News

Berkeley politicians have done their best to stir up interest in an election that will determine the city’s next mayor and the height of new buildings. But despite a virtual Shirley Dean–Tom Bates road show that has included 27 debates and has both candidates admitting the race is too close to call, Berkeley voter turnout is expected to hit all-time lows. -more-

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Tuesday, Nov. 5 -more-

Steve Murphy is a man without a position – because he plays everywhere. -more-

The Coalition of University Employees (CUE), which represents 18,000 secretaries, library assistants and other clerical workers at the University of California, rejected a comprehensive UC contract offer last week. The rejection will probably lead to state intervention in a 1 1/2-year-old contract dispute over wages and workplace safety that has sparked strikes on five of UC’s nine campuses since late August. -more-

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An Alameda County Superior Court judge has rejected a request by 32 pro-Palestinian student activists facing possible expulsion to intervene in UC Berkeley student conduct hearings. -more-

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OAKLAND — Oakland Raiders place-kicker Sebastian Janikowski pleaded innocent in Alameda County Superior Court Monday to two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol. -more-

Arnold Schwarzenegger may be big at the box office, but pollsters say even he doesn’t have enough star power to attract voters to the polls for an election that includes a lackluster governor’s race, secession in Los Angeles and homelessness in San Francisco. -more-

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WASHINGTON — U.S. forces killed a top associate of Osama bin Laden in Yemen in a missile strike, expanding the war on terror with America's first overt attack on suspected al-Qaida operatives outside of Afghanistan, a U.S. official said Monday. -more-

SAN JOSE — Three planes were evacuated, at least 56 flights were delayed and hundreds of people were cleared out of Mineta San Jose International Airport after a suspicious bag slipped past screeners last weekend. -more-

Less church for Marin residents -more-

Days before voters in Alameda County will be asked to give the Board of Supervisors control over the county's next chief probation officer, the current officeholder announced her retirement. -more-

SAN JOSE — The Santa Cruz couple who ran a medical marijuana farm raided by federal agents in September argued Monday that their pot plants, as well as confiscated videos and photo albums, should be returned to them. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Jewish Defense League leader Irv Rubin, jailed on charges of plotting to bomb a mosque and the office of an Arab-American congressman, was brain dead Monday after what federal authorities called a suicide attempt. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Taking their cue from the skittish stock market, venture capitalists continue to scale back their fund-raising efforts for future investments, according to industry figures released Monday. -more-

SAN JOSE — Semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials Inc. said Monday it will cut 1,750 jobs, or 11 percent of its work force, as it struggles with the continuing high-tech slump. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Teamsters pledged Monday to shut down two Rolling Stones concerts this weekend at Pacific Bell Park if the promoter, Clear Channel Communications, does not agree to use union workers. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The chain-reaction crashes that piled up nearly 200 cars on the Long Beach Freeway likely could have been avoided if drivers had simply slowed down when they hit foggy conditions, California Highway Patrol officials said Monday. -more-

The Coast Guard radio call came in at about 6 p.m. Saturday. An unidentified boat with its lights off was heading for the Port of Oakland. -more-

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Monday, Nov. 4 -more-

The Cal women’s soccer team faces two must-win situations after losing, 2-1, to top-ranked Stanford on Saturday at Edwards Stadium. -more-

Tomorrow, months of mudslinging and campaign promises will come to a head, with Berkeley voters deciding a tight mayoral race and four City Council contests. But what does it all mean? -more-

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OAKLAND – Jose Cortez seized his second chance to win the Battle of the Bay – and Jerry Rice didn’t get much of a chance at all. -more-

Voters in cities across Alameda County will elect a county supervisor on Election Day, as well as a Bay Area Rapid Transit District director, mayors, and city council members. -more-

Strong words against a war with Iraq -more-

Scoreboard -more-

After nine weeks of living in local hotels, the 69 residents of fire-damaged UA Homes finally moved home last week. -more-

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No. 8 Washington State 44, -more-

CAIRO, Egypt – Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said in a rare interview that he believed the American and British determination to make war on Iraq could collapse under the weight of anti-war sentiment in the two countries. -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO – Public pot gardens in San Francisco may be more than just California dreaming. -more-

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S.F. Opera fined for accident -more-

L.A. wants $1.4 billion from feds for health care -more-

LOS ANGELES – With less than 48 hours until election day, Gov. Gray Davis and challenger Bill Simon raced to seal key votes Sunday and urged residents to get to the polls. -more-

SACRAMENTO – They’re the indecisive and waiters, middle of the roaders, inattentive, the late deciders. Just hours shy of polls opening, they’re still holding their noses and up for grabs — the greatest bumper crop of disaffected voters in California memory. -more-

SAN JOSE – Microsoft Corp.’s rivals vowed to continue to push for a stronger antidote to the software giant’s domination of the software market after a court ruling largely upheld the federal government’s remedies. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – The growing popularity of CD burning and illegal song-swapping over the Internet has caused online music sales to tumble this year, according to a survey to be released Monday. -more-

PASADENA – The California Institute of Technology has the lowest percentage of black freshmen among the nation’s top 25 universities, according to a survey by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. -more-

PLEASANTON – The California Highway Patrol arrested a person on suspicion of drunken driving Sunday morning after a car collided with a truck on Interstate Highway 680 and killed one person. -more-

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. -more-

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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.” -more-

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. -more-

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? -more-

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

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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. -more-

Berkeley loses playoff berth -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

Tom Bates -more-

Judge blocks ordinances -more-

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. -more-

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

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

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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

Tabby owner tracked down -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

Friday, Nov. 1 -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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

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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. -more-

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

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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. -more-

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

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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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. -more-

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Thursday, Oct. 31 -more-

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. -more-

Telegraph Avenue merchants demanded justice Wednesday, one day after about 30 teenagers looted more than $2,000 in merchandise from a sporting good store. -more-

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Staff Report -more-

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. -more-

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Girls Volleyball - Berkeley 3, Encinal 0 -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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.” -more-

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. -more-

Cancer awareness ads criticism -more-

Animal lovers try to halt poison drop -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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Wednesday, Oct. 30 -more-

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Jazmin Pratt is the key to St. Mary’s girls volleyball rebirth. -more-

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. -more-

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The Cal women’s basketball family grew by one Tuesday. -more-

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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. -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

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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. -more-

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. -more-

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. -more-

UKIAH — The primary task of a deer hunter is not shooting, but seeing. -more-