 percent, to 882.15. 

Investors were disappointed by a sharp decrease in consumer confidence. The Conference Board reported that confidence fell to 79.4 in October, the weakest level since 1993 and far below the reading of 90 analysts were expecting. 

Analysts were somewhat concerned that the slide in consumer confidence would prompt Federal Reserve policy makers to lower interest rates when they meet next week. While rate cuts typically cause the market to rally for a time, their effect has diminished after last year’s 11 reductions that have so far failed to restart the economy. 

“We are at a point where we’d like to see the Fed tighten (rates) to indicate that the economy has turned,” said Matt Brown, head of equity management at Wilmington Trust. 

Consumer sentiment is closely monitored by Wall Street because consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the economy. Likewise, some consumer cyclical stocks were among Wall Street’s losers in Tuesday’s session. 

General Motors fell $1.15 to $33.73 and appliance maker Maytag declined 42 cents to $25.06.


Analysts say Congress should set gambling rules

Wednesday October 30, 2002

LAS VEGAS — Congressional inaction on Internet gambling is handcuffing the casino industry and favoring shady corners of international commerce, according to gambling industry analysts and attorneys. 

“When you force legitimate businesses to the sidelines, it opens the world to people who operate in gray or black areas,” Las Vegas lawyer and Internet casino analyst Tony Cabot told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The online gaming industry would be better off regulated than being banned.” 

Bear, Stearns Co. Inc. online gambling analyst Michael Tew said the U.S. Department of Justice prosecutes American citizens who operate online gambling sites, but won’t go after foreign nationals who run illegal gambling sites. 

In an Aug. 23 letter to Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander, the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, Michael Chertoff, reaffirmed that online gambling is illegal under federal law. 

However, several gambling sites operate outside the United States, and are promoted and available online to U.S. and Nevada residents. 

Nevada regulators have been charged by state lawmakers with making sure Internet betting complies with federal law.


State officials report record pot seizures

By Jessica Brice The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

 

SACRAMENTO — Growing marijuana in California isn’t what it used to be. 

Mexican drug cartels, attracted by the state’s rich soil and remote forests, grew nearly three-quarters of the pot seized in California this fall, state officials announced Tuesday. 

That marks a dangerous shift toward large and sophisticated growing operations, said Sonya Barna, commander of the Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Eradication, known as CAMP. 

“It used to be an industry controlled by hippies with small gardens,” Barna said. “Now, it’s not uncommon to see cartels planting anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 plants in a garden.” 

This year, local, state and federal drug agents confiscated a record 354,000 of marijuana plants worth about $1.4 billion dollars, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said Tuesday. 

State officials say higher prices — as much as $4,000 a pound — makes marijuana cultivation a fast-growing industry. 

Since the CAMP program started nearly 20 years ago, more than 3 million pot plants have been seized — nearly half of which were confiscated in just the last four years. 

About 74 percent of marijuana farms raided this year had apparent ties to Mexican drug cartels, which sometimes find it is easier to grow pot in the states.


Wellstone colleagues join thousands for memorial

By Patrick Howe The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

MINNEAPOLIS — A memorial service that began as a poignant farewell to the late Sen. Paul Wellstone culminated Tuesday night in a furious series of partisan speeches, with Wellstone’s family and friends exhorting supporters to help his ballot replacement to victory next week. 

The first eulogies were tender remembrances for the seven people killed along with Wellstone in a northern Minnesota plane crash Friday. So, too, were remarks for Wellstone, who had been locked in a difficult re-election battle with Republican Norm Coleman. 

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and one of Wellstone’s closest friends in the Senate, called him “the soul of the Senate.” 

“Now we see an outpouring of grief, an admiration in this arena and all across the land, every bit as authentic as he was,” Harkin said. “It’s a tribute to him. But it’s also a tribute to the yearning for a politics that truly can be the noble profession of putting principle above the latest poll results.” 

By the end of his talk, though, Harkin had shed his jacket and was imploring the crowd — some 15,000 people at a University of Minnesota sports arena — to work on Wellstone’s behalf. That likely means backing Walter Mondale, who is expected to take Wellstone’s ballot spot after a Democratic party meeting Wednesday. 

“For Paul Wellstone, will you stand up and keep fighting for social justice? Say YES!” Harkin shouted. The crowd roared. 

Rick Kahn, Wellstone’s friend and former student, whipped up the crowd before Harkin took the stage by adopting the late senator’s fiery speaking style. 

He chopped the air with his hands, as Wellstone often did, and exhorted the crowd to keep Wellstone’s dream alive. 

“A week from today, Paul Wellstone’s name will not be on the ballot,” Kahn said. “But there will be a choice just the same ... either keep his legacy alive, or bring it forever to an end!” 

As the crowd erupted in a loud “No!” Kahn continued: 

“If Paul Wellstone’s legacy in the Senate comes to an end just days after this unspeakable tragedy, our spirits will be crushed, and we will drown in a river of tears. We are begging you, do not let this happen.” 

An overflow crowd of thousands gathered outside the arena to watch on giant video screens, and multitudes more watched and listened on statewide TV and radio to the ceremony for Wellstone; his wife Sheila, 58; his daughter Marcia Wellstone Markuson, 33; and campaign staffers Mary McEvoy, 49, Tom Lapic, 49, and Will McLaughlin, 23. 

All were killed in a plane crash Friday in northern Minnesota. The plane’s two pilots, Richard Conry, 55, and Michael Guess, 30, also died. 

Republicans were quick to criticize the partisan tone of the memorial’s final hour.


Mistrial declared lead paint lawsuit

By Richard Lewis The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island’s landmark lawsuit against lead paint makers ended in a mistrial Tuesday after the jury said it was hopelessly deadlocked in the potentially multimillion-dollar case. 

The state was trying to hold eight former paint manufacturers liable for lead poisoning in 35,000 Rhode Island children since 1993. 

Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse said the state is prepared to try the case again “within weeks.” 

Had the jury found the manufacturers caused a public nuisance, the case would have moved into two more phases to decide whether the industry is liable and how much it should pay in damages. 

However, the jury deadlocked 4-2 in favor of the manufacturers after four days of deliberations and seven weeks of trial. 

“I think we all agreed that lead paint was a hazard,” foreman George Mansi said. 

But Mansi said some jurors had doubts about the magnitude of the threat. He said they were swayed heavily by the state’s concession that it had no evidence of a child getting sick from lead at any school, hospital or public building in the state. 

More than 40 lawsuits have been filed since 1989 by individuals and communities against lead paint companies. All have failed. Rhode Island is the first state to sue the industry under public nuisance law. 

The case was being watched nationally. Other states, notably Connecticut and West Virginia, were poised to take legal action had Rhode Island prevailed. 

Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Ohio also were contemplating lawsuits, said Eileen Quinn, deputy director of the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning. Cities such as San Francisco, Milwaukee, New York and Newark, N.J., have already filed lawsuits. 

“The paint industry is a multimillion-dollar industry and it dodged a legal bullet today,” said Bain Testa, news editor of Rhode Island Lawyers weekly. “A (favorable) judgment could’ve decimated the industry and caused paint prices to skyrocket.” 

Lead paint was banned in 1978 after studies showed flaking paint or dust can harm children who eat or breathe it. Health problems include behavioral disorders, brain damage and even death. 

Lead paint remains in about 330,000 homes and public buildings in Rhode Island — about 80 percent of the state’s housing stock, according to the state. 

The paint companies said the problem is confined to deteriorating paint found in homes managed by delinquent landlords or irresponsible homeowners. 

John Tarantino, the chief attorney for the defendants, said the mistrial shows the lead paint issue “is not a question that should be resolved through litigation but through legislation.” 

Mansi said he had sided with the state, persuaded by their argument that children continue to be sickened by lead paint. 

“I have an obligation to protect those who can’t talk for themselves, and those are the children,” said the 64-year-old retired Air Force veteran. 

The defendants were American Cyanamid Co.; Atlantic Richfield; ConAgra Grocery Products Co.; Cytec Industries Inc.; DuPont Co.; Millennium Inorganic Chemicals Inc.; NL Industries Inc.; and Sherwin-Williams Co.


Growers discuss solutions to statewide grape glut

By Kim Baca The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

FRESNO — With a grape glut statewide and raisins dying on the vine in the San Joaquin Valley, growers and politicians Tuesday asked the federal government for more help. 

U.S. Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, called a summit to find solutions before the problem crushes the industry. 

Valley growers, who provide about 60 percent of California’s wine grapes and 90 percent of the nation’s raisins, have suffered from low prices in the past few years due to overproduction. 

The USDA anticipates that wine grape growers will harvest 3.3 million tons this year for wine, an 8 percent increase from last year. 

Raisin growers are expected to harvest 400,000 tons of raisins this year, up 7.2 percent over the same period. 

The impact has been troubling for an industry rooted for generations in the arid valley that is home to the “Raisin Capital of the World.” It has also been a leader in growing table and wine grapes. 

During the summer, the raisin industry paid some farmers to prune their crop or yank their vines. Other growers let their crop die on the vine. 

Selma raisin grower Mike O’Brian had to take a second job with a crop insurance company to make ends meet. 

“It may not sustain the farm but it may sustain my monthly expenses,” O’Brian said. 

“This will be the third year in a row that we’ve lost money in every acre we farm.” 

Radanovich recommended that a panel of USDA officials and grape industry representatives work together to find ways to aid growers who do not receive subsidies. 

“Part of it is to determine what existing programs will help stabilize this industry,” said Radanovich, a vintner who owns 10 acres in Mariposa. 

O’Brian said one way to help grape farmers is make it easier to export. He said import tariffs in America are about one-tenth of what they are overseas. 

The San Joaquin Valley, which grows 40 percent of the world’s raisins, has seen competition from Australia, Chile, Greece, Iran, South Africa and Turkey, where labor costs are lower, industry officials said. 

While the summit focused on the valley, it could have an impact statewide because grapes are the leading agricultural product in the nation’s leading farm state. 

Wine grape growers have experienced the same pains of excess after a boom in the 1990s has begun to mellow. Production is growing faster than demand as vineyards planted by farmers trying to capitalize on California’s $33 billion wine industry are now maturing. 

Radanovich hopes the USDA will buy more raisins for foreign aid, school lunch programs and a federal nutrition program for mothers and their children. He also wants the USDA to pay grape farmers to pull out vineyards next year if a surplus is expected. 

Earlier this month, the USDA announced plans to buy up to $56.8 million of nuts and dried fruits, including raisins. It is also considering buying grape juice made from Thompson grapes. 

California raisin growers also want a five-year moratorium on replanting vines by growers who were paid to remove them. 

That proposal is under review by USDA.


The art of deer hunting in Mendocino county

By Paul Mchugh The Associated Press
Wednesday October 30, 2002

UKIAH — The primary task of a deer hunter is not shooting, but seeing. 

That’s the first point I’d make to anyone interested in the craft. Gaining an ability to perceive much more of the forest than its trees is a rudimentary base of the hunter’s skill-set. 

So, to start becoming a hunter, you needn’t own a gun. You can simply step on that path the next time you walk in the woods. 

Try to open your awareness, and every sense, to all dimensions of a wild place. Large animals derive from a healthy landscape. Try to grasp how the woods work. Then your ability to view the creatures, and to intuit their behavior, gradually shall improve. 

Master this, and your mission of moving from ignorance to success as a deer hunter will seem less daunting. But many other lessons remain. These include skill in safe handling, shooting and cleaning of firearms, scouting and stalking and, if successful, the right way to clean and dress your game. 

In the early 20th century, most Americans lived on farms or other rustic settings. A tradition of skill transmission was unbroken. Now — lacking that — a “wannabe” must locate links to woods wisdom through friends, Department of Fish & Game personnel, hunter safety and firing range instructors. 

I became a hunter that way, in my 30s. Now, by my 50s, going on a late summer deer hunt has grown into a major ritual of my year. 

As rancher Cliff Blank (not his real name) and I ascended a wooded mountain on his Mendocino County property, I mentally reviewed the myriad ways a deer can appear. 

There’s the “Y” shape of a big-eared, thin-necked doe alertly turned toward you. The twiggy bush shape of an antlered buck peering over a log or rock while lounging in his bed behind it. The glow of deer hide lit by a beam of sunlight, even when most of the animal is concealed in shade. 

One should not search for these views, specifically. Just acknowledge possibilities and clear the mind of irrelevant, workaday thoughts. Then scan the woods both by unaided eye and with binocular, and let an “Aha!” moment of recognition erupt. 

Suddenly, a large buck leaped up from a log not 50 yards away and sprinted over a rise, into the dawn. 

I never even clicked off the safety on my Winchester. I don’t go for snap shots. Besides, shooting at an uphill trajectory meant a bullet might sail down a mile away, on someone else’s property, with unpredictable results. 

So, I just admired the view. Then we continued. 

Blank has hunted this ranch — with an old, lever-action 300 Savage his wife bought him after their wedding — for more than 50 years. He has a well worked-out rubric of push-and-stand hikes down the land’s canyons. One hunter takes up a post at an overlook, the other seeks to drive game down the canyon and past that point. Deer, of course, have their own strategies. 

“This time of year, the bucks all hang out together, while does and fawns form their own groups,” Blank said. 

It’s only in autumn, as the rut fully kicks in, that coastal bucks seek to assemble harems. Then, their IQ drops to about that of your average, 14-year-old human male — and for precisely the same reason. 

Prior to that, buck groups manifest a collective intelligence that’s formidable. Older bucks, when together, unite brains that brim with experience. 

Four of them can process signals from four noses, eight eyes and eight ears. Each acts as scout for the others. 

Blank tried to push a group just like that past me. They would have none of it. Figuring us out in an instant, they bounded off at a diagonal, into the canyon’s maw, then out the other side. All I could see was antler tips, bobbing up and down, swiftly growing smaller as they coursed away. 

By late morning, we abandoned the hunt. I spent midday helping Blank yard and section a big bay tree that had toppled into the ranch creek. This, by the way, is another tip for a would-be hunter. Public land often is overrun. Many top hunt options are on private land.


A sign of the times

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday October 29, 2002

It’s almost Halloween and something spooky is happening in Berkeley. With Election Day just a week away, dozens of campaign signs for candidates across the political spectrum have disappeared. 

Who is the ghoul behind the mysterious trend? It appears to be a monster all too familiar to Berkeley residents: partisan politics.  

Board of Education candidate Lance Montauk, who estimates that 200 of his roughly 800 signs have ended up in trash bins or in tatters on the ground, had a run-in with the beast last week. 

Montauk said he was replacing a series of torn-down signs on Cedar Street Wednesday morning when a middle-aged man and his school-aged daughter pulled up in a car. 

“He yelled out, ‘no point in putting them up again, I’ll just tear them down’” and pulled away, said Montauk. 

Montauk, who has taken controversial stands on school district finances and special education, got the heckler’s license plate number but said he does not plan to file charges. 

“This must be life and this must be politics,” said the first-time candidate. “My wife is more upset than I am.” 

Board of Education President Shirley Issel, who is running for re-election, said she has faced a different kind of problem – a vandal who has scrawled the word ‘no’ on her signs. 

“We were out until two in the morning last night cleaning off signs,” she said. 

Issel joked that the graffitti might be a sign that she’s doing something right. 

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or furious,” she said. 

Bryan Schwartz, campaign manager for Mayor Shirley Dean, said he has received “dozens of reports” of lawn signs stolen from supporters’ yards. He said the mayor’s husband, Dan, has worked tirelessly to replace the posters and estimates that the campaign has more than 900 signs up in Berkeley. 

“We still feel good about our sign presence,” Schwartz said. 

Alisha Rivani, campaign manager for Dean’s chief rival Tom Bates, estimated that 50 to 100 Bates signs have been taken, but seemed unfazed. 

“I think it happens in every election,” said Rivani, adding that the campaign has put up close to 2,000 signs around the city. 

Planning commissioner Gordon Wozniak, one of four candidates in the hotly-contested race for the 8th District City Council seat, said someone systematically removed 50 to 100 of his signs from about 10 streets in southeast Berkeley Saturday night or Sunday morning. 

“In fact, they took one from my house,” he said. 

Wozniak said the 8th District race has been clean and added that he does not believe that any of his rivals were directly involved. But, he called the mass removal of posters a “bad play” and said it was designed to intimidate his supporters. 

Wozniak said his campaign is working to replace the missing signs, which cost $4 each. 

One of Wozniak’s competitors, Carlos Estrada, said that about 60 of his signs have come down. Estrada, an air conditioning mechanic and member of the Green Party, said he takes the matter seriously. 

“We have to stand up for fair campaign practices,” he said. “It’s about the democratic process.” 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg 

@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

 

 


‘Jackass’ is top movie

By David Germain the Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

LOS ANGELES — “Jackass” has pulled its craziest stunt yet, debuting in first place at the box office. 

Young men flocked to “Jackass: The Movie,” the big-screen version of the MTV show whose stars specialized in bizarre and risky behavior, which debuted with $22.7 million. 

Last weekend’s winner, Naomi Watts’ horror film “The Ring,” slipped to No. 2 but actually raised its gross by adding about 650 more theaters. The movie took in $18.8 million, up $3.8 million from opening weekend, pushing its 10-day total to $39.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. 

Another fright flick, “Ghost Ship,” opened in third place with $11.7 million. The movie stars Julianna Margulies and Gabriel Byrne as leaders of a salvage crew that finds a haunted ocean liner. 

Debuting in much narrower release was Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton’s “The Truth About Charlie,” a remake of the Cary Grant-Audrey Hepburn crime caper “Charade.” Directed by Jonathan Demme, “The Truth About Charlie” opened out of the top 10 with $2.3 million. 

“Truth About Charlie” played in 752 theaters, averaging $3,105 a cinema. “Jackass” averaged $9,047 in 2,509 theaters, “The Ring” did $7,137 in 2,634 theaters, and “Ghost Ship” did $4,203 in 2,787 theaters. 

The overall box office rose for the seventh straight weekend. The top 12 movies grossed $88 million, up 21 percent from same weekend last year. 

