Medical experts, patients and legislators are supporting a bill by state Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, that addresses under-prescribed pain medication. -more-
Imagine a mystery novel sans middle aged lonely guy, hyper-femme perp or insanely effacing schoolmarm. In “The Big Nap”, the second novel in the “Mommy-Track Series” by Ayelet Waldman, we don’t even get a self-respecting set of four inch pumps. Don’t even think of asking for generic blood n’ guts n’ guns n’ cigarette smoke swirling into the blue. -more-
Players attend workshops before every league game -more-
Councilmember Kriss Worthington mailed his Candidate Intention Statement to the Secretary of State and officially threw his hat — or bicycle helmet — into the ring for the 14th state assembly seat. Worthington, a progressive member of the City Council, said he will launch his bid for the Assembly by conducting a bicycle campaign through the district which includes North Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, Richmond and El Cerrito. -more-
By John Geluardi -more-
In what appears to be the most successful fundraising effort ever among a single graduating class of Berkeley High School alumni, the class of 1951 has raised $70,000 to endow a scholarship fund for graduates. -more-
In the early years of the 20th Century, Telegraph Avenue was a grand residential street lined with elegant homes. The two residences at 2740 and 2744 Telegraph Avenue were built by John Albert Marshall. They are the houses on the right side of the picture. -more-
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., today began pushing for a limit on the amount of alcohol airline passengers can consume in an effort to halt the rise of so-called air rage incidents. -more-
After spending six months in precarious Middle Eastern waters, the Coast Guard Cutter Sherman – the first U.S. Coast Guard vessel to circumnavigate the world – will dock in tranquil Alameda today. -more-
MENLO PARK – Since there is no federal oversight of human embryonic stem cell research, the three U.S. companies working in the field are left to police themselves. -more-
SACRAMENTO – About 30 percent of customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison qualified for rebates on their power bills in June – surprising state officials who thought only a fraction of the utilities’ customers would cut their energy use to get a rebate. -more-
SACRAMENTO – State Controller Kathleen Connell canceled a $2 million payroll Friday for 2,000 legislative employees as the state budget stalemate reached its 13th day. -more-
SACRAMENTO – The Legislature’s top Republicans on Friday sharply criticized a state commission ruling creating an exception to campaign contribution limits approved by voters last November. -more-
Dear Tom and Ray: -more-
LOS ANGELES – BMW officials traveled to one of the nation’s smoggiest cities this week to show off a fleet of luxury cars that run on rocket fuel but belch virtually nothing but water and steam from their tailpipes. -more-
WASHINGTON – Rep. Gary Condit took a lie-detector test arranged by his lawyer, and it showed he “was not deceptive in any way” in denying knowledge of what happened to missing intern Chandra Levy, the lawyer said Friday. -more-
SACRAMENTO – The California Coastal Commission, a state agency that regulates coastal development, is appealing a Sacramento Superior Court judge’s ruling that it violated the state constitution. -more-
SAN JOSE – Andrew Burnett apologized for the death of a small dog he threw into traffic in a fit of road rage. But a judge called him a liar, and sentenced Burnett to the maximum three-year prison term. -more-
SANDPOINT – Six children who staged a days-long standoff with authorities following their mother’s arrest on child-neglect charges will remain in a foster home indefinitely, a judge ruled Friday. -more-
KLAMATH FALLS – About 10 men used a crowbar to partially open a canal head gate at the Klamath irrigation project on Friday, the fourth time someone has tried to release water that is being held back by federal officials to protect endangered and threatened fish. -more-
If the potential for heart attacks and lung cancer doesn’t scare you off your cigarette habit (you may think those things just happen to other people), consider these other risks: -more-
Ideas for spicing up your home -more-
Wisteria, one of the most beautiful plants on earth, can last for 50 years and more. It can also, and has a reputation for doing so, drive you and your heirs nuts. -more-
As Bush ponders issue, three companies begin farming cells -more-
Parents and administrators of a nonprofit Berkeley school are mobilizing against a play-equipment manufacturer, that allegedly failed to properly inform them about the risk of arsenic contamination of the play structure they acquired. -more-
You’d think that at the age of 68 I’d have something better to do than march in the streets of Genoa facing menacing Italian polizie armed with gas masks and truncheons and the even more menacing anarchists and revolutionaries seeking opportunities to destroy property before the cameras. -more-
924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. July 13: Special Duties, Oppressed Logic, Violent Society, Zero Bullsh*t, Born Dead; July 14: Lonely Kings, Onetime Angels, Stay Gold, Thought Riot, Youth Gone Wild; July 15, 5 p.m.: Bobbyteens, Los Rabbis, Finky Binks, Off Balance; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-
924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. July 13: Special Duties, Oppressed Logic, Violent Society, Zero Bullsh*t, Born Dead; July 14: Lonely Kings, Onetime Angels, Stay Gold, Thought Riot, Youth Gone Wild; July 15, 5 p.m.: Bobbyteens, Los Rabbis, Finky Binks, Off Balance; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926.