Produced for just $5 million, “Jackass” features Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and others from the now-defunct MTV show doing such hazardous or crude acts as roller-skating with bottle rockets attached or urinating on a snow cone. 

Two-thirds of the movie’s audience was male, and young men from 17 to 24 accounted for nearly half the crowds, according to distributor Paramount. 

Executives at Paramount and its MTV subsidiary had expected “Jackass” might gross $20 million at best. 

“We didn’t expect to exceed $20 million for a film called ‘Jackass.’ Especially a film with no plot, no Oscar-caliber performances and no real writing,” said Van Toffler, MTV president. “What they do in the movie sort of feels to me like what the Three Stooges would be doing if they were alive. Kind of slapstick twisted on its head in an extreme form.” 

The R-rated movie carried warnings urging viewers not to try the stunts themselves, and Paramount offered to provide guards at theaters that wanted extra security to keep those younger than 17 from sneaking in, said Wayne Lewellen, the studio’s head of distribution. 

Adam Sandler and Emily Watson’s quirky romance “Punch-Drunk Love” broke into the top 10 after two weekends in limited release. The film expanded to 481 theaters, up about 400 from last weekend, and came in at No. 7 with $3.5 million. 

The Harlem drug tale “Paid in Full,” featuring Mekhi Phifer and Wood Harris, premiered with $1.4 million in 268 theaters for a $5,224 average. 

Debuting strongly in limited release was “Frida,” starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera.The film, directed by Julie Taymor (Broadway’s “The Lion King”), took in $200,000 at five theaters. 

Also opening well was “Rodger Dodger,” starring Campbell Scott as an odious womanizer, which grossed $52,000 at four theaters.


Tuesday October 29, 2002

Tuesday, Oct. 29 

Virginia Handley 

7 p.m. 

234 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley 

This longtime animal rights acivist will speak on the future of animals in California politics. 

www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~boaa 

Free 

 

Wednesday, Oct. 30 

Premiere of “Code 33: Emergency- Clear the Air” 

5 p.m. 

Oakland City Council Chambers, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland 

A one hour made-for-TV documentary on youth and public relations. Followed by a reception and refreshments. 

887-0152 

 

Berkeley City Council Forum 

7 to 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Hillel Foundation 

2736 Bancroft Way between Piedmont and College Avenues 

Candidates Gordon Wozniak, Andy Katz, Micki Weinberg, Kriss Worthington and others speak in this forum. 

839-2900 

 

“An Agenda for the Next Papacy: Two Views” 

7 p.m. 

Chapel at the Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

Robert Blair Kaiser and John L. Allen Jr., both journalists, will share information. 

549-5017 

 

Monster Bash 

6 to 9 p.m. 

Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

A singles celebration of an ancient Celtic end-of-summer observance, with a lavish feast of foods from the fall harvest. 

Register: 601-7247  

$25 / includes meal and cooking lesson 

 

Friday, Nov. 1 

Census 2000: Growing Together or Apart? 

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Wurster Hall Auditorium (Rm. 112), UC Berkeley 

During this one-day conference, scholars will analyze the geographic impact of changes to the population. 

For more info: 

http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/census2000.htm 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

Sick Plant Clinic 

9 a.m. to noon 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. UC plant pathology and entomology experts will diagnose what ails your plant. 

643-2755 

Free 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Sacred Breath” 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Place 

Robin Caton gives this talk on Tibetan Buddhism, and the classic Buddhist practice known as Tong-len. 

843-6812, Free 

 

 

Monday, Nov. 4 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Home Owners Support Group 

3 p.m. 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Office, 1403 Addison St. 

Resources for low and middle-income home owners, and home maintenance. 

548-9696 

 

“Pathways to Collaboration” 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Kroeber Hall, Rm. 160, UC Berkeley 

A lecture by Dana Plautz, director of research communications for Intel Corporation, followed by live music. 

Free 

 

Wednesday, Nov. 6 

“The Chinese and Religion in the Context of Globalization” 

Reception 5:30 p.m. / Lecture 7 p.m. 

Bade Museum at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

A noted scholar and author, Professor Zhuo Xinping speaks. 

649-2440 

 

Saturday, Nov. 9 

Book Sale and Auction 

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Center for AIDS Services, 5720 Shattuck Ave., Oakland 

This “big” sale will benefit the AIDS center. 

655-3435 

 

 

Tuesday, Oct. 29 

Activate: DJ night 

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

An evening of DJs featuring drum n’ bass music. 

525-5054 

$5 

 

Wednesday, Oct. 30 

Courtableau 

Cajun dance lesson 8 p.m. 

Show 8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Veterans of the Bay Area Cajun/zydeco scene perform classic Cajun dance hall music. 

525-5054 

$8 

 

Thursday, Oct. 31 

Halloween Party with the Venusians 

8 p.m. 

The Venusians are a shamanic trance-dance septet known for their costume-laden, colorful performances. 

525-5054 

$10 

 

Friday, Nov. 1 

Festa Da Bunda 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

This Brazilian “love fest and Penta party” features a Batucada jam with Gary Muzynski of One World Music and others. The night includes a Brazilian soccer team look-alike contest. 

525-5054 

$12 

 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

The Librarians with The Skyflakes and Plain White Ts 

9 p.m. 

Bear’s Lair 

2475 Bancroft Way 

$5 / 21 and over 

 

Vince Black with Root Awakening 

9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Socially conscious reggae classics and original songs. 

525-5054 

$11 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

Workshop and Performance by Akira Tana 

1 to 3 p.m. workshop 

4:30 p.m. concert 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Drummer Akira Tana teaches and performs. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$30-$35 workshop 

$10-$15 performance 

 

CalArts Night of Jazz 

8 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

The first of many collaborations between Jazzschool and CalArts. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

Flamenco Open Stage 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Dancers, guitarists and singers, with a costume exhibit and a sale of flamenco items. 

525-5054 

$8 

 

Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth 

4 p.m. 

Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. 

The renowned singer and pianist will perform classical vocal favorites featuring the music of Brahams, Dvorak and Bartok. 

559-6910 

$10 / 18 and under free 

 

 

“Hunger: What will you do about it?”  

Through Oct. 30  

Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The Civic Center Building 

2180 Milvia St., 5th floor 

Featuring 40 photographs  

by Berkeley artist David Bacon. 

834-3663, Ext. 338,  

uchanse@secondharvest.org 

 

Timoteo Ikoshy Montoya 

Through Nov. 1  

Gathering Tribes Gallery  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Acrylic/air brush paintings  

by this Native American artist.  

528-9038 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alarms and Excursions 

Nov. 15 through Dec. 22 

Aurora Theatre Company,  

2081 Addison St. 

Michael Frayn's comedy about  

the irony of modern technology. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35. 

 

 

Saturday Nov. 9 

Dorothy Allison and Jewelle Gomez appear in support of Boadecia’s Books 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano 

559-9184 

$25, sliding scale 

 

Saturday Nov. 16 

Alice Walker and Brenda Boykin 

appear in support of Boadecia’s Books 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano 

559-9184 

$25, sliding scale 

 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Focus” 

2 to 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St.  

William H. Macy stars in this early 1940’s period piece. 

848-0237 

$2 donation 

 

Thursday, Nov. 7 

“Desert Hearts” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst St. 

A 1950’s lesbian romance featuring Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau. 

 

Friday, Nov. 8 

“El Che” 

7 p.m. 

Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St. 

Film screening followed by salsa dancing to support Berkeley’s Cuban Sister-City Palma Soriano. 

548-6941 

$10 / Sliding scale 

 

“Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times” 

7:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way 

The Middle East Children’s Alliance will premiere a new film by Academy award-nominated documentary filmmaker John Junkerman. 

548-0542 

$15 


Giants wonder ’What if?’

By Ben Walker The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

ANAHEIM — Barry Bonds probably wanted to cry, too. 

Instead, while little Darren Baker wailed, Bonds stared blankly from the dugout as the Anaheim Angels celebrated their first World Series championship. 

“It’s disappointing,” Bonds said after Game 7 Sunday night, “but somebody has to lose.” 

While fans will recall Garret Anderson’s game-breaking hit and rookie John Lackey’s poise in the Angels’ clinching 4-1 victory, this Series is more likely to be portrayed a different way: As the one that slipped away from the San Francisco Giants. 

On Saturday night, they led by five runs in the seventh inning. Manager Dusty Baker already had given pitcher Russ Ortiz a game ball to cherish. The MVP votes were counted, and Bonds stood to be the unanimous winner. 

A few innings later, it was all gone. And by Sunday night, the Angels were holding the things that really mattered. 

Tim Salmon took the Tiffany and Co. trophy around Edison Field for a triumphant lap. 

“It was pretty heavy,” he admitted. 

Center fielder Darin Erstad, who caught Kenny Lofton’s fly for the final out, tried to give the ball to closer Troy Percival. 

“I’m not a big memorabilia guy,” Erstad said. “Percy told me, ’Keep it.”’ 

Troy Glaus won the Series MVP award. 

“It’s a great honor, obviously,” he said. “But we play for the big trophy with the pennants on it, not for these.” 

Glaus and a few other teammates also got together on the field for a quick commercial, shouting, “We’re going to Disneyland!” 

No matter that the amusement park is only a few miles from their ballpark. They’ll be there Tuesday for a victory parade. 

The Giants? They were left clinging to baseball’s saddest lament: “What if?” 

What if Baker had stuck with Ortiz a little longer? What if he’d pitched Kirk Rueter rather than ineffective Livan Hernandez in Game 7? What if he’d started Shawon Dunston instead of overmatched Pedro Feliz at DH in the last game, or chosen anyone besides Tom Goodwin to pinch-hit for Reggie Sanders in a key spot? 

“The game I’ll probably remember most is Game 6, when we had a 5-0 lead. That’s it,” Baker said. 

His 3-year-old son, bat boy Darren, couldn’t contain himself, with tears streaming down his face as his dad carried him from the dugout. 

That’s sure to be one of the enduring images from baseball’s first all wild-card Series. There were others, too: 

— J.T. Snow scooping up Darren Baker to avoid a collision at home plate. 

— Lofton’s bunt dancing down the third-base line, keying a rally that temporarily turned momentum the Giants’ way. 

— David Eckstein’s running to first base after a walk, exemplifying the Angels’ aggressive attitude. Fittingly, his spikes were headed to the Hall of Fame. 

— Sanders’ being bopped in the back by an Anaheim fan’s ThunderStix. 

— 20-year-old Francisco Rodriguez blowing away the Giants with three perfect innings in Game 2, then giving up another huge home run to Bonds in Game 6. 

— The Rally Monkey. 

Bonds put aside his past playoff failures with a monster October, capped by one of the most dominant Series performances of all time. He went 8-for-17 (.471) with four homers and a .700 on-base percentage. 

Overall, he set postseason records with eight home runs and 27 walks in 17 games. 

Yet the ring, the one that Rodriguez will get after only a month in the majors, remains beyond Bonds’ reach. At 38, Bonds has everything else — the home-run record, a batting title and four NL MVPs, with a fifth award certain to come in two weeks. 

Bonds’ bat also is going to the Hall, as is the cap worn by Rodriguez when he became the youngest pitcher to win a Series game. 

After Lofton flied out with two runners on to end it, Bonds could only sit and wonder whether he’d ever get another chance. 

“I went 1-for-3 with a walk, that’s a good day. Am I supposed to go 3-for-3 with three home runs?” Bonds said. “What do you want from me?” 

Bonds watched the Angels party for a moment, then walked down the dugout and picked up his glove. He walked back, tapped his son on the back and exited down the runway. 

“It’s not going to haunt us,” Bonds said later. “We’ll go to spring training and start again.”


Remembering Wellstone’s legacy

Tina Staik Berkeley
Tuesday October 29, 2002

U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone was a man of honor who worked fearlessly to make a difference in the lives of those corporate America has sought to exploit. His death is a great loss to our country, but his life is proof that American democratic ideals are still very much alive – in spite of decades of corporate media distortions manipulating public opinion in the name of corporate profits. 

Democracy does not mean what neo-conservatives and neo-liberals would have us think. Democracy does not equate to free market capitalism and freedom only for corporate elites to make profits without limits, to establish slave markets with unemployment and capital flight practices, to avoid paying taxes, to use any means to silence opposition, to exploit working people/veterans, and to put themselves above the law. 

That's not democracy, people! That’s fascism. 

Only one man in a hundred senators had the courage and passion to genuinely speak out against the obscene abuses of corporate America and the crimes against the citizens – and really mean it – not just for CSPAN cameras! 

Wellstone knew, and we know, regardless what lies fascist right wing think tanks put together – Democracy means a government of, by and for the people, an informed, well educated, involved citizenry – leaving no child behind – and backing it up with actions, not just words. 

In honor of Sen. Wellstone, fellow American Joseph Holder suggests wearing a black armband until the elections to send a strong message to elected officials that we the people want our government to represent and protect us – to once again be, or get on track to, what it is supposed to stand for – a beacon for light, paving the way for democracy, human rights and peace! 

Thank you, Paul Wellstone! Your passion and zeal will be in our hearts, souls and memory forever! 

 

Tina Staik 

Berkeley


Lawyers quarrel over evidence at UC hearings

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday October 29, 2002

Lawyers for the University of California and 32 pro-Palestinian student activists sparred in court Monday over student efforts to block the use of UC police videos, police reports and officers’ testimony in university-run student conduct hearings that could result in student expulsion. 

Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Richman is expected to issue a ruling on the students’ lawsuit in a matter of days. 

The 32 students were among 79 protesters who took over UC Berkeley’s Wheeler Hall April 9, demanding that the nine-campus University of California system divest from Israel. 

In June, the Alameda County District Attorney agreed to drop criminal charges against the activists and consented to a “factual finding of innocence” for all the accused. But the university decided to proceed separately with student conduct charges against the pupils involved in the Wheeler Hall takeover. 

The hearing for the first student, Roberto Hernandez, began Sept. 30 and continued into early-October. But the university put the Hernandez proceeding on hold and stopped scheduling other hearings when the students filed suit Oct. 7. 

The suit argues that, under the terms of the deal with the district attorney, all records of arrest, including videos, reports and even officers’ testimony are under seal and cannot be used in any setting, including a student conduct hearing. 

But UC’s lead attorney Jeffrey Blair argued Monday that the law does not require the university to omit an entire police report or video from a student conduct hearing. The law, he said, only requires the university to omit any direct references to an arrest. 

The university pursued this line of reasoning earlier this month in the Hernandez case. During the second day of hearings, UC replaced the original Hernandez police report with a report that blacked out any direct reference to his arrest. 

But the students’ chief attorney Dan Siegel ridiculed the effort in court Monday, arguing that simply removing the word “arrest” from the police report does not remove the distinct impression that Hernandez was, indeed, arrested. 

Furthermore, Siegel said that the purpose of a “factual finding of innocence” is to erase any trace of an alleged crime and argued that a police report, video and even officers’ testimony should therefore be excluded from the student conduct hearings. 

But Judge Richman, who sharply questioned both lawyers during the hearing, was skeptical of Siegel’s interpretation of the law. 

“You’re not going to persuade me that’s what it means,” he said. 

The lawsuit also charges that the university has violated several of its own rules in conducting the Hernandez hearing – failing to provide a proper hearing committee and unfairly closing the hearing to the public, among other violations. 

“All we’re asking you to do, your honor, is to order the university to follow...its own rules,” Siegel said Monday. 

But Blair argued that the university has abided by all its rules. The university closed the Hernandez hearing, he said, because it heard of student plans to disrupt the proceedings. The university’s code of conduct, he noted, allows for a closed hearing to “preserve order.”  

But Siegel argued that UC cannot shut a hearing based on rumors of disruption. The university can only take action, he said, after an actual disruption has occurred. 

Blair, pointing to a series of previous cases, also argued that Richman does not have the jurisdiction to intervene in the midst of the student conduct charges. 

Unless there is compelling evidence that proceeding with the student conduct hearings will cause “irreparable harm” to the students, Blair said, Richman must let the conduct hearings play out. If there is then evidence of wrongdoing by the university, he said, the court can hear the case. 

Richman said several times that he is reluctant to intervene in this sort of case, fueling university hopes of victory.  

But Siegel argued that it would be wasteful to proceed with 32 hearings that may be flawed, only to end up in court arguing about them once again. Richman suggested that he found Siegel’s argument compelling, stoking student hopes. 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg 

@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

 

 


Key players may leave Giants

By Janie McCauley The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

ANAHEIM — Dusty Baker walked out of the visitors’ clubhouse at Edison Field carrying his 3 1/2-year-old boy, both father and son uncertain of their baseball futures. 

The Giants’ 4-1 loss to Anaheim in Game 7 of the World Series on Sunday night could have been Baker’s final hurrah in a San Francisco uniform, and for some of his key players, too. And as for his son, Darren, baseball officials probably will discuss whether there should be a minimum age for bat boys because of his near accident at home plate in Game 5. 

The Giants were so close to the franchise’s first World Series championship in 48 years. On Saturday, San Francisco held a 5-0 lead in the seventh inning before the Angels launched the biggest comeback ever by a team facing elimination. 

Now that the season is over, the Giants could be different within days. 

Baker, whose contract is up, hoped to hear a lot earlier that the Giants wanted him back. 

“I don’t know right now,” he said after finishing his 10th season as Giants manager. “My gut right now, it’s just heavy.” 

The 53-year-old Baker, who took the Giants to their first World Series since 1989, said early in the playoffs that he did not intend to “break the bank” — meaning the $6 million a year Joe Torre got from the Yankees — “but I want to be near the bank.” 

Many managerial jobs have already been filled, but there still remain attractive openings with Seattle and the Chicago Cubs. 

Baker isn’t the only Giant who could be leaving. Second baseman Jeff Kent must decide whether to leave San Francisco as a free agent. 

And general manager Brian Sabean will be awaiting a call from owner Peter Magowan to work out a new deal. Magowan is leaving the managerial decision to the GM. 

If Baker leaves, it would be the end of an era that began when he arrived in San Francisco before the 1993 season. He led the Giants to 103 wins his first year — but they didn’t make the playoffs. 

The Giants won the NL West in 1997 and 2000, but didn’t win a playoff series until his team knocked off Atlanta and St. Louis to reach the World Series this year. 

The likable Baker would be missed for the way he handled personalities in the clubhouse, allowed players’ sons to run around the dugout and for his friendly interaction with fan


The mysterious letter

Ruth Michaels Berkeley
Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

In your weekend, Oct. 26-27 edition I read about the “mysterious letter” that Kriss Worthington received accusing him of “siding with anti-Jewish and-anti Israel forces.” I was shocked at this denouncement of a truly decent, honorable and courageous man who authored hate crime legislation here in Berkeley. To make just one point: It is true that the Palestinian protest came on Holocaust Remembrance Day. However, what the letter omitted was that on that day Kriss participated in Hillel's 24-hour reading of the names of Holocaust victims. 

 

Ruth Michaels 

Berkeley 

 


Auditor uncovers easy re-election bid

By Matthew Artz Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday October 29, 2002

For a woman who spends most of her working hours crunching numbers, Ann-Marie Hogan doesn’t have to spend much time handicapping her election prospects. 

With no competition, the two-term city auditor is virtually guaranteed to continue reviewing city finances after Nov. 5. 

While getting into the nitty gritty of city fiscal matters may not excite most Berkeley residents, Hogan says it’s her calling. 

“It’s really fascinating to live in a city for 34 years and then find out how the city works behind the scenes,” she said. 

Hogan, an accountant who graduated from UC Berkeley in 1982, along with a staff of 15, review city programs and departments to make sure that they run cost-effectively and that the city does not lose money it might be owed. 

Some of her findings have led to unexpected windfalls. 

Hogan estimates that her audits of city businesses and whether they’ve properly paid their dues to the city has thus far uncovered $1.9 million in previously unreported revenue for Berkeley. 

 

All people doing business in Berkeley are required to apply for a business license and pay a portion of revenue to the city, but between 10 and 12 percent of city contractors underreport their revenue, she said. 

“It’s surprising how much less they report to us,” she said. 

Business owners aren’t the only people Hogan has caught skimping. 

She also noted a recent audit found between 26 and 31 percent of city landlords fail to apply for a city business license even though all landlords who rent more than three units are required to do so. 

Hogan said her independence is the key to effectively getting at the core of city operations. 

Because city auditor is an elected position, Hogan is not beholden to either City Council or the city manager. She has ultimate authority over what departments and programs are audited but has decided to form a five-person commission with two council members to determine future studies. 

Hogan, though, has no power to enforce any of her findings and must ask council and the city manager to follow through on her recommendations. 

In addition to tightening up business licenses, Hogan said she has won city support to help city departments run more efficiently. 

A police staffing audit performed this year investigated ways to free up more uniformed officers to patrol city streets. 

Hogan said she researched other police departments and recommended that several police department desk jobs, including budget and technology assignments go to civilians instead of high-priced lieutenants. 

“The cost savings are enormous, when you factor in benefits and salaries for any police position that you can replace with a civilian,” she said. 

Without a competitor or a central campaign issue, Hogan is making outreach her number one goal. “I want to reach out to young people and show them that this is really interesting.” 

 

Contact reporter at matt@berkeleydailyplanet.net 


Fox suspended six games; Christie two for Friday’s Lakers-Kings fight

By Chris Sheridan The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

NEW YORK — Rick Fox was suspended for six games, Doug Christie was banished for two, and every member of the Sacramento Kings who left the bench during a fight with the Los Angeles Lakers got off scot-free. 

In a surprising ruling Monday by NBA vice president Stu Jackson, the Sacramento Kings were not punished as badly as they may have expected for their part in a bench-clearing brawl during the first quarter of an exhibition game at Los Angeles last Friday. 

Jackson ruled that because the players left the bench to join a fracas in a hallway underneath the stands, rather than on the court, they would not receive the customary one-game suspension for that offense. 

“This is not a new precedent at all,” Jackson said in a conference call with reporters. “In the end we felt this case was very unusual, a special case.” 

Fox and Christie will miss their season openers Tuesday, although Fox will be allowed to attend the Lakers’ ring ceremony prior to their game against San Antonio.


Protecting the waterfront

Norman La Force Berkele
Tuesday October 29, 2002

The Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, Golden Gate Audubon, and the Citizens for the Eastshore State Park urge a yes vote on Measure N to protect Berkeley's waterfront from massive development. 

In 1986, Berkeley voters passed Measure Q, which limited development on the waterfront lands then owned by Santa Fe Railroad to 565,000 square feet. Santa Fe eventually sold 80 percent of its waterfront lands to the state for the new Eastshore State Park. Santa Fe has since sold Magna Entertainment Corporation the remaining 20 percent of the land. 

Because only 20 percent of the original land is now in private hands, development should be accordingly limited to 20 percent of the original total or about 115,000 square feet. Magna, however, has proposed a huge waterfront development of up 300,000 to 400,000 square feet. It is unclear how the limits of Measure Q apply to the smaller parcel. 

Measure N is designed to clarify this situation by creating a mechanism for the city to amend Measure Q to reduce the amount of development allowed, consistent with protecting the landowner's constitutional rights. Measure N will also ensure that any planning for these lands is done through a community planning process which will guarantee that Berkeley residents have a direct say in any development plans. 

Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean, and the entire City Council support Measure N.  

 

Norman La Force 

Berkeley 

 


Judge delays Reddy sentence decision

By Matthew Artz Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday October 29, 2002

A U.S. District Court Judge indefinitely postponed a decision Monday on whether to reduce the sentence of wealthy Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy, who was imprisoned for his role in smuggling Indian girls into the country for sex and cheap labor. 

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken was to hear arguments from prosecutors and defense attorneys, both of whom are calling for her to cut two years off Reddy’s eight-year prison sentence. Instead of a hearing, however, she called on both sides to present additional written evidence, which will likely delay a final ruling until the beginning of next year. 

Defendants and prosecutors agree that Reddy’s 2001 trial was marred by a revelation they say is grounds for a lighter sentence. In October 2001, four months after Reddy was sentenced to 97 months in prison, prosecutors found that Uma Rao, the court-appointed interpreter had encouraged prosecution witnesses to embellish their stories of Reddy’s abuse. 

In a court paper filed Sept. 18, Reddy attorney Ted Cassman and U.S. Attorney Stephen Corrigan asked Judge Wilken to “correct” the sentence by reducing the sentence to 78 months. 

 

Judge Wilken, however, wrote in an order filed on Oct. 17 that she was not inclined to reduce the sentence given the current evidence of the interpreter’s misdeeds. 

She gave defense attorneys until Nov. 16 to present new evidence to support a shorter sentence. She also asked prosecutors to address whether they think that, in light of the interpreter’s actions, U.S. law requires the sentence be reduced. 

This is not the first instance in the Reddy case of the judge butting heads with trial attorneys. 

During the original sentencing in June 2001 prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to a plea-bargain with a six-year sentence, but U.S. District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong ruled that the sentence was too light and added two years. Armstrong removed herself from the case last year. 

Protesters opposed to reducing Reddy’s sentence stood outside the Oakland Federal Building Monday. The said they were heartened that Wilken was requiring further evidence and instead saved their wrath for the Prosecutor Stephen Corrigan. 

“It’s as if he’s on the other side,” said Diana Russell, a member of Berkeley-based Women Against Sexual Slavery. 

Reddy’s brother and sister-in-law Jayaprakash and Annapurna Lakireddy, have pleaded guilty to visa fraud, but neither is serving prison time. Reddy’s son Vijay Lakireddy pleaded guilty to one count of visa fraud and is awaiting sentencing, while Reddy’s younger son, Prasad Lakireddy will go to trial in January on charges of illegally importing girls to the country for “immoral purposes.” 

 

Contact reporter at matt 

@berkeleydailyplanet.net


Dean endorsing Weinberg?

Rob Wrenn Berkeley
Tuesday October 29, 2002

n the 7th District City Council race (Daily Planet, Oct. 26-27), Mayor Shirley Dean has discredited herself by endorsing an obviously unqualified 18-year-old candidate. 

Micki Weinberg has no experience or track record dealing with housing, development, traffic, crime, or other local issues. Prior to becoming a candidate, he had never attended any neighborhood meetings. 

By contrast, Kriss Worthington has an excellent record of working to improve neighborhood quality of life. To give a few examples: Kriss has worked effectively with Bateman neighbors to deal with the impacts of Alta Bates expansion. In the LeConte neighborhood, where I live, he helped us get more street lights to improve safety, traffic circles to slow down traffic, and limits on truck traffic on residential streets. He is a responsive and accessible council member. 

Kriss has supported the draft Southside Plan and its policies calling for more housing for students close to the UC campus. Micki Weinberg has not been involved in Southside planning meetings or student lobbying for more housing. Kriss supported building housing at the long-vacant Berkeley Inn site at Telegraph Avenu and Haste Street; unfortunately Mayor Dean worked to block that project.  

If Micki Weinberg is really interested in local politics, he should follow the example set by fellow student Andy Katz, who is running for council in the 8th District. Katz, a graduate student, has spent four years becoming familiar with Berkeley and learning the nuts and bolts of Berkeley politics. He has a track record of working on positive initiatives like the Class Pass transit pass, the Rental Housing Safety Program, and the 1999 ASUC Housing Summit. Katz is also a member of the Zoning Adjustments Board and has a working knowledge of zoning and development issues. Katz has the kind of experience and qualifications that Weinberg clearly lacks. 

So why is Shirley Dean supporting Micki Weinberg? Is it a cynical ploy to win student votes for herself by supporting “the student candidate”? Is it a further example of the mayor's intense partisanship and inability to get along with other council members? Or is it just bad judgement? 

 

Rob Wrenn 

Berkeley


Student gunman kills three

Tuesday October 29, 2002

TUCSON, Ariz. — A student flunking out of the University of Arizona nursing school shot three of his professors to death Monday, then killed himself as dozens of terrified students rushed to get away. 

Police said Robert Flores Jr., 41, specifically targeted the instructors, killing one in her office on the second floor and shooting the others in a fourth-floor classroom as students dove for cover. Flores told students in the room to leave and was later found dead by officers searching the school. 

Students who were in the classroom said Flores entered carrying a gun. He approached instructor Cheryl McGaffic in the front of the room and told her “he was going to give her a lesson in spirituality,” witness Laura Kelley said. 

McGaffic taught ethics at the nursing school and had studied the relationship between health and spiritually in seriously ill patients. 

Flores shot McGaffic, 44, in the chest, then shot her two more times as she lay on the ground, witnesses said. 

Flores then walked to the back of the room and shot instructor Barbara Monroe, 45, as she lay curled behind a desk. 

“He asked her if she was ready to meet her maker,” said Gena Johnson, another student. “She said ’Yes,’ and then he shot her once and then twice more.” 

Police identified the third victim as Robin E. Rogers, 50. All the victims were Flores’ instructors, Police Chief Richard Miranda said. 

Bomb squad members were called in after a backpack or package was found underneath the gunman’s body. The suspect had threatened to blow up the building, though it was unclear when the threat was made, police said. The college and nearby buildings were evacuated but no explosives were found. 

Officials said he had been carrying five handguns and at least 200 rounds of ammunition. 

“It’s too soon to say why he committed this terrible deed,” Miranda said. “We have determined that there are many issues in Mr. Flores’ life, all of which are a factor.” 

University Vice Provost Elizabeth Irvin said Flores had failed a pediatric nursing class and was struggling in a critical care class. 

Campus police also said a university staff member filed a report in April 2001 saying “Flores conveyed to staff he was depressed and may take action against the college of medicine.” Police attempted to contact Flores at the time but it wasn’t know whether they had been successful. 

Flores, a Gulf War veteran, worked until September at the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System as a licensed practical nurse, and was studying to become a registered nurse, officials said.


Legal battle continues to rage over Bonds’ ball

By Chris Togneri Special to the Daily Planet
Tuesday October 29, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO – While most Giants’ fans lamented their team’s heartbreaking loss in Sunday’s seventh and deciding game of the World Series, two others continued their legal battle yesterday over possession of a baseball hit last year by Barry Bonds.  

The ball, which sailed into the packed right field arcade for Bonds’ 73rd homerun of the season and set a Major League record, is estimated to be worth more than one million dollars. 

Alex Popov, 38, the owner of Berkeley restaurant Smart Alec’s, claims that he caught the ball, only to lose it in a violent pileup last year at Pac Bell Park on Oct. 7. Patrick Hayashi, 37, a former Silicon Valley worker, emerged from the scrum with the keepsake. Hayashi says Popov dropped it, and that he then found it lying on the ground. 

And so the battle over Bond’s ball continued yesterday in San Francisco before Superior Court Judge Kevin McCarthy, who will decide the ownership of what may be the world’s most valuable piece of cork wound in cowhide. 

The morning session focused on the testimony of two witnesses, Jeff Hacker, 50, of Palo Alto, and Byron Roethler, 29, from Fremont. Both men were at the game and both ended up in the pile of human bodies scrambling for the baseball. 

“I couldn’t move, and I was on top of Mr. Popov so I guess he couldn’t move either,” Hacker testified. “I recall my hands and knees being squashed. It hurt very much.” 

A key piece of evidence, a video of the incident filmed by KNTV cameraman Josh Keppel, clearly shows the ball landing in Popov’s mitt as he is engulfed by the crowd. Hacker and Roethler both testified to seeing the ball in Popov’s outstretched glove.  

At issue is whether Popov ever had control of the ball. 

In the video, the ball hits the webbing of Popov’s glove, then appears precariously perched at the tip of the glove, before Popov drops out of the camera’s view. How he lost the ball is unclear. 

At Major League baseball games, it is a long-standing tradition that fans keep any ball hit into the crowd. It is also common, the witnesses said, for the fan making first contact with the ball to lose possession and for a mad scramble for the souvenir to ensue. 

“More often than not, the first fan to touch the ball does not hold onto it,” said Roethler, who claimed to have attended hundreds of games in his life and watched thousands on television. “It usually gets away and rolls on the ground. Then the fans all go for it. But once a person gets it and shows possession, the fans back off.” 

Holding the ball in the air for others to see, Roethler said, usually establishes possession. When asked by defense attorney Michael Lee if he had ever tried to take a ball from someone after the fan had held it up, Roethler said no. “I’d consider that stealing,” he said. 

Through further questioning of the witness, Lee reiterated the defense’s argument that rather than Hayashi stealing the ball, Popov had simply dropped it. 

 

“Did you see any hitting going on in the pile?” Lee asked. 

“No,” said Roethler.  

“Was the crowd violent?” Lee asked. 

“No,” said Roethler. “I was actually quite surprised at how civil the crowd was, given the circumstances. There was no violence. It was very jovial. Everyone was excited about the situation.” 

Hacker also said that the crowd had not been violent. He added that when Hayashi had held up the ball, Popov congratulated him. 

“Once I was able to get on my hands and knees and look around, I saw [Hayashi] holding the ball and looking at it in a rather quizzical way,” Hacker said. “Popov saw him and appeared to say, ‘Dude, you got the ball!’ Then they high-fived. He looked happy, so I thought they had come together.” 

Popov and his lawyers, however, maintained that Popov had the ball first, and lost it only after being attacked by a “mob.” 

“You had all these people acting in accord. It was a mob mentality,” said Popov’s lawyer Martin Triano during a break outside the courtroom. “There was nothing jovial about this scene. It was a case of last man standing, but the property law in California does not say you have to survive a mugging to claim what is yours.” 

Popov added that by granting ownership of the ball to Hayashi, the judge would be setting a precedent that would make being a baseball fan a potentially dangerous endeavor. 

“This is a moral argument,” he said. “What is proper fan behavior? The games should be played at a place where friends and family can safely enjoy the experience of catching a baseball.” 

With the trial now in its second week, it is still unclear how the rules of baseball possession will be legally defined. It is certain, however, that after the Giant’s narrow World Series defeat, one of the two men will suffer a second, heartbreaking loss.  

When asked which would be a bigger disappointment – losing the ball, or losing the championship – Popov said the ball. 

“I love the Giants,” he said. “But the Giants always have another season. There’s only one ball.”  


Fans welcome Giants home

Tuesday October 29, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — A homecoming for the San Francisco Giants players and some of their most stalwart fans Monday briefly brought Pacific Bell Park to life one last time this season. 

Fans filled the lower deck of the ballpark from dugout to dugout and cheered for several minutes as Giants players stood in street clothes near the pitcher's mound. 

Jon Miller, the play-by-play announcer for the Giants' television broadcasts, worked the crowd and introduced the World Series losers, saying, “They need some love.” 

The appreciative fans who made it to the ballpark Monday wanted to savor a few more minutes of a season that surpassed the expectations of most. 

Susan Lallo, who lives in Campbell, drove through the night to make it to Monday's rally after spending Saturday and Sunday in Anaheim for games six and seven of the series,  

“In one way I'm happy, but I'm also sad because it's all over,” she said. 

Lallo attended all three World Series games in San Francisco and was dressed in an orange Giants jersey and ball cap this afternoon. 

Like any true fan, she dismissed the Anaheim Angel's supporters and scoffed at their knowledge of the game. 

“They're just bandwagon people,” she said. 

On the field, Miller introduced Kirk Rueter, Kenny Lofton and Rich Aurlia, who stepped to the microphone and in turn told the faithful that they'll get 'em next year. 

“This is the most fun I've had in a long time,” Rueter said. “I know we came up one game short, but were going to try to get that game next year.” 

There was neither sight nor mention of Barry Bonds, the team's star who led the league in hitting this season.  

Second baseman Jeff Kent was also absent, as were several other players who Giants' officials said did not fly back to San Francisco on the team plane and did not make it to the hastily-planned consolation gathering. 

In a mark of the event's lack of polish, the difference between the winners and losers of the World Series, the marching band and color guard from Fairfield High School in Solano County were assembled on the baseball diamond, the first line of the color guard holding aloft large sparkling letters that spelled the word “Fairfield.” 

But the fans didn't seem to notice. They were there to continue to stand behind their team. 

Dana Coffin, a San Bruno man, said he was not disappointed that the Giants did not win the series. 

“This whole month has been like a Mister Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland,” he said. 

Miller, at the microphone, turned to the ancients to try to bring the Giants' run to the World Series into perspective. 

“As the philosopher said, 'Gaze upon it, remember it, for you may not see its like again.” 

After the 20-minute ceremony ended and the cluster of players filed onto waiting buses, many fans remained in the stands with nothing to see but the grounds crew tarping over the pitcher's mound and home plate. 

Some milled around the home dugout hoping to catch a last glimpse of a Giants player, some sat in the sunshine warming the seats on the third base line. 

The season was over in defeat, but the fans did not want to quit the park.


Judge says sound blasts hurts whales

By Karen Gaudette The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has ordered the National Science Foundation and several research institutions to stop mapping the ocean floor along the Gulf of California using intense blasts of sound, saying that practice likely has harmed whales. 

U.S. District Judge James Larsen sided Monday with conservationists from the Center for Biological Diversity, ruling that high intensity sonic blasts used for seismic research have disrupted marine life in the vicinity. 

Scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography estimate the airguns aboard the R/V Maurice Ewing research vessel can generate up to 263 decibels, said Brendan Cummings, counsel for the conservation center. 

Larsen noted that the U.S. Navy considers sounds above 180 decibels to be potentially harmful to marine mammals. 

Larsen ordered such aspects of a $1.6 million research project to end immediately.


Documents released naming Davis in fund-raising case

By Alexa H. Bluth The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

SACRAMENTO — A federal judge ordered the release Monday of documents from a decade-old racketeering case in which a convicted felon implicated Gov. Gray Davis in a bribery scheme in a failed attempt to win a lighter sentence. 

Dismissed by Davis aides as tales concocted by an ex-con, the release came eight days before voters go to the polls to choose between Davis and Republican Bill Simon, who has made attacks on the governor’s fund-raising practices a centerpiece of his campaign. 

Former Coastal Commissioner Mark Nathanson named Davis, then state controller, in two letters submitted by his attorneys to prosecutors in 1993 and 1994 as part of an unsuccessful attempt to cut a more favorable deal after pleading guilty to racketeering, tax fraud and soliciting bribes. 

The charges against Nathanson stemmed from an investigation that began with an FBI undercover probe of alleged vote-buying in the Legislature and also resulted in convictions or guilty pleas from five sitting or former lawmakers. 

Nathanson was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison and fined $200,000. Prosecutors said Nathanson solicited money from celebrities, developers and others in exchange for help getting projects approved by the powerful commission that regulates development along the coast. 

The Sacramento Bee had sought full release of the letters for two years. Until now they’ve been released only in censored form. But the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the release three weeks ago when the high court refused to hear an appeal. 

The letters were unsealed Monday by Sacramento-based U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton. 

In 2001, Karlton said there was “absolutely no reason to believe that the accusations ... are true,” that they “contain no newsworthy information” and that the letters would unjustly damage the reputation of the high public official — now revealed as Davis — named in them. 

Davis attended swearing-in ceremonies in Los Angeles for new Police Chief William Bratton Monday, but left without taking questions from reporters.


Repair fraud examined

By Louise Chu The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

SACRAMENTO — Insurance companies, currently fighting lawsuits that accuse them of defrauding consumers with shoddy auto parts, were challenged by the Senate Insurance Committee Monday to comply with California’s own auto repair fraud investigation. 

The state Bureau of Automotive Repair claims a number of insurance companies, including Allstate Insurance Co., Farmers Group Inc. and State Farm Insurance Cos., have failed to cooperate with its request for documents related to cases in which auto body repair shops have been found to engage in alleged insurance fraud. 

Insurance Commissioner Harry Low reported that more than 80 percent of insurance companies have failed to comply with the requests. Many of those companies, led by State Farm, contend the agency doesn’t have the authority to request those documents. 

“It is hard for me to understand why an insurer would not want to help the state stop insurance fraud,” said Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Daly City, the committee’s chairwoman. 

BAR, which operates under the state Department of Consumer Affairs, registers and regulates about 34,000 California auto repair shops and also licenses smog check, lamp and brake inspection stations.


Shocked venture capitalists shy away from new risks

By Michael Liedtke The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

SAN FRANCISCO — With losses from their high-rolling days still piling up, shellshocked venture capitalists continued to shun new risks in this year’s third quarter, dropping the industry’s investment activity to a 4 1/2-year low, according to a report to be released Tuesday. 

Venture capitalists invested $4.48 billion in startups during the period ending Sept. 30, the weakest quarter since the first three months of 1998, according to a survey compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Venture Economics and the National Venture Capital Association. 

This year’s third quarter represented a 48 percent decrease from the same time last year, when venture capitalists poured $8.68 billion into startups, the report said. 

It also marked the ninth consecutive quarter in which venture capitalists curtailed their investments from the preceding three-month period. 

The reasons for the downturn have remained largely unchanged since the Internet gold rush turned into a financial blood bath during the spring of 2000. 

As the stock market began to turn a cold shoulder to dot-coms and other high-tech businesses, venture capitalists found themselves stuck with unprofitable startups that no one else wanted. 

Meanwhile, even promising startups are finding it increasingly difficult to find customers interested in spending heavily on technology, further reducing their chances of survival and saddling venture capitalists with the worst losses in the industry’s history. 

“We all have had a very cold shower,” said Bob Grady, a venture capitalist with the Carlyle Group. 

Most venture capitalists and analysts believe the industry’s investments will dwindle even more in the next few quarters. 

“We haven’t seen the end of the decline,” said Robert “Robin” Bellas, a general partner with Morganthaler Ventures. “My gut feeling is that this won’t stop until we get down to $2.5 billion to $3 billion per quarter.” 

Venture capitalists have responded to the adversity by shoveling more money into the best startups in their existing portfolios and investing less in new opportunities. 

The number of startups that received their first infusion of venture capital during the third quarter totaled 159, the lowest number in nearly eight years, according to the report. 

Back in the heyday of dot-coms in late 1999 and early 2000, nearly 1,000 startups per quarter were getting their first dose of venture capital. 

“Caution certainly seems to be the word of the day,” said John Taylor, research director for the National Venture Capital Association. 

The wariness is causing venture capitalists to shy away from the industry’s traditional high-tech stronghold.


Stocks fall on profit-taking

By Hope Yen The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

NEW YORK — Wall Street pulled back Monday, its second decline in three sessions, as investors succumbed to profit-taking in the absence of significant earnings news. 

The main indexes fluctuated between advances and losses for much of the day as investors gauged whether the market could build on three weeks of strong gains. Traders also were hesitant to commit to stocks while they awaited key economic reports due out later in the week. 

“The market is apparently taking a little bit of a breather here,” said Charles G. Crane, strategist for Victory SBSF Capital Management. “There were no particularly important economic statistics released today. We got through the bulk of the earnings season. 

“So I think investors came into work today thinking what might happen with the elections next week and what has happened with the market the last three weeks,” he said. 

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 75.95, or 0.9 percent, to close at 8,368.04, having gained 1.5 percent last week. Earlier in the day, the blue chips were up as much as 87 points.


Report calls for focus on fishing management

By Robert Jablon The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

LOS ANGELES — Overfishing of the world’s seas may be causing a ripple effect that can devastate the ecosystems on which future catches depend, according to a study released Monday. 

“The overwhelming weight of evidence from available fishing data points to the severe, dramatic and sometimes irreversible consequences of fishing on marine ecosystems,” said the report released at an oceans conference in Santa Barbara. 

The report calls on the United States to protect ecosystems by comprehensively zoning waters for industrial, commercial fishing or recreational uses rather than making piecemeal closures of certain fishing grounds. 

The report comes on the heels of last week’s decision by the California Fish and Game Commission to declare 130 square miles of ocean around the Channel Islands off-limits to fishing, beginning next year. The ban aims to protect individual marine species by preserving their entire ecosystem. 

In the past, state officials had attempted to do that by setting size or catch limits or enacting seasonal closures. 

The report for the Pew Oceans Commission took a comprehensive look at other studies of fishing. Worldwide, 25 percent to 30 percent of all fish stocks currently being caught are being overfished to some degree and another 40 percent is at risk of soon being overexploited, the report said, citing a 1999 study. 

A report to Congress last year from the National Marine Fisheries Service found that about one-third of the 304 U.S. fishing stocks for which the status was known were being overfished, the study. 

“Even populations that show no immediate impact from being fished may (through their loss) cause disproportionate declines in abundance of species that forage upon them,” the report said. 

Global overfishing is masked somewhat because new technology allows fishermen to go after previously unreachable fish and because, as one species declines, commercial fishers turn to other ones lower down on the food chain, the report said. 

Current fishing procedures also destroy important habitat where fish breed and grow up, such as corals, seagrasses and sponge beds, the study said. 

In addition, fishing can decimate populations of seabirds, turtles, sharks and other species that are caught inadvertently. 

“For centuries, we have viewed the oceans as an infinite resource beyond our capacity to harm. We now know that this is not true,” Leon Panetta, chairman of the Pew Oceans Commission, said in a statement. 

The study concluded that the United States needs to overhaul its fishing laws, which it called cumbersome and unenforceable, to concentrate on protecting ecosystems rather than single species.


Bush blamed for salmon kill

By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

EUREKA — Representatives of coastal fishing communities and Indian tribes on Monday laid the blame for the massive Klamath River salmon kill on low water controlled by the federal government. 

The representatives aimed their comments at the Bush administration. Representatives of the federal agencies declined invitations to take part in a hearing before a California legislative committee. 

“We couldn’t get people at the federal level to take action to resolve this issue before it became a terrible tragedy,” Humboldt County Supervisor Jimmy Smith told the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture. 

The hearing was intended to gather information on what caused an estimated 33,000 salmon to die since late September in the lower 40 miles of the Klamath River. It was also meant to explore the economic and social impacts of the die-off for the North Coast and Indian tribes. 

Environmentalists, fishermen and Indian tribes along the river flowing from south central Oregon through northwest California blame low water levels for the fish kill. 

But there are others, including groups representing Klamath Basin farmers, who argue there is no proof low water contributed to the kill. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating. 

The kill has focused new attention on the Bush administration’s efforts to balance water from the Klamath Reclamation Project between farms and fish protected by the Endangered Species Act. 

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin, members of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, and leaders of the Yurok, Hoopa and Karuk tribes said the federal government had failed to meet its obligations to sustain salmon runs in the Klamath Basin while creating a 10-year operations plan for the Klamath Project. 

“How many years of this 10-year plan can we sustain before the fishery is gone?” asked Thompson. “We lost 30 percent this year.” 

Strom-Martin, D-Duncan Mills, who called the Monday hearing, faulted the Bush administration for restoring full irrigation deliveries last summer to the 235,000 acres of farmland in the Klamath Project while reducing water flows for salmon in the Klamath River. 

“To really fix this problem, we need a new president,” she said. “I believe their agenda is set. The purpose of this committee is rallying together to come up with a strategic action plan to deal with this problem.” 

Sue Masten, chairman of the Yurok Tribe, said, “We would not be here today if the federal government had lived up to its tribal trust obligations.” 

Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Jeff McCracken defended the agency’s decision not to attend the Monday hearing. 

“It’s still premature to determine the outcome of this mortality and we are simply awaiting the biologists to finalize their findings before we can move forward,” he said, adding that the invitation was made informally and on short notice. “It was an administration decision.”


To Alaskans, ’environmentalist’ is pejorative, not adjective

By Sean Cockerham The Associated Press
Tuesday October 29, 2002

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Harry Crawford is an ironworker with a deep-fried Southern drawl and pro-union politics. It is difficult to imagine him hugging a tree. 

But Crawford, an incumbent state representative from East Anchorage, is spending much of his re-election effort trying to convince voters that he is not bent on trying to stifle development in Alaska. 

“I believe I’ve had to explain it 100 times at the door,” said the first-term Democrat, who tells voters he has lobbied hard to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development. 

Crawford is one of many Democratic candidates in Alaska — including gubernatorial candidate Fran Ulmer — who have come under fire for having the support of environmentalists. 

Tom Atkinson, executive director of Alaska Conservation Voters, said he has never seen so much anti-environmentalist election talk in his 31 years in Alaska. 

Two Alaska heads of environmental groups, Deborah Williams and Jim Ayers, were even called “enemies of Alaska” in a recent advertisement that linked them to Ulmer. 

And the label “extreme environmental groups” seems to be on the lips of Republican candidates statewide. A television ad for Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, uses the language. 

Republican Art Nelson, Crawford’s opponent for the East Anchorage state House seat, has also used the language in a campaign advertisement, and said it resonates with voters who are tired of groups that seem opposed to all development in Alaska.


Poll finds opposition to pot

Tuesday October 29, 2002

LAS VEGAS — A poll of likely Nevada voters shows most have made up their minds on two controversial state ballot initiatives, with large margins opposing a measure to legalize marijuana and supporting a ban on gay marriage. 

Only 4 percent of 625 people responding to the statewide poll for the Las Vegas Review-Journal said they had not yet made up their minds on Question 9 or Question 2 on next week’s ballot. 

The poll found 60 percent against Question 9, which would legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana by adults, while 36 percent said they favored the initiative and 4 percent said they were undecided. 

Sixty percent said they support Question 2, which would make the existing statutory definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman part of the Nevada Constitution. Thirty-six percent said they were opposed and 4 percent were undecided. 

The telephone poll was conducted for the Review-Journal and reviewjournal.com by Washington, D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc. The sampling error margin was 4 percentage points. 

The survey, taken two weeks before the election and reported by the Review-Journal on Monday, found support for the marijuana initiative continuing to erode since polls taken in July and August. 

The question of whether Nevada should decriminalize marijuana has captured national attention, and brought federal drug czar John Walters to the state twice to rally opposition. 

In August, 55 percent of likely voters said they opposed Question 9, while 40 percent said they backed the measure, and 5 percent were undecided. That poll also had a sampling error margin of 4 percentage points. 

In July, 44 percent said they favored decriminalizing pot, while 46 percent were opposed. 

“As people figured out what it was all about, support started going down,” said Brad Coker, Mason-Dixon managing director. “People don’t want legal pot.” 

The initiative would compel the state to set up a system to cultivate, sell, tax and distribute marijuana. Low-cost marijuana also would be made available for the 200 people in the state who now can grow marijuana plants for medical reasons. 

To change the state constitution, the initiative must be approved on Nov. 5 and again in 2004. 

Billy Rogers, director of Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, the group that collected signatures to get the initiative on the ballot, said his own surveys and other polls put the question much closer. 

“I am not saying we are ahead,” Rogers said, “but we are only slightly behind.” 

Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement is an offshoot of the Marijuana Policy Project of Washington, D.C., which has funneled about $1.6 million into the campaign to legalize marijuana in Nevada. 

Sandy Heverly, executive director of Stop DUI in Nevada and a leading opponent of the marijuana initiative, called the new poll good news. 

“We have been pounding the pavement,” Heverly said. “It is all very encouraging.” 

Women oppose Question 9 at a much higher rate than men, according to the survey.


North Bay protesters still critical after accident

Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

SAN FRANCISCO — Two anti-war demonstrators from the North Bay remained in critical condition and on life support in San Francisco General Hospital Monday following a tragic accident in the Broadway Tunnel Saturday morning. 

Diana Canning, of Sebastopol and Tony Hernandez, of Marin County, apparently were riding in a converted, double-decker school bus with their heads protruding through a skylight when they were struck by a concrete overhang at the end of the tunnel. They were among about 25 people en route to a demonstration in San Francisco against a possible war with Iraq.  

Peter Fisk, of Camp Meeker in Sonoma County, who also was a passenger in the school bus that had a Volkswagen bus with skylights welded to the top, said hospital officials told him Monday that Canning is stable and in critical condition, and that Hernandez is in critical condition. 

Fisk said Hernandez was more seriously injured and that Canning was conscious after the accident. 

Several children, including Canning's son, remained seated while they were riding with Hernandez and Canning, and one of them asked them to sit down for safety reasons while passing through the tunnel, Fisk said. The children are received counseling Monday, Fisk said. 

The bus pulled over to a market in Chinatown for help when it exited the tunnel, Fisk said. The accident covered several other riders in blood.  

The Sonoma County Center for Peace and Justice chartered at least two buses to take demonstrators to San Francisco, and the double-decker bus was made available by its owner to transport additional passengers, according to Gary Melrose, president of the center's Board of Directors. 

“We grieve for those involved in this tragedy that took place. Our community is concerned and in pain. Our hearts go out to the family and friends affected by this,” Melrose said.


Doctors uncertain when separated twins can return to Guatemala

Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

LOS ANGELES — Doctors are uncertain when twin girls born joined at the head and separated during a marathon surgery will be able to return home to Guatemala, a hospital spokeswoman said Monday. 

Maria de Jesus and Maria Teresa Quiej Alvarez were expected to fly home with their parents this week. Instead, doctors at Mattel Children’s Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles, postponed their return. 

“Everybody was so disappointed when we got the news they weren’t able to go back but we certainly don’t want to rush them if it’s not in their best interest,” said Cris Embleton, director of Healing the Children, the group that arranged the surgery. 

Maria de Jesus underwent surgery last week to cover a quarter-sized wound with a skin graft. 

On Sunday, when doctors removed the dressing covering her scalp, they found the graft had taken over all but a sliver of the wound, said UCLA plastic surgeon Dr. Henry Kawamoto Jr. 

Doctors will continue to clean and monitor her wound for the next several days before judging whether she is ready to leave the hospital with her twin Maria Teresa and their parents. 

Initially, it was Maria Teresa who lagged in recovering from the Aug. 6, 23-hour surgery because of follow-up operations. 

The girls were born in rural Guatemala, but will live, at least initially, in Guatemala City after returning home. There, the 15-month-old girls face follow-up surgeries to gradually stretch their scalps to eliminate the skin grafts and allow them to grow full heads of hair.


Peace rally draws huge crowd

By Judith Scherr
Monday October 28, 2002

Tens of thousands of protesters filled downtown San Francisco streets Saturday, demanding that President George Bush stop preparations for a war against Iraq. 

With a crowd estimated by police at 42,000 and organizers at 100,000, protesters, who began their march at Justin Herman Plaza, took more than three hours to file into Civic Center Plaza. Among the demonstrators were veterans of the Vietnam War and related protests; youth sporting Mohawks and piercings; labor, environmental and gay-lesbian-transgender activists; public officials and candidates for office; socialists, anarchists and Greens; families with kids on their backs, in strollers and riding their parents’ wheelchairs. There were Muslim women wearing traditional veils, Nation of Islam men with bow ties, Jewish men with yarmulkes and nuns in jeans and blue T-shirts. 

 

People came from as far as San Diego, Tucson, and Seattle and carried signs with serious messages, such as “hate makes terrorists,” and “collateral damage has a face,” referring to those innocents who will be killed in a war with Iraq, along with more subtle statements such as “regime change begins at home,” “The PATRIOT Act isn’t,” and “Drop Bush not bombs.” 

A number of Berkeley groups made their presence known, including UC Berkeley’s Stop the War Coalition. The Cheese Board Collective shut down its business in North Berkeley for the day to join the rally.  

A dozen UC Berkeley graduate students in social welfare came together. “War only creates more problems,” said Robert Vergera, who had organized the group. “Innocent people are the ones that get hurt. Water lines, and the infrastructure gets destroyed.” 

Berkeley resident Tim Melton brought his three children. “It is important for them to go,” he said. “I want them to see the democratic process in action.” 

Berkeley was also well-represented among the speakers: 91-year-old Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek called for peace and 11-year-old King Junior High School student Samora Penderhughes spoke out: “The life of children in Iraq and Palestine is just as important as the life of a child in the United States.” 

Hatem Bazian, lecturer in UC Berkeley’s Near Eastern Studies Department, reminded the crowd that the United States had sold weapons of mass destruction to Iran and Iraq. “Tell me if you don’t see hypocrisy here,” he said. “Our own UC Berkeley is responsible for weapons of mass destruction. The bomb was developed here before it was dropped in Japan.”  

Speakers and sign-bearers pointed out that the cost of war takes funding from social needs. At a rally before the march took off, San Francisco Board of Supervisor President Tom Ammiano decried what he called “a war on the homeless” and a “war on tenants.” Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Helen Caldicott called for money for healthcare and housing and not war. 

“We say healthcare/Bush says warfare,” marchers chanted. Nancy McLaughlin, of San Francisco, a member of the Presentation Sisters for Justice, was in the crowd with nuns in her order who had come from Los Gatos and San Jose. “Money should go for the homeless and the poor,” she said. 

Another theme that dominated the day was the occupation of Palestine and the U.S. role in support of Israel. “Israel can’t wage war without bullets supplied by the U.S.,” said Ramiz Rafeedie, a speaker from the Free Palestine Alliance. The Middle East needs democratic change, Rafeedie said, but it must come through the people there. “No one has the right to impose regime change on our countries,” he said. 

Former Berkeley school board member and Middle East Children’s Alliance Director Barbara Lubin, standing with her son Charlie and grandchildren on the speakers’ platform, chastised the peace movement of 20 years ago for not recognizing the importance of the movement for an independent Palestine.  

“We cannot allow it to be put in the back of the peace movement,” said Lubin. “I fear that (Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon will use the cover of this war to do what he has wanted to do for more than 30 years, ‘transfer’ the Palestinians out of their homes and land once and for all.” 

While the pro-war voice was not visible at the demonstration other than of a few signs calling for the death of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, President Bush, speaking from Mexico, reasserted that the United States would lead a coalition against Iraq if the United Nations does not pass a strong resolution insisting Saddam Hussein disarm.  

“If the United Nations does not pass a resolution which holds him to account and that has consequences, we will lead the coalition to disarm him.” Bush said, according to an Associated Press report. 

Many at the rally remembered Sen. Paul Wellstone, an advocate for peace and liberal Democrat from Minnesota, who died with his wife and daughter in a plane crash Friday. Signs throughout the crowd memorialized him. One read: “Thanks Wellstone for teaching me to stand for peace.”  

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, also lauded Wellstone. Among the 23 senators who stood up to the president’s “rush to war” was “the beloved Paul Wellstone,” she said. 

Lee told the crowd that its presence, letters and e-mails were making a difference: “You’re making your voices heard. You are the American  

 

 

Bush wants another war/We say no/We remember Vietnam/We say no./We remember Desert Storm/We say no/We remember El Salvador/We say no. 

–Chanted by protesters at Saturday’s march against war and racism. 

 


Campaign signs not always tenants’

Paul Hogarth
Monday October 28, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Robert Cabrera, president of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, says (Daily Planet, Oct. 23) that landlords won’t lower rents on vacant units if it means they’ll get stuck with a tenant who actually wants to stay in the community for more than a year. He should know – he has a lot of vacant units right now. 

I have noticed that many of Cabrera’s buildings currently have “Shirley Dean for Mayor” signs in the windows. A friend of mine lives in one of his buildings, and she told me that all of the Dean signs in the building are on the windows of vacant apartments. It is a testament to landlords’ willingness to keep an apartment off the market, in the hopes that they will find a “sucker” who will pay a high rent, that we find so many Dean signs around town. Voters should be aware that not all of these signs were put up by tenants who actually live in the building. 

 

Paul Hogarth 

Rent Board Commissioner 

Berkeley


Veteran mucicians sell new music on television

By David Bauder
Monday October 28, 2002

NEW YORK – For one week this summer, Bruce Springsteen was the biggest star on television. 

There he was in Asbury Park, N.J., where the “Today” show transplanted itself for a day to watch him perform. Ted Koppel interviewed him on “Nightline.” Two nights in a row, Springsteen and his E Street Band were featured on David Letterman’s “Late Show.” 

The appearances were timed to coincide with the release of Springsteen’s album, “The Rising,” and the exposure paid off. The disc sold 526,000 copies its first week, the strongest debut of his career. 

Springsteen’s small-screen blitz made plain a change that might surprise generations that spent hours cranking the car stereo or hooked up to a Walkman: Television — and not just MTV — has supplanted radio as the chief means of exposing new music, particularly for veteran artists. 

“You’ve just about got to do it for people to know that you have a record out,” said singer Tom Petty, who was on “Today” earlier this month. “You’ve got to spread the word however you can.” 

Springsteen and Petty’s most loyal fans aren’t likely to be reading music magazines or visiting music stores every week to see what’s new. They have jobs, kids, mortgages to worry about. 

But they probably watch TV — perhaps “Today” while gulping their morning coffee, or Letterman just before drifting off to sleep. 

At the same time, shrinking radio playlists have less room for new music. Far more radio stations are likely to play James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” for example, than take a chance on his new single. 

So Taylor spread his easygoing charm liberally before the cameras — “The View,” “Today,” “The Charlie Rose Show,” “60 Minutes II,” on CNN and tabloid entertainment shows. He sang the song, “On the 4th of July,” on NBC on a Fourth of July special. 

Taylor’s new album, “October Road,” surprised many in the music industry by debuting at No. 5, his best start ever. 

Television networks once synonymous with music — MTV and VH1 — are important for viewers under age 30. But they don’t play videos that often anymore, and are less crucial for veteran artists than they were 10 or 15 years ago. 

“The video thing has become irrelevant,” Petty said. “They really don’t play videos that much on the video channels, so it’s almost become not worth your while to make one.” 

Not every artist can command a half hour on “Today” or a handshake from Letterman. Still, TV opportunities abound, especially for good performers, said publicist Marilyn Laverty, the architect of Springsteen’s campaign. 

“It’s become possible for artists who have quality and are well known to have something of a saturation,” she said. 

David Bowie touted his new disc on A&E’s “Live By Request.” Bravo has started a musician’s version of “Inside the Actor’s Studio.”


Calendar

Monday October 28, 2002

Monday, Oct. 28 

“Damming Hope: Plan Puebla Panama Comes to Guatemala” 

7 p.m. 

Trinity United Methodist Church 

2362 Bancroft Way 

Mayan leader Santos Choc discusses his community’s struggle in opposing the Usumacinta Dam. 

526-7177 

$8-$20 sliding scale / No one turned away 

 

Reviving the Lost Art of Conversation 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

Learn how to break the ice, establish rapport, build trust, and develop intimacy through conversation. 

848-0237 x127 

$8 -$10 

 

Wednesday, Oct. 30 

Premiere of “Code 33: Emergency- Clear the Air” 

5 p.m. 

Oakland City Council Chambers, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland 

A one hour made-for-TV documentary on youth and public relations. Followed by a reception and refreshments. 

887-0152 

 

Berkeley City Council Forum 

7 to 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Hillel Foundation 

2736 Bancroft Way between Piedmont and College Avenues 

Candidates Gordon Wozniak, Andy Katz,  

Micki Weinberg, Kriss Worthington and others speak in this forum. 

839-2900 

 

Monster Bash 

6 to 9 p.m. 

Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

A singles celebration of an ancient Celtic end-of-summer observance, with a lavish feast of foods from the fall harvest. 

Register: 601-7247  

$25 / includes meal and cooking lesson 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

Sick Plant Clinic 

9 a.m. to noon 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. UC plant pathology and entomology experts will diagnose what ails your plant. 

643-2755 

Free 

 

 

Monday, Oct. 28 

“Jazz, Blues, and Popular Music in American Culture” 

6:30 p.m. 

A Vista College class, with instructor/R&B legend Johnny Otis. 

Registration info: 981-2800 

 

Tuesday, Oct. 29 

Activate: DJ night 

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

An evening of DJs featuring drum n’ bass music. 

525-5054 

$5 

 

Wednesday, Oct. 30 

Courtableau 

Cajun dance lesson 8 p.m. 

Show 8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman 

Veterans of the Bay Area Cajun/zydeco scene perform classic Cajun dance hall music. 

525-5054 

$8 

 

 

Thursday, Oct. 31 

Halloween Party with the Venusians 

8 p.m. 

The Venusians are a shamanic trance-dance septet known for their costume-laden, colorful performances. 

525-5054 

$10 

 

Saturday, Nov. 2 

The Librarians with The Skyflakes and Plain White Ts 

9 p.m. 

Bear’s Lair 

2475 Bancroft Way 

$5 / 21 and over 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

Workshop and Performance by Akira Tana 

1 to 3 p.m. workshop 

4:30 p.m. concert 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Drummer Akira Tana teaches and performs. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$30-$35 workshop 

$10-$15 performance 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ 

 

CalArts Night of Jazz 

8 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

The first of many collaborations between Jazzschool and CalArts. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth 

4 p.m. 

Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. 

The renowned singer and pianist will perform classical vocal favorites featuring the music of Brahams, Dvorak and Bartok. 

559-6910 

$10 / 18 and under free 

 

Saturday, Nov. 9 

An Evening of Cultural Harmony 

8 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 

The Barbard Ensemble, the San Francisco Klezmer Experience and Lichi Fuentes & Jackeline Rago will treat listeners to music from Iran, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. 

704-7480 x755 

$25 general admission 

 

Sunday, Nov. 10 

The Sheldon Brown Group 

4:30 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

Reservations: 845-5373 

$10-$15 

 

 

Ceramics - Opening Reception 

Through Nov. 17 

3 to 5 p.m. 

A New Leaf Gallery, 1286 Gilman St. 

525-7621 

Free 

 

“Hunger: What will you do about it?”  

Through Oct. 30  

Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The Civic Center Building 

2180 Milvia St., 5th floor 

Featuring 40 photographs  

by Berkeley artist David Bacon. 

834-3663, Ext. 338,  

uchanse@secondharvest.org 

 

“Recent Acquisitions” 

Through Dec. 14 

Thurs., Fri., and Sat., 1 to 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. 

848-0181 

Free 

 

Timoteo Ikoshy Montoya 

Through Nov. 1  

Gathering Tribes Gallery  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Acrylic/air brush paintings  

by this Native American artist.  

528-9038 

 

 

Alarms and Excursions 

Nov. 15 through Dec. 22 

Aurora Theatre Company,  

2081 Addison St. 

Michael Frayn's comedy about  

the irony of modern technology. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35 

 

Saturday Nov. 9 

Dorothy Allison and Jewelle Gomez appear in support of Boadecia’s Books 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano 

559-9184 

$25, sliding scale 

 

Saturday Nov. 16 

Alice Walker and Brenda Boykin 

appear in support of Boadecia’s Books 

8 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda at Solano 

559-9184 

$25, sliding scale 

 

 

Oct. 24 through Oct. 30 

7:30 / 8:55 p.m. 

Fine Arts Cinema, 2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Double feature: Vampire film with musical score performed live on accordion by Rich Kuhns, followed by Bela Lugosi’s classic. 

848-1143 

$4-$9 

 

“Halloween” and “The Thing” 

Oct. 31 through Nov. 6 

7:30 / 9:20 p.m. 

Fine Arts Cinema, 2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Nightly double feature. 

848-1143 

$4-$8 

 

Sunday, Nov. 3 

“Focus” 

2 to 4:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St.  

William H. Macy stars in this early 1940’s period piece. 

848-0237 

$2 donation 

 

Friday, Nov. 8 

“El Che” 

7 p.m. 

Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St. 

Film screening followed by salsa dancing to support Berkeley’s Cuban Sister-City Palma Soriano. 

548-6941 

$10 / Sliding scale


Panthers explode for big plays against Albany

By Jared Green
Monday October 28, 2002

The St. Mary’s High football team used big plays on offense and special teams to maul the Albany High Cougars, 43-17, on Saturday, leaving the Panthers as one of just two teams without a loss in Bay Shore Athletic League play. 

Sophomore quarterback Scott Tully threw touchdown passes of 73 and 64 yards in the second quarter and the Panthers blocked a punt for a touchdown in the same period to jump out to a 29-0 lead. 

Albany managed a field goal just before halftime to get on the scoreboard, but St. Mary’s answered right back with two more touchdowns in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. Albany converted two Panther turnovers into scores late in the game. 

“That was a complete team effort,” St. Mary’s head coach Jay Lawson said. “We had a little problem taking care of the football late in the game, but it didn’t hurt us too much.” 

Lawson’s club started strong, forcing a three-and-out on Albany’s opening drive. After a punt, St. Mary’s (4-2-1, 2-0 BSAL) embarked on a nine-play drive that ate nearly five minutes off the clock and ended with a three-yard score by tailback Steve Murphy. 

Tully turned in an impressive performance in his second varsity start, completing 6-of-9 passes for 192 yards, although he did throw an interception just before halftime. His best throw of the game was a 64-yard bomb to wide receiver Ryan Coogler on the first play of the second quarter. Coogler went down hard in the end zone on the play and sat out the rest of the game with concussion symptoms. 

“It’s a lot easier knowing I’m going to start the game going in,” Tully said. “I can spend the time before the game getting mentally prepared for the first drive.” 

After the St. Mary’s defense forced a punt, Tully hit fullback Fred Hives on a play-action pass, with the junior turning the short pass into a 73-yard touchdown down the right sideline for a 22-0 lead. Hives also ran for a team-high 107 yards and two touchdowns, apparently over the fumble-itis that cost him the starting tailback job earlier in the season. 

The Panthers ran for 194 yards, with nine runs of more than 10 yards. Lawson credited his offensive line for the strong ground effort. 

“Our line was blowing open some huge holes,” Lawson said. “There were plays where our running backs didn’t get touched until they were five or 10 yards downfield.” 

The St. Mary’s special teams came up with the next big play, with defensive end Nick Osborne blocking an Albany punt and linebacker Matt Hurley recovering in the end zone for a touchdown. Albany’s only score of the first half was a 37-yard field goal by Garin Hecht as time expired. 

Hives would score on runs of 29 and 12 yards in the third quarter, and the Panthers cruised from there with several reserves getting extended playing time. Albany did manage to convert two St. Mary’s fumbles into scores in the fourth quarter, with Hecht throwing touchdown passes to Tommy Coble and Zeine Gamal. Hecht was pressed into service with usual starter Harold Lueders sidelined with an injury, and he struggled in the first half, missing on all 10 of his pass attempts. The only ball that didn’t hit the ground was in interception by St. Mary’s defensive back Alexander Keyes.


Judge considers lighter sentence for Reddy today

By Kurtis Alexander
Monday October 28, 2002

 

Despite cries by some that justice is not being served, the U.S. District Court is considering reducing the prison term of Berkeley real estate tycoon Lakireddy Bali Reddy, who was imprisoned for smuggling underage girls into the country for prostitution and cheap labor. 

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken is expected to rule today on whether to shave nearly two years off Reddy’s eight-year sentence. Reddy’s attorney, Ted Cassman, argues in court papers filed Sept. 18 that new evidence casts doubt on Reddy’s prosecution and is grounds for a lighter prison term. 

In October 2001, four months after Reddy’s sentencing, federal prosecutors found that court interpreter Uma Rao had encouraged four of Reddy’s six victims to embellish testimony against Reddy family members involved in the illegal immigration ring. Because of Rao, Cassman has requested the court to reduce Reddy’s sentence by one year and seven months. 

Today’s hearing comes just days after 11 Indian citizens, many victims of Reddy’ immigration scheme, filed a class action suit in Alameda County Superior Court seeking $100 million from Reddy and his family. 

“We want to obtain redress,” said attorney Michael Rubin, who represents the plaintiffs. “We have people whose fundamental right to be free from forced sex and labor has been violated.” 

 

 

Among the plaintiffs are Jarmani and Lakshmi Prattipati, the parents of 17-year-old Chanti Prattipati who died of carbon monoxide poisoning Nov. 24, 1999, in a Berkeley apartment owned by Reddy. Chanti’s younger sister, who shared the apartment with her sibling, brought the Reddy story to police, which lead to the charges against Reddy and four family members. 

Reddy’s brother and sister-in-law, Jayaprakash and Annapurna Lakireddy, have pleaded guilty to visa fraud; neither is doing prison time. Reddy’s son Vijay Lakireddy pleaded guilty to one count of visa fraud and awaits sentencing. Reddy’s younger son, Prasad Lakireddy, still awaits trial on charges of illegally importing girls to the country for “immoral purposes.” 

Reddy is currently serving the first of his eight-year sentence. 

“I’m outraged that [Judge Wilken] is considering a lighter sentence,” said Diana Russell, a women’s rights activist and professor at Mills College in Oakland. “This is a guy who was trafficking in underage girls and raping them for 15 years... And one of the girls ended up dead.” 

Reddy’s attorneys did not return phone calls. 

The request to reduce Reddy’s prison term, in light of the questionable testimony, was approved by the U.S. Attorney’s office. Wilken, though, has final say on the matter.


Praising Measure M

Dan Rossi
Monday October 28, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Those of us who are concerned about Berkeley’s affordable housing crisis have a chance to do something about it this November. Measure M would create a dedicated source of funding to support more affordable housing in our city. 

It is clear that the private housing market alone cannot meet the housing needs of the Berkeley community. Only 10 percent of Berkeley residents can afford to buy the average-priced home in the city. Rents have been rising much faster than incomes, and waiting lists for affordable housing are long. We desperately need to find ways to support the development of more affordable units by nonprofit developers and others. Berkeley relies for the most part on federal funding to support affordable housing development. But we cannot depend on Washington to solve our housing problems. 

Measure M would raise the real estate transfer tax by half a percent on properties selling for over $350,000 to fund affordable housing, as well as fund seismic retrofits and homelessness prevention. Measure M would generate at least $1 million a year for housing. This would be enough to house dozens of Berkeley residents in quality housing.  

Thanks to the overheated real estate market in Berkeley, sellers of homes and commercial properties have reaped huge windfalls. By increasing the transfer tax, sellers would share a piece of this windfall with those who don’t have the incomes to participate in this market. 

 

Dan Rossi 

Chair, Housing Advisory Commission 

Berkeley 


Jackson, Beavers run all over Bears

By Andrew Hinkleman
Monday October 28, 2002

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Steven Jackson rushed for a career-high 239 yards and three touchdowns to revive a sputtering offense, helping Oregon State end a three-game losing streak Saturday with a 24-13 victory over California. 

Jackson dominated the first half, scoring all three Beavers touchdowns to go along with 168 yards on 16 carries. Quarterback Derek Anderson continued to struggle, going 8-of-24 for 80 yards with no touchdowns. 

Kyle Boller was 27-of-51 for 284 yards, moving into third place on the Golden Bears’ career passing list with 7,281 yards. Joe Igber led a punchless California running game with 33 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. The Bears (5-4, 2-3 Pac-10) netted just 16 yards rushing. 

After two lackluster three-and-out possessions to start the game, Oregon State (5-3, 1-3) started to click offensively when Anderson converted a third-and-9 from his 9 with a 15-yard pass to Kenny Farley. 

Then Jackson took over, picking 11, 11, 42 and 7 yards on consecutive plays to score the Beavers’ first touchdown. For the game, Oregon State gained 301 yards on the ground. 

Cal answered with a 10-play, 80-yard drive to retake the lead in the second quarter, capped by Igber’s 1-yard plunge and helped by a 47-yard pass to Lashaun Ward and a 20-yarder to Tom Swoboda. 

Ward led the Bears with four catches for 81 yards, plus another 112 on kickoff returns. Swoboda had seven receptions for 77 yards. 

Both teams traded drives ending in punts when the Beavers struck again, this time with a four-play, 82-yard drive in just more than a minute, highlighted by backup running back Dwight Wright’s 47-yard scamper straight up the middle and an 18 yard reverse for receiver Kenny Farley. 

On the Bears’ ensuing possession, linebacker Nick Barnett forced Boller to fumble and Noah Happe recovered for Oregon State. 

Jackson again dominated, running the ball on four consecutive plays, including a 32-yard pickup, setting up goal-to-go. 

A pass interference penalty on third down gave the Beavers another chance, and Jackson took it in from 4 yards out for his third score of the half. 

The teams traded field goals in the second half as both offenses fizzled. Oregon State managed just 92 yards in the final two quarters while the Bears picked up 94. 

Still, the Beavers had to be pleased with the first half. 

The embattled offensive line – where left guard Mike Kuykendall had to move to left tackle following injuries to the first and second stringers, and untested David Lose took over at left guard – opened gaping holes for Jackson and provided adequate protection for Anderson, who has been battered the last three games. 

Anderson was sacked once. Boller went down four times. 


UC lecturers likely to reject contract offer

By David Scharfenberg
Monday October 28, 2002

The University of California’s roughly 2,500 lecturers will likely reject a comprehensive contract proposal put forward by the administration earlier this week, union officials said Friday. 

“That’s my sense of it,” said Kevin Roddy, president of the University Council-American Federation of Teachers, which has been locked in a 2 1/2-year-old labor spat with the university over wages, job security and independent arbitration of contract disputes. 

Rejection of the university’s offer could lead to a formal “impasse” in negotiations, sparking state intervention. 

University officials, who made the contract offer Wednesday and initially called for a union response by Friday, have agreed to a union request for a few more days to mull the offer. University spokesperson Paul Schwartz declined to comment until the union officially responds next week. 

Roddy said the union will post the university’s offer on its Web site in the coming days. If rank-and-file members find it agreeable, he said, the union will accept the proposal. But Roddy argued that the contract is inadequate and predicted that lecturers will reject it. 

According to a university press release, the two-year contract proposal includes an increase in minimum salaries for lecturers in both years of the contract.  

In 2002-2003, the minimum pay would jump from the current $28,968 to $35,868 for lecturers with less than six years experience and $40,200 for those with more than two years experience.  

In 2003-2004, the salaries would increase to $37,572 for “pre-six” lecturers and $41,712 for “post-six” lecturers. 

Union officials say the increase will only affect a small number of lecturers currently making less than the proposed minimum of $35,868, but university officials say the $7,000 raise marks a significant offer. 

Lecturers currently operate on year-to-year contracts for six years before receiving three-year contract renewals, contingent upon solid job performance reviews. 

At present, the university serves as the final authority in determining whether a lecturer stays on the job at the end of a one-year or three-year contract. The union wants to put an independent, third-party arbitrator in place who could review a case and refer it back to the university if an “unreasonable” decision had been made. 

Union officials said the arbitrator should be able to review the second decision and any subsequent decisions, again referring them back to the university if “unreasonable” judgments had been made. 

Roddy conceded that the arbitrator should not be allowed to make decisions on academic matters, such as the quality of a lecturer’s scholarship. But, he said the third-party figure should be able to review the basic facts of the case determining, for instance, whether a lecturer had received positive or negative performance reviews.  

According to Roddy, Wednesday’s university proposal allows for only one referral back to the university, and only in the event of a procedural error. 

Schwartz said limiting the review to procedural matters is justified. 

“We’re okay with a review of a procedure,” he said. “But what we will not agree to is any sort of review of our academic judgment.” 

Schwartz declined to speculate on what action the university will take if the union rejects the contract offer. But one possibility would be for the university to declare an “impasse” in negotiations. 

If the state determines that a true deadlock exists, it would begin a “fact-finding” process and recommend a contract to both sides. If the university and union reject the state solution, the university would have the power to impose a final contract. 

Lecturers held strikes at UC Berkeley in August and at five other UC campuses in mid-October. Roddy said more strikes are a possibility if the university clings to its latest offer. 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net


College-Ashby intersection needs some work

Robert Compton
Monday October 28, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

Frank Gebauer is to be applauded for drawing attention to the chronic traffic congestion on College Avenue. The intersection with Ashby Avenue has to be the worst in Berkeley. The solutions he proposes, however do not seem feasible. The residents on side streets are unlikely to allow their tranquility to be disrupted by through traffic. Nor would turn lanes seem possible on such a narrow street. A simpler solution would be for the traffic signals to allow northbound and southbound traffic to move alternately rather than simultaneously, allowing drivers to make turns without holding up cars behind. The same for east and west traffic which piles up for many blocks at rush hour. 

 

Robert Compton 

Berkeley 


Cardinal streak broken as Cal men down Stanford

By Dean Caparaz
Monday October 28, 2002

Cal men’s soccer has started a new win streak. 

The fifteenth-ranked Golden Bears, who lost 2-1 at UCLA last weekend to end a school-record nine-game winning streak, upset No. 7 Stanford, 1-0, Saturday at Edwards Stadium. Defender Troy Roberts nodded a Noal Merl free kick past Stanford goalkeeper Andrew Terris in the 42nd minute for his first goal of the season. Cal goalie Josh Saunders made four saves to extend his Pac-10 Conference shutout lead to seven. 

With the win, Cal improves its record to 11-3-1 (4-1 Pac-10), while Stanford falls to 11-3-1 (2-2-1 Pac-10). The eleven wins are Cal’s most under third-year coach Kevin Grimes. 

The result also marked Cal’s first win over Stanford since 1996, when the Bears won, 2-1, in Berkeley.  

“We were confident we could pull out a victory against these guys,” Roberts said. “We’re a different team this year. We played them pretty aggressively, kept the pressure on them basically the whole game and outworked them.” 

This is the third straight game in which Stanford failed to score. Coach Bret Simon’s squad was coming off a 0-0 tie with Fresno State and a 1-0 loss to UCLA. 

Since the Pac-10 requires its teams to play each other twice a season, the Cardinal gets a shot at revenge when the two teams play each other again on Friday down on the Farm. 

Besides ending Stanford’s recent unbeaten streak in the series, this win is impressive because the Cardinal is one of the nation’s elite teams. Stanford reached the NCAA semifinals last season and has wins over nationally ranked SMU, Portland and Santa Clara so far this year. Stanford’s success helped to elevate it into the top 10 of the NSCAA coaches’ poll, which is considered the official poll of college soccer. By contrast, Cal is unranked in the coaches’ poll and is only ranked by Soccer America Magazine. 

Grimes tried to play down the hoopla of the Stanford match. 

“There’s an extra special feeling when Cal plays Stanford, but our focus this week was to treat this match like any other tough opponent, be it San Jose State, Santa Clara or Stanford,” Grimes said. “We didn’t want to make any extra big deal out of the game. In fact, [Cal officials] wanted to paint a big Cal logo in the middle of the field today, and I told them not to because I didn’t want it to be anything different than we had this year.” 

Stanford had 6-3 edge in shots in the first 45 minutes, but had just one good scoring chance, Kevin Coyne’s first-time volley in the 37th minute that Saunders saved. 

Despite the shot disparity, Cal played confidently and enjoyed a big edge in possession in the first half. 

A Stanford foul on midfielder Mike Munoz set up the goal. Munoz takes most of Cal’s free kicks, but since he was shaken up on the play, Merl took the free kick. From 35 yards out on the left flank, Merl sent a swerving ball to the far post, and Roberts rose up over the Cardinal defense to connect on the header. 

“Noah played a great ball,” Roberts said. “I just ran onto it and hit it in.” 

Stanford pushed more players into the attack in the second half, but Cal actually created more chances, forcing Terris to make four of his five saves after halftime. 

The Cardinal had a goal called back in the 60th minute, when forward Matt Janusz buried a shot into the lower right corner of Cal’s net only to be ruled offside. Stanford’s best chance came on its only shot on goal of the second half, as forward Roger Levesque fired an eight-yard header right at Saunders. Levesque, an All-America candidate, had his team’s last good chance, another shot from inside Cal’s penalty area that went wide left in the 88th minute. 

Simon was impressed with the Bears’ effort. 

“Cal has a good team this year, and their goalkeeping is excellent,” he said. “Josh Saunders is one of the better goalkeepers in the country this year.”


Firefighters staged walkout

By Matthew Artz
Monday October 28, 2002

Berkeley firefighters staged a one-day walkout last February to protest shortcomings in their labor contract, department officials acknowledged Friday. But they maintained that fire stations were fully manned throughout the protest and that the work stoppage never posed a threat to Berkeley residents. 

“The fire department did not abandon the city,” said department spokesperson David Orth. 

On Feb. 27, 26 firefighters called in sick and failed to report to their 8 a.m. shift. According to Orth, the firefighters already on duty were aware of the impending action, and worked a double shift to compensate for their colleagues’ absence. On a standard 10-hour shift 33 firefighters usually staff the city’s seven fire houses. 

Firefighters, who have since renegotiated their contract to their liking, were angry that the city had recently inked a new contract with police officers that provided them with more lucrative benefits than those given firefighters in their four-year contract signed in 2000.  

“It was a symbolic move regarding people who thought they were being treated unfairly,” Orth said. 

City officials, however, said the move was unwarranted and caught them off guard. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who called the walkout “extreme and unnecessary,” noted that the previous night both council factions had expressed support for reopening the firefighter’s contract. 

“It was a complete surprise,” said David Hodgkins, the city’s lead labor negotiator. 

On the morning of the walkout the city manager’s office alerted Rick Guzman, president of Local 1227 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, that the city considered the walkout illegal. Staff also issued a memo to councilmembers alerting them of the situation, said Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz.  

According to City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque state law prohibits emergency workers, such as police officers and firefighters, from striking. 

Working on her advice, the city manager’s office decided not to grant sick pay to 24 of the 26 firefighters who missed their shift. Hodgkins said that a sterner response was considered but city officials decided not to escalate the confrontation. The union did not contest the city’s decision to dock the protesters a day’s pay. 

Firefighters were angry about having to give up salary to join a new pension plan for public safety workers called “3 percent at 50.” In this California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) retirement formula, benefits for a 50-year-old firefighter or police officer would amount to a certain percentage of that worker’s highest year of earnings, determined by multiplying the number of years of service by three. 

The previous system gave public safety officers 2.5 percent at age 50. 

To get the city to agree to the new formula during their negotiations in 2000, firefighters agreed to sacrifice 7.75 percent of wages. However, the following year, police officers won the same pension plan without surrendering any wages, which angered firefighters. 

In the renegotiated contract approved by City Council Tuesday, the city gave firefighters a 7.6 percent raise. In return, firefighters agreed to extend the contract for two years, with annual raises of 5 percent in 2005 and 6 percent in 2006. The contract will cost the city $2.6 million over the next four years. 

Guzman was not available to comment on the walkout, but last week expressed satisfaction with the new contract. 

“Everyone is pretty ecstatic that this was accomplished,” he said. 

Kamlarz said the February walkout did not force the city back to the bargaining table.  

“Our concern was that we wanted to pay firefighters a fair wage so we can recruit and retain them,” he said. Under the previous contract, Berkeley firefighters earned less than the average paid by neighboring cities.  

 

Contact reporter at matt@berkeleydailyplanet.net


Praising the Planet

Mike Parker
Monday October 28, 2002

To the Editor: 

 

As a part-time Berkeley resident and a full-time Los Angeles resident, I would like to commend you for a job very well done. Having lived in Berkeley for several years, I now bring the Daily Planet with me when traveling back and forth from the Bay Area to L.A. The well-rounded team coverage really allows me to keep up with new, important and currently ongoing news, especially within the Berkeley city limits.  

I often find myself bringing back a few recent copies when returning to the southland from a recent trip up north; only to catch up on some local reading at a coffeehouse, then leaving the Daily Planet behind for perhaps another “transplanted Baysian” here in L.A. to pick up and read for themselves. 

I’m glad to see that your departmental coverage has grown along with your circulation. Keep up the good work, it’s appreciated from afar. 

 

Mike Parker 

Berkeley


Hostage standoff shocks Moscow

By Jim Heintz
Monday October 28, 2002

MOSCOW – A shocked, wary Russia counted its rising toll of dead and steeled itself for new terrorist blows Saturday in its never-ending Chechen war, after commandos striking behind clouds of disabling gas brought a sudden bloody end to a hostage nightmare. 

The special forces assault on a Moscow theater after a three-day siege left Russians with feelings of both pain and pride: More than 90 hostages were dead, but 750 others were rescued and dozens of their Chechen captors killed. 

Russia “cannot be forced to its knees,” President Vladimir Putin declared afterward on national television. 

But the Russian leader acknowledged the heavy cost to victims’ families: “We could not save everyone. Forgive us.” 

The key targets for the unidentified gas were almost 20 suicide attackers, Chechen women, who sat among the hostages wrapped in explosives, officials said. Had they detonated the charges, the toll of innocents would have been much higher, Deputy Interior Minister Vladimir Vasilyev said. 

Other governments praised the Russian handling of the crisis, but Moscow heard new calls, too, for a political solution to the separatist conflict in Chechnya. 

Besides 50 Chechen assailants reported killed at the theater — some with an apparent execution-style bullet to the head — officials said three other gunmen were captured, and authorities searched this nervous city for accomplices and gunmen who may have escaped. 

The precision terror operation that began Wednesday night in the Russians’ own capital had defied the Kremlin’s repeated contention that the nationalist rebels in predominantly Muslim Chechnya were on the verge of final defeat. 

A Federal Security Service official said the well-armed theater raiders had suspected foreign links and contacts with unspecified embassies in Moscow, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported, raising the prospect of insurgents backed by international terrorists plotting other violence in Russia. 

“We can’t have any euphoria,” Vladimir Lukin, the deputy Parliament speaker, said after the raid. “I don’t think we have broken their will.” 

Most surviving hostages, staggering or unconscious from the gas, were being kept from family members who gathered in freezing rain outside a hospital, and their conditions were not reported. 

But the death toll rose as the day stretched on. 

Police officials said hours after the raid that 67 hostages were killed, but the Health Ministry later said the number had risen above 90. 

How they died was not immediately clarified. 

Vasilyev, the deputy interior minister, said none of the 67 initial victims died from gas poisoning. He said nine died because of heart problems, shock or lack of medicine. At the same time, doctors at City Hospital No. 13, where more than 320 freed hostages were taken, said none of those hospitalized had gunshot wounds, Moscow’s TVS television reported. 

The end came 58 hours after the gunmen stormed into the crowded theater during a performance of the popular musical “Nord-Ost,” vowing to die for Chechnya’s independence and threatening to kill their captives unless Moscow withdrew its troops from the war-ravaged region. 

The special forces’ assault began in icy rain when the gunmen began executing hostages before dawn Saturday, Vasilyev said. 

“About 5:15 a.m. there was shooting,” he told reporters at the scene, three miles southeast of the Kremlin. “There was a real threat. Therefore the operation was undertaken.” 

Olga Chernyak, an Interfax news agency reporter caught in the hostage audience, said the gunmen killed a woman and a man “before our eyes.” 

“They shot the man in the eye; there was a lot of blood,” Interfax quoted her as saying from her hospital bed. She said she lost consciousness soon after, apparently because of the gas. 

The incapacitating agent apparently seeped into the theater through the ventilation system, TVS said, and then soldiers from the Alpha anti-terrorist squad burst in. Television footage showed them kicking in glass doors and opening fire, the thunder of their assault rifles setting off car alarm shrieks in the theater parking lot. 

Soon the hostages were brought out, some in the arms of soldiers, most loaded unconscious onto city buses. 

Government film of the aftermath showed dead female hostage-takers sitting in red plush theater seats, in black robes and veils, heads thrown back or bent over, indicating they may have been shot while unconscious. Precisely placed bullet holes could be seen in their heads. One had a gas mask on her face.


Police investigating Oakland’s 93rd murder

Daily Planet Wire Service
Monday October 28, 2002

The Oakland police reported that a man died after being shot multiple times outside of an Oakland liquor store. 

Officers responded to a call at 11:25 p.m. Friday and found the man with several gunshot wounds at the intersection of Martin Luther King Junior Way and 54th Street. 

They were able to find several eyewitnesses, who officers continued to interview Saturday at the police station. 

Police released few details about the crime at this point, other than to say that the shooting occurred outside and the suspect was on foot. 

Police are searching for the suspect but no arrests have been made.


Work starts on handrail for Golden Gate Bridge

The Associated Press
Monday October 28, 2002

 

SAN FRANCISCO – Work crews have started installing what Golden Gate Bridge officials are calling the most significant architectural change to the 65-year-old landmark. 

But passersby may hardly notice the new safety rail that will separate the pedestrian and bike sidewalk from car lanes. 

“Anything you put on a historic monument like that should fit in and not stand out,” said Donald MacDonald, an architect who helped design the railing.


Police Briefs

Matthew Art – Matthew Artz
Monday October 28, 2002

Girls attack martial arts class 

Police arrested two juvenile girls Wednesday for attacking members of a martial arts class, including the instructor. According to police, two officers driving in a patrol car spotted two people in hand-to-hand combat at the corner of California Street and Allston Way. Upon investigation, police learned that a martial arts sword class was practicing with bamboo poles at an adjacent park, when two juvenile girls interrupted the class. One girl stole a bamboo stick, while the other, armed with a knife jumped on the back of the instructor. Both girls were arrested. 

 

Drug bust 

Special Enforcement Unit officers arrested Wilfred Stone of 834 Bancroft Way for possession of rock cocaine and evidence of packaging for sale at 4 p.m. Wednesday. 


Bay Area Briefs

Monday October 28, 2002

Bizarre accident in San Francisco tunnel 

SAN FRANCISCO – Two anti-war demonstrators who were involved in a bizarre traffic accident in the Broadway Tunnel on Saturday were in critical and unstable condition Sunday at San Francisco General Hospital. 

According to San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Barry Wong, a man and woman were riding in a converted school bus to Saturday’s anti-war demonstration when the accident occurred around 11 a.m.. 

The full-size school bus has the body of a Volkswagen van welded to its roof, which Wong said adds about six feet to the vehicle’s overall height.  

The man and woman were riding with their heads and bodies sticking out through the van’s sunroof when it passed through the tunnel heading eastbound on Broadway. 

“It’s an extremely tall vehicle,’’ Wong said. 

The tunnel is taller at one end than it is at the other, Wong said, and as the vehicle approached the North Beach end both the man and the woman clipped the roof of the tunnel with their heads. Both victims were knocked back inside the vehicle, he said.  

“They were standing up in the tunnel and didn’t know about the change in height,’’ he said. 

The bus driver pulled over in front of a nearby fire station where firefighters extricated the victims, Wong said. Both were taken to San Francisco General Hospital where they are listed in critical condition, he said. 

 

Man arrested in boat incident 

SAN FRANCISCO – A man has been arrested in connection with the presumed death of a man who was thrown off a party boat in San Francisco Bay, police said. 

Witnesses told police they saw someone being thrown overboard at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Police Inspector Sergio Chin. About 275 people were aboard the ship for a Halloween party. 

Police arrested the suspect when the boat, the Royal Prince, returned to the pier, said Sgt. Neville Gittens. The unidentified man was being held Sunday on suspicion of murder, he said. 

The U.S. Coast Guard used helicopters and a cutter to search throughout the night, but hadn’t found anything by mid-afternoon Sunday, a Coast Guard spokesman said. 

Investigators boarded the boat at Pier 43 1/2 to interview witnesses. Chin said it was unclear what role alcohol may have played in the attack. The victim’s girlfriend and several friends were on the boat with him, Chin said.


S.F. seeks $1.6 billion plumbing fix

By Karen Gaudette
Monday October 28, 2002

HETCH HETCHY RESERVOIR – Just north of Yosemite Valley’s grassy meadows and tumbling waterfalls, another slice of paradise lies submerged beneath more than 100 billion gallons of water. 

Since 1934, the Hetch Hetchy Valley has been managed by San Francisco as the vessel that ensures a steady supply of drinking and irrigation water for millions of Californians. 

Now, the city is struggling to keep both the aging system of aqueducts, tunnels and pipelines — and its own legacy as guarantor of the region’s water supply — from disintegrating. 

The network of concrete and steel that has delivered Sierra Nevada snowmelt into the San Francisco Bay area’s kitchen sinks, laboratories and factories is crumbling. Seismologists say a major earthquake could leave 2.4 million customers in four counties without water for up to two months. 

That could add up to more than $28 billion in economic losses for the region, according to estimates by the Bay Area Economic Forum. 

“We’re all living under a cloud and anybody that chooses to ignore that has got their head in the sand,” said Assemblyman Lou Papan, a Democrat from Millbrae, one of the 29 cities, water districts and other agencies that also rely on the system’s water. 

Though Hetch Hetchy’s health is vital to the entire region, it’s up to San Francisco, which has neglected major maintenance for years, to launch a $3.6 billion effort to repair, upgrade and expand the system. 

And that makes its neighbors nervous. Already, a key reservoir that sits on the Calaveras fault is only 30 percent full because of fears of a collapse. 

City politicians have shifted $670 million of revenue from water and electricity sales over the past 20 years away from Hetch Hetchy maintenance to fund such things as health care for the poor and San Francisco’s public transit system, city records show. 

And recent audits have suburban leaders wondering whether San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission can handle the renovation, which includes more than 70 projects that could take 13 years to complete. 

San Francisco voters face the next big step on Nov. 5 — a $1.6 billion bond measure to cover the city’s share of the project. Water rates will more than triple in San Francisco to pay the bond, and double in the suburbs, where customers already pay higher rates. 

A coalition led by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has spent nearly $250,000 trying to overcome voters’ distrust and win approval for the bond. Landlord and tenant groups, typically at odds, have united in opposition. 

“Most San Franciscans and owners are civic minded and they want to do the right thing,” said Janan New, director of the San Francisco Apartment Association, which represents landlords, but “they also get mad when they see waste and mismanagement.” 

The Sierra Club, which fought the dam a century ago, also opposes the bond measure, saying the Hetch Hetchy Valley should be returned to its natural state. That’s a long shot in a thirsty, energy-hungry state. 

Other environmental and consumer groups are counting on the dam’s hydroelectric power in their campaign for Proposition D, which would give the city the authority to replace Pacific Gas and Electric Co. with a municipally owned utility. 

Gov. Gray Davis and state lawmakers are poised to intervene. Angering Brown, Davis recently signed legislation that requires the city to keep lawmakers updated on the project, and allows regional water sellers to issue their own bonds to fund the maintenance. 

“The state has made it crystal clear that if San Francisco doesn’t take care of the problem, the state will,” said Jim Chappell, president of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research organization, a citizens group that frequently weighs in on city issues. 

Brown, upset at what he considers meddling, said the city will ensure that the water system will last for another 100 years. “We have done the kind of job founders and creators of Hetch Hetchy would have wanted us to do,” he said.


Former N.Y. police head sworn in as LAPD chief

The Associated Press
Monday October 28, 2002

 

LOS ANGELES – William J. Bratton was sworn in Friday as the city’s new police chief, with a mandate to reform the corruption-tinged department and a goal of eliminating graffiti and minor offenses as a way of preventing more serious crimes. 

The former New York police commissioner took his oath of office from City Clerk J. Michael Carey and then shook hands with Mayor Kenneth Hahn in a brief private ceremony in Hahn’s office. Bratton and Hahn then headed for Lake Arrowhead to attend an emergency management workshop. 

A public swearing-in ceremony will be held Monday at the Police Academy. 

Bratton, 55, will serve a five-year term. He said he will move quickly to name three assistant chiefs. 

Bratton has promised to work with the mayor on reforms, increase recruiting and implement community policing policies, something past chiefs have resisted. He also has said he wants to reduce top-down management and give more authority to the LAPD’s 18 division commanders. 

Bratton subscribes to what has been called the “broken-window” theory of policing that holds elimination of minor crimes prevents larger ones. 

The city’s 54th police chief said he believes fighting graffiti will reduce the city’s rising crime rate. 

“I hate it with a passion,” he said. 

Allowing gang members and graffiti crews to deface communities is “effectively surrendering the authority of government to them,” Bratton told the Los Angeles Times. “You cannot let them control your streets. If they’re trying to do it by marking the streets with graffiti, then get rid of it.” 

When Bratton ran the New York Police Department from 1994 to 1996 that city’s murder rate was cut in half and serious felonies dropped 33 percent.


Audit reveals state agency wasted $2.1 million

The Associated Press
Monday October 28, 2002

SACRAMENTO – A state audit revealed California’s Office of Criminal Justice Planning failed to properly keep track of domestic violence grant recipient’s and evaluate the effectiveness of their programs. 

Ordered by a joint Senate committee in February and released earlier this week, the report accuses the state agency of wasting $2.1 million on evaluations that were of “uneven quality, content and usefulness,” and ignoring 700 quarterly progress reports from domestic violence shelters. 

OCJP, the primary focus of the auditor’s investigation, is a grant-making agency with responsibility for $23 million awarded to 85 domestic violence agencies throughout California. 

The agency’s interim executive director, Allan Sawyer, said Friday many of the criticisms are valid and pointed out that having shelters compete for grant money was a disastrous way to handle the funding. 

“These are institutions in their communities,” he said. “You can’t build up a domestic violence shelter and then, two years later, say, ’Someone wrote a better grant application, so your services are no longer needed.’ It’s ridiculous.” 

Sawyer said many of the audit’s other criticisms of OCJP had already been identified by his staff and remedied.


State Briefs

Monday October 28, 2002

Elderly man indicted for concealed knife at LAX 

LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury indicted a 71-year-old man who was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for carrying a cane containing a hidden 18-inch knife. 

Amir Farhang Motamedi, of Los Angeles, was indicted Friday on a charge of attempting to carry a concealed weapon onto an aircraft. 

Motamedi, who had reservations for a flight to Zurich, Switzerland, was arrested Oct. 2 after he passed through a metal detector at the Bradley International Terminal. 

Motamedi told authorities that he had bought the cane at a Chinatown store and hadn’t known there was a knife inside. 

It was not considered a terrorist act, U.S. Attorney’s spokesman Thom Mrozek said Saturday. 

Motamedi was free on $150,000 bond and was scheduled to be arraigned Monday. 

Babysitter arrested in toddler’s death 

LANCASTER – A 17-year-old babysitter was arrested for investigation of murder after the death of a toddler that authorities alleged was abused. 

The teen, whose name was withheld because he is a minor, was being held without bail Saturday at juvenile hall in Sylmar, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Scott Butler said. 

The boy called authorities Friday from a Lake Los Angeles home to report that the 1-year-old boy he had been watching was not breathing. The toddler was pronounced dead at a hospital, Butler said. 

The teen said he left the baby in the bathtub for a short time and when he returned the child had stopped breathing, Butler said. 

“But our investigators found external trauma to the baby’s body that was inconsistent with the suspect’s statement,” Butler said. 

San Diego State officials turn down donation 

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State University officials rejected a $2,500 donation from an alumni group that wants to bring in an Aztec warrior mascot to cheer at sporting events. 

The school turned down the offer from the Aztec Warrior Foundation Thursday because the mascot’s presence would be a distraction, SDSU athletic director Rick Bay said. 

The school has been without an official mascot since last year, when the Monty Montezuma mascot was banned after student groups complained that his loincloth attire and aggressive behavior were culturally insensitive. 

Members of the Aztec Warrior Foundation said they were disappointed about the decision, especially because the athletic department has run up a $1 million-plus deficit.


Backlog of goods at West Coast ports worries retailers, exporters

By Gary Gentile
Monday October 28, 2002

 

LOS ANGELES – A maddening backlog of import containers at West Coast ports has many U.S. retailers upset that toys, shoes, televisions and other goods are not moving fast enough from ships to shelves. 

“There are an awful lot of Christmas presents sitting out on those docks,” said J. Craig Shearman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation. 

While dock workers returned to the job last week after a two-week lockout, shipping line officials said longshoremen are delaying the unloading of container ships onto trucks and trains. 

Acknowledging that goods are not moving at their normal pace, the union representing 10,500 longshoremen at 29 major West Coast ports said shippers caused the slowdown, partly by closing the ports in the first place. They also are not providing the necessary equipment to unload ships, the union says. 

“For us, it doesn’t matter what the reason,” Shearman said. “The fact remains the goods aren’t coming into the stores as quickly as we need them.” 

Exporters also are being hurt. 

Many worry that if the slowdown persists and a required cooling off period ends with another lockdown or strike, customers in Pacific Rim countries will start to look elsewhere for agricultural products, machine parts and other goods. 

Orange and grapefruit growers are especially concerned their exports to Asia for the Chinese New Year, which begins Feb. 1, could be held up. Navel oranges will be ready for shipping at the end of December and early January, just as the cooling off period ends. 

“If a strike happens then, it would be very disruptive,” said Russ Hanlin, vice president of International Sales at Sunkist Growers, a marketing cooperative. 

The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping companies and port terminal operators, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have been engaged in contentious contract negotiations since spring. 

The acrimony between the two sides culminated in a lockout of dock workers Sept. 29. The shipping lines accused the longshoremen of a work slowdown, but the union said it was working according to safety regulations, which slowed the pace of work. 

The 10-day lockout, estimated to cost the nation’s economy about $1 billion a day, ended Oct. 9 after a judge ordered the West Coast ports reopened. 

When the lockout ended, about 200 container ships were docked or anchored off the Pacific coast. At the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the world’s third busiest, many of those ships remain stuck in the backlog. 

This week, the shipping lines filed documents with the U.S. Department of Justice accusing longshoremen of a deliberate slowdown since returning to work. 

The shipping lines said longshoremen are working 34 percent below the normal work rate in Oakland and 9 percent less at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Other slowdown rates include 29 percent in Portland, Ore., 27 percent in Seattle and 19 percent in Tacoma, Wash., the association said. 

The figures compare the number of containers longshoremen moved on and off a vessel each hour at a particular port before and after the lockout. 

The union blames the gridlock on unsafe working conditions and disorganized terminal operators. 

On Friday, union officials said they had filed documents with the Justice Department rebutting the association’s claims of a slowdown. 

“There’s no evidence backing it up. There’s no way they can be independently verified,” union spokesman Steve Stallone said. 

Anticipating the difficulty in receiving goods, many retailers, especially large chains such as Wal-Mart and large toy retailers, accelerated delivery of holiday merchandise during the summer. 

Smaller toy stores, which are dependent on a chain of wholesalers and distributors and are less able to reroute shipments to other ports, are more likely to suffer if products aren’t delivered by Thanksgiving. 

“It is iffy at the moment,” said Marcia Bernsten, shopkeeper at Saturday’s Child, an independent toy retailer in Chicago. “We’re just kind of waiting and watching and doing what we can to make substitutions of stuff coming from the East Coast.” 

Domestic toy manufacturers have reported backlogs in deliveries from West Coast ports but not enough yet to significantly affect the holiday shopping season. 

Hasbro Inc. recently said it expects to be up to date on deliveries within seven to 10 days. The company also devised a contingency plan for the first quarter of 2003 in case the dock labor situation deteriorates. 

Mattel recently said it has about $75 million to $100 million in wholesale volume worth of merchandise stuck on the water and worries that retailers may cancel orders if goods don’t arrive on time. The company has begun to selectively ship certain toys by air. 

The delay in unloading ships even affected the World Series. 

As part of a “Memorable Moments” promotion sponsored by Master Card, about 57,000 disposable cameras were supposed to have been given to fans at Game Four in San Francisco Wednesday night. 

The cameras, shipped from Hong Kong, are in a container on a ship that arrived at the Port of Los Angeles on Oct. 15. Because of the backlog, the small company that ordered the cameras has been told the ship won’t be unloaded until Nov. 1.


Organic school lunches not as popular as predicted

The Associated Press
Monday October 28, 2002

 

PALO ALTO – A pilot program offering organic lunches to elementary school students isn’t as popular as organizers had hoped. 

In May, children clamored to try organic food at the Healthy School Lunch Committee’s taste test. But now that pesticide-free and hormone-free macaroni and cheese and other entrees are actually on the menu, hardly anyone’s buying them. 

“Things are pretty expensive,” said 10-year-old Christina Lee. Instead of buying an organic cheese enchilada for $2.50 last week, the Ohlone Elementary School fifth-grader picked up a complete regular lunch – a pizza pocket, a box of raisins, a bag of baby carrots, an orange and a carton of chocolate milk – for the same price. 

The pilot program was launched at all 12 Palo Alto elementary schools this fall. 

Prohibitive pricing, difficulties with distributors, confusion among parents and little interest from kids all have contributed to lackluster sales. 

“Nothing has been as we had hoped it would be,” said Jesse Cool, a local restaurateur and one of the leading forces behind Palo Alto’s organic initiative. 

The all-natural meals, free from chemicals and genetic engineering, were supposed to cost $4.50 because the entrees would come with organic applesauce and either hormone-free milk or organic apple juice. But those snacks and beverages have yet to be shipped from the warehouses to the cafeterias. 

Publicity at schools has remained minimal and many of the lunch menus don’t list the new items, leaving many parents unaware that schools were offering organic alternatives. 

No more than seven organic entrees have been purchased on any given day at Ohlone, the school where students grow vegetables on the campus farm and where parents have pushed for the organic lunch options. 

The school sold about 100 regular lunches, pizza pockets, chicken patty sandwiches, taco pockets and tuna sandwiches, on one day last week. It also sold four organic cheese enchiladas, but adults purchased three of them.


Opinion

Editorials

Election Day Preview: Shirley Dean

Compiled by Judith Scherr
Saturday November 02, 2002

Shirley Dean 

Age: 67 

Born: Eaton, Colo.  

Education: Graduated Berkeley High School; B.A. in Social Welfare. UC Berkeley  

Occupation: Mayor; Retired in 2000 from the Office of Undergraduate Admission and Relations with Schools at UC Berkeley 

Offices held: Mayor of Berkeley,1994 to present; Berkeley council member, 1975-1982, 1986-1994 

Endorsements: State Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, former Sen. Nicholas Petris, D-Oakland, councilmembers Betty Olds, Polly C. Armstrong and Miriam Hawley 

Campaign Spending: raised $142,000 as of Oct. 19 

 

Rent control: Supports rent control, but advocates changes. Wants it tied to renter’s need. During current recession, says landlords hold units vacant because market rents are low; if they rent and market rents go up, they continue to receive below-market rent-controlled rate. Says rents would decrease faster and more units would be available without rent control. 

 

Housing Trust Fund: OK to lend Housing Trust Funds to for-profit developers when they use it to build affordable/low income units. Says for-profit builders repay loan funds, while non-profit developers generally don’t. 

 

Second Units: Says parking limitations should remain as they are; tandem parking unworkable for people in separate households. Don’t increase density in sensitive areas, such as areas prone to landslides. 

 

Divisiveness vs. cooperation: Works to build good relations with the UC Berkeley. Says her work is made difficult by public officials’ inappropriate behavior, for example when Bates was legislator and wife, Loni Hancock was mayor, they used a car to block a university demolition project. 

Good relations with university; co-chairs Berkeley Alliance – an organization that brings schools, city and university together – with Chancellor Robert Berdahl. Went to Ohio, not to dig up dirt on Councilmember Kriss Worthington, as claimed, but was there on business and used the opportunity to find out about him in order to improve working relations. Dean’s home phone number is listed in the phone book; available to talk to the public “24/7.” 

 

Streamlining council meetings: Says Bates’ Rules Committee proposal is undemocratic, “limits speech”: Would prevent boards/commissions from giving direction to council and councilmembers from proposing ideas, and says council meeting would be taken up with appeals of rules committee decisions. Better to work cooperatively with a council that coalesces around ideas, not factions. Way council meetings are currently run works, especially the ability to move items listed for discussion to “consent” agenda, where items are approved as a group without discussion. 

 

Streamlining city government: Wants to reduce number of boards and commissions by consolidating some; boards and commissions need to be staffed so they benefit from staff work and vice versa. 

 

Addressing budget deficit: Wants to attract businesses, a selective hiring freeze, no new programs unless funds are identified, performance audits to see if spending funds the best way, attract businesses; as new chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s task force on cities and universities, will have help getting university to pay in lieu taxes in addition to fees already pays. 

 

Economic development: Wants to attract smaller, more unique, “Berkeley-like,” businesses; “No big box” such as Home Depot or Target. Succeeded in getting Eddie Bauer and Pyramid Brewery to come to Berkeley. Supported ordinance allowing west Berkeley businesses to sell art from their studios. 

 

Parking: Need additional parking to attract businesses; re-examine policy that says no public money should be spent on parking


Earth First! bombing case returns

Melissa McRobbie
Friday November 01, 2002

OAKLAND – U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken is scheduled today to hear challenges to a court decision that awarded two Earth First! activists $4.4 million for First and Fourth Amendment violations by the FBI and Oakland Police Department. 

In August, Wilken upheld a jury decision finding that members of the Oakland PD and the FBI wrongly treated Darryn Cherney and Judi Bari as suspects when a bomb went off in their car in 1990, injuring the pair. 

The Oakland PD and the FBI seek to overturn guilty verdicts against them and to reduce the payments ordered. Lawyers for Cherney and the estate of the late Bari are requesting another trial that would include charges against six additional FBI agents who were dismissed from the case before the initial trial began. 

Bari died of cancer in 1997. 

The hearing is scheduled at 10 a.m. in the Federal Courthouse at 1301 Clay Street in Oakland.  


Camping at Cachuma Lake in a Yurt can be relaxing affair

By Marla Jo Fisher The Associated Press
Friday November 01, 2002

CACHUMA LAKE — Friday, 7 p.m. I feel darn smug, sitting here around the campfire. 

Unlike us, everyone else here in this campground is hurriedly setting up their Friday night campsites. 

Not me. 

It’s only been 15 minutes since we arrived at Cachuma Lake, in the Santa Ynez Valley east of Santa Barbara, but we are already sitting around our campfire, drinking our first glass of Chilean merlot. 

The reason I’m feeling so pleased with myself is that I had the foresight to book us into a pair of yurts. That meant that all we did was drive into this scenic park, deliciously whizzing past the long lines of campers waiting to register, get our sleeping bags out of the car and toss them onto the bunk beds, and, presto, our work was done. 

Well, actually that’s an exaggeration. 

We had to open the wine — and light the fire, too. 

Now you’re probably going to ask me what a yurt is. 

I first learned about yurts while reading a fishing magazine in my mechanic’s waiting room. 

I already knew about Cachuma Lake, the picturesque cobalt-blue reservoir on scenic Highway 154 in the Los Padres National Forest that provides water to Santa Barbara County. 

I’d always been interested in camping there, even though most of the people attracted to the campground are anglers, and I don’t fish. 

So, when I read in the fishing guide that you could rent something strange called a yurt, I immediately wanted to do it, just because the word appealed to my writer’s imagination. 

A yurt is a round canvas tent, designed from the homes used by nomadic tribes in Mongolia. 

The yurts at Cachuma Lake are made from a waterproof canvas skin hung over wooden scaffolding, with a wooden floor and surrounded by a wooden deck that seems to hang over the water. 

They have windows with canvas flaps that can be rolled up, electricity and a fluorescent light, and are furnished with wooden bunk beds with waterproof foam mattresses, and resin tables and chairs. 

You even get an electric heater to ward off any evening chill. 

Outside the yurts, each campsite has a barbecue and a fire ring, and is pleasantly shaded by huge, old, friendly looking oak trees. 

While the accommodations are rustic, the view is strictly five-star. But there is a definite shortage of peace and quiet in this huge campground, which holds some 550 campsites that are fully occupied on summer weekends. 

People seeking solitude would be better served by venturing a bit farther east to one of the U.S. Forest Service campgrounds a few miles from here. 

But the lake is the big attraction here, and it is just gorgeous, one of the most beautiful lakes in California. 

No swimming is allowed because the lake is a drinking water reservoir. But there’s a swimming pool and there are other family attractions, including a miniature golf course and a marina with boats available for rent. 

My friends also approve. We finish off the merlot, talking in the dark around the campfire, until it’s time for bed. We sleep comfortably, listening to the gentle lapping of the lake on the shore. 

On Saturday morning, songbirds awaken us, and we rise feeling rested and relaxed. 

Then, the crisis occurs. 

The propane for our camp stove has been left behind, meaning there’s no way to make coffee or breakfast. This could get ugly. 

However, that’s not a problem here, because we can just stroll down to the marina grill. 

After breakfast, we pack a lunch and drive south a few miles to Paradise Road, turning onto a pleasant country lane that includes several national forest campgrounds. A few miles of driving lead us to a series of swimming holes along the Santa Ynez River that are fun to explore. 

After a hike, we drive north again and visit the Firestone Vineyard. 

In recent years, wineries have begun charging their customers for the privilege of tasting, so we each ante up $7.50 for the right to sample several reserve wines and also taste at the smaller Curtis Winery next door. 

We bring back a few bottles to enjoy around the fire. We also stop in the tiny hamlet of Los Olivos to buy cheese, crackers and dessert, proving yet again that we are having an un-wilderness experience. 

We stay up late talking, and enjoy the moment when we hit the sack. 

Sunday. Another blissful morning, with the lake shrouded in mist that burns off as the day wears on. We are so lazy that we almost miss the wildlife tour of the lake on a pontoon boat that leaves from the marina. 

Afterward, it’s time regretfully to pack up and head home. But, again, it’s a simple matter of rolling up our sleeping bags and stowing the cooler and stove in the car. If we’d been willing to eat all our meals at the grill, we could even have dispensed with cooking altogether. 

 

If You Go... 

 

GETTING THERE: From the south, take Highway 101 to the San Marcos Pass exit, Highway 154. The park entrance is about 20 miles from this point. From the north, take Highway 101 to Highway 154. Cachuma Lake is about 20 miles east. 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION: Yurt reservations are taken up to one year in advance. Fees range from $45 to $55 per night depending on yurt size and the season. There is a two-night minimum stay for weekends, and a three-night minimum stay for all major holidays. 

For information/reservations, (805) 686-5054 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.


Initiatives beckon voters across the county

Compiled from staff
Thursday October 31, 2002

Voters in Alameda County will cast votes on an array of ballot measures Tuesday, with voters in Castro Valley poised to decide whether to become an incorporated city and Fremont and Berkeley voters considering raises for local officeholders. 

Measure Q would create the new city of Castro Valley. If approved by voters, the city would exist as of July 1 and be governed by a five-member city council. Proponents say that incorporation would make Castro Valley more responsive to residents, while critics worry that the city would not be able to support itself financially. State law requires that that voters of a proposed city approve an incorporation by a simple majority vote. 

In Berkeley, Measure K proposes a boost in salaries of school board members, from $875 a month to $1,500 a month. Meanwhile, Fremont City Council members and the mayor would see their salaries increased if voters there pass Measure S. Under the measure, the monthly salary of each member of the City Council would increase to $2,083 from $1,407 and the salary of the mayor would increase to $2,916 from $2,211 per month. 

Measure W, if approved, would allow the Tracy Joint Unified High School District to issue $103 million in bonds to fund school construction and improvements. As a school bond issue, the measure requires 55 percent approval for passage. 

Voters in the city of Fremont will vote on Measure R, a $51 million bond measure that would replace three small fire stations and seismically upgrade seven others. A two-thirds vote is required for passage. 

Measure A would allow the Alameda County to adopt a hotel and lodging tax of 10 percent of the rental charge that would apply to unincorporated areas of the county. With the exception of Piedmont, all cities in the county currently impose a hotel and lodging tax of 8 to 12 percent. 

Measure B would enable the county to continue imposing a business license tax in unincorporated areas. 

If passed, Measure AA would permit the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District to levy a $24 annual parcel tax over the next five years, to protect bus services for children and seniors, help ensure passenger security and help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. 

Measure BB would allow BART to issue up to $1.05 billion in bonds to perform seismic upgrades on  

BART facilities in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties. 

Measures AA and BB require a two-thirds majority for passage.


State says UC Berkeley group misunderstands admissions policy

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet Staff
Wednesday October 30, 2002

State officials said Tuesday that a UC Berkeley student group seeking to boost minority enrollment is spreading false information about admissions procedures at California’s public universities. 

But members of the student group, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, or BAMN, insist that admissions language crafted by a state legislative committee is unclear and could lead to a reduction in enrollment for high-achieving minorities and other high-achieving students. 

At issue is the California Master Plan for Education, a sprawling document that lays out a broad vision for California’s public schools from kindergarten through higher education. 

The legislature developed the first master plan in 1960 in an attempt to divide up the educational turf for California’s public universities. The plan, among other things, stated that the University of California should choose its students from among the top one-eighth of graduating high school students in the state, while California State University should select from among the top one-third. The legislature has revised the 1960 document about every ten years since.  

In its 1989 revision, the legislature went a step further on UC and CSU admissions. Instead of simply mandating that CSU choose students from “among” the top third and UC from “among” the top eighth, the legislature actually guaranteed admission for the top third at the 23-campus CSU system and the top eighth at the nine-campus UC system. 

Last month, the legislature’s Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan released the latest revision of the plan. 

BAMN charged at a Tuesday rally that the new master plan is vaguely-worded and threatens the 1989 guarantee. Eliminating the guarantee, coalition leaders said, would remove one way for high-achieving minorities and other high-achieving students,to gain automatic access to higher education. 

But state officials said the new plan clearly retains the guarantee. 

The document reads: “The California State University and University of California systems should continue to adhere to the policy of guaranteeing that all students who apply for freshman admission and who are eligible to attend (students within the top one-third, in the case of the California State University applicants, and the top one-eighth, in the case of University of California applicants) are offered admission to the system(s) for which they are eligible and have applied.” 

Students argue that the phrase “within the top one-third...and the top eighth” could be interpreted to mean that a subgroup “within” the top third or eighth, rather than the entire group, would be admitted. 

But Charles Ratliff, a senior consultant with the state Legislature’s Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan, said the students are “misrepresenting what the committee has adopted.” He said the guarantee remains in full effect. 

The debate between BAMN and the joint committee stretches back to the first draft of the master plan, which omitted the word “guarantee.”  

The first draft reverted to the language of the original 1960 master plan, which stated that CSU and UC would choose their students from “among” the top third and eighth, but did not guarantee admission for all of those students. 

Ratliff said the joint committee reverted to the 1960 language, in part, because it feared that the Legislature, faced with a growing student population and, as a result, an expanded guarantee, might not be willing to fund the growth. 

After lobbying by UC and BAMN, Ratliff said, the joint committee re-inserted the “guarantee” language. 

Members of BAMN said Tuesday that, after the initial spat over the word “guarantee,” they do not trust the committee and want them to put forth “crystal clear” language, citing the 1989 revision as a model. 

“We don’t trust them,” said Caroline Wong, national outreach coordinator for BAMN. 

But UC spokesperson Hanan Eisenman said the university has no doubts about the final draft of the master plan. 

“The guarantee does remain,” he said. “We’re going to continue to grant admission to the top 12.5 percent.” 

The top 12.5 percent is equivalent to the top eighth. 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net 


Crime slightly up in Bay Area

Tuesday October 29, 2002

 

OAKLAND — The rate of nearly every violent crime, including murder, rape and robbery, rose nationwide since 2001, with crime in most parts of the Bay Area either following suit or holding steady, according to Federal Bureau of Investigations figures released Monday. 

Across the country in 2001, homicides were up 2.5 percent, robberies increased 3.7 percent and rapes rose 0.3 percent from the year before. Property theft also went up, with 5.7 percent more car thefts, 2.9 percent more burglaries and 1.5 percent more larcenies and thefts. 

Aggravated assault was the only category that decreased across the country, with 0.5 percent fewer incidents in 2001 than in 2000. 

Metropolitan regions in the Bay Area showed mixed results, with some areas reporting an elevated crime rate from 2000 to 2001 and other areas holding steady over the same period. 

Oakland saw 84 homicides in 2001 as opposed to 80 in 2000. As of tonight, 94 people have been slain in Oakland in 2002 with two months left in the year. However, rapes decreased from 2000 to 2001, from 320 to 295 reported incidents. Robberies rose from 1,929 to 2,125. 

In the entire East Bay, including all of Contra Costa and Alameda counties, murders decreased from 166 in 2000 to 157 the year following. During the same period the rate of reported rapes fell significantly, from 799 to 697. 

In the North Bay the crime rate barely changed. Sonoma County saw 11 murders in 2000 and 12 in 2001. Seventy-one rapes were reported in 2000, 72 the year after. And robberies decreased slightly, from 129 to 123 incidents. 

Crime in the South Bay also held steady, with Santa Clara County seeing 33 homicides in 2000 and 34 the year following. Reported rapes dropped slightly from 337 to 329, and robberies went from 677 to 712 occurrences. Mimicking the national trend, aggravated assaults rose from 3,895 to 4,501.


Aroner gets high marks from watchdog group

Daily Planet Wire Service
Monday October 28, 2002

Two Bay Area legislators received high marks from an environmental watchdog group that handed out report cards last week. 

The California League of Conservation Voters gave Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, a 100 percent score for her voting record on environmental issues in 2002, according to a release from the advocacy group. 

U.S. Rep. Anna Eschoo, D-Palo Alto, also received a perfect voting score from the conservation league, according to the congresswoman’s office. 

The conservation league cited three legislative priorities in its report card handed out Monday. 

Assembly Bill 1493, which adopts air standards to curb exhaust emissions from cars and trucks, and Senate Bill 1078, which requires energy suppliers to increase their use of renewable resources, both passed the Legislature and were signed by Gov. Gray Davis. 

The league’s other priority, Senate Bill 1994/Assembly Bill 2682, which sought to reduce diesel emissions, increase the use of alternative-fuel school buses, and impose a tax on petroleum that would go to fund cleanup operations, died in committee.