A group of public housing residents complained to the City Council Tuesday of a rat infestation they said is threatening their children and keeping them up at night. -more-
Editor: -more-
Every wonder why Berkeley High – with all the graduates it sends to top notch universities, with its incredible roster of illustrious alumni – doesn’t have an endowment to rival that of a small liberal arts college? -more-
The flier said “in seven days”… I felt the excitement of the seventh-day itch. The six other itches intensified my state of utter turbulence. I was a little out of control, moving around my attic and basement creating more storage space. I dreamed of a warehouse, or an abandoned lot. -more-
SACRAMENTO – An administrative law judge mediating talks between the state of California and energy companies says the state is likely owed “hundreds of millions of dollars” in refunds, much less than the $8.9 billion the state wants. -more-
OAKLAND – It was Keith Batt’s childhood dream to become a police officer. But after just nine nights patrolling the tough streets of west Oakland, his dream was shattered. -more-
SACRAMENTO – A San Francisco charter school run by a for-profit company will reopen next month under state charter, ending three years of bickering with the local school board. -more-
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved $135 million for California water projects Thursday. -more-
WASHINGTON – Federal authorities have opened an initial criminal inquiry into whether Rep. Gary Condit obstructed justice or encouraged perjury in the investigation of Chandra Levy’s disappearance, law enforcement officials said Thursday. -more-
If you thought the Berkeley Arts Festival was over, and that the busy schedule of musical events was burned out, flown by, finished, think again. -more-
Here’s a malady homeowners want to avoid: The “while you’re at it syndrome.” -more-
Comfort and ease evoke the spirit of today’s country look. Americans, spurred on by the nation’s bicentennial 25 years ago, continue to look to a simpler time to reduce stress on their daily lives. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Oakland is a city on the rise and it just won’t take any more slights. No more references to it having “no there there.” No more stereotypes as a crime-plagued city. And, please, stop the unflattering comparisons to its famous neighbor across the Bay. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Napster escaped a legal mess Thursday when it settled a suit filed by heavy metal band Metallica, but the embattled song-swapping company still faces a federal judge’s order demanding the service remain offline until it prevents all unauthorized song trading. -more-
SAN JOSE – Computer chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. barely beat Wall Street’s dramatically lowered expectations for its second-quarter earnings Thursday and gave a grim outlook for the current quarter. -more-
The City Council increased a loan Tuesday for the downtown library renovation project, which is four months behind schedule and an estimated $2 million over budget. -more-
All-American will get a shot at more caps in Nordic Cup -more-
The Berkeley-based Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court Wednesday morning against taxi services provider Friendly Cab Company, alleging that it discriminates against passengers who use guide dogs. -more-
With Berkeley High headed for rebuilding seasons in both football and boys’ basketball, the last thing the Yellowjackets needed was to lose two veteran players. But that’s exactly what has happened, as rising seniors Mohammed Nitoto and Chevallier Patterson will transfer to McClymonds for the next school year. -more-
Examples of work from the Young Writers’ Camp; see story on p. 1 -more-
Some school officials are cautiously optimistic that the latest round of reforms proposed for Berkeley High’s ninth-grade curriculum will make being a freshman less overwhelming than it has been in years past – particularly for students who arrive at the school at risk of failing. -more-
Saulius Kuzminskas, 6-foot-11 forward, has elected not to return to the Cal basketball team, deciding instead to play professionally in his native Lithuania. -more-
Teresa is reading her piece about her grandmother, Baby, who tries to ride a scooter but falls instead, head over heels; eight stitches are required to close up her burst-open chin. The audience cracks up when Teresa rolls her eyes and tells us this grandmother is a judge! -more-
Senate subpoenas energy provider’s financial records for investigation -more-
Gay and lesbian chorus sings music for social causes -more-
CORNELIUS, Ore. – Turn left at the American flag. Follow the dirt road lined with yellow dandelions. Pass the old house with the wooden porch and the dark brown llama in the front corral. Park in the back, where the rooster is crowing and the air is rich with a mixture of animal dung and ripening fruit. -more-
HOUSTON – When Compaq Computer Corp. announced earlier this year it was restructuring, the company hoped natural attrition would allow it to shave thousands of jobs. -more-
More than 70 people showed up at North Gate Hall for a public hearing Monday night, to challenge UC Berkeley’s Northeast Quadrant Science and Safety Project. -more-
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could make a Berkeley ordinance restricting tobacco advertisements near schools unenforceable, legal experts say. -more-
Class helps older adults stay on their toes -more-
Teachers and parents of the Berkeley site of Hickman Charter School are increasingly concerned about the impact a state Senate bill restricting home-school funding could have on their children’s education. -more-
A car fire atop a three-story parking building was extinguished by the Berkeley Fire Department in less than half an hour on Tuesday. -more-
Parents of disabled children who attend Berkeley schools made an impassioned appeal to the school board last week to reform the district’s special education programs. -more-
The San Francisco Mime Troupe brings its new musical play “1600 Transylvania” to Berkeley next weekend with Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances at Cedar Rose Park. -more-
Mayor Shirley Dean has put a new recommendation on the City Council’s agenda that asks the city manager to undertake a study of the growing number of day labors that congregate on Hearst Avenue in west Berkeley looking for short-term work. -more-
And now, it seems, there’s four candidates for the local State Assembly race. -more-
The City Council is expected to approve funds tonight for completion of the High Efficiency Traffic Signal program that will govern the city’s intersections with signal lights that burn cheaper, longer and brighter. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Online grocer Webvan Group Inc. closed Monday and said it would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. -more-
NEW YORK — Bargain-hunting and news of an unsolicited bid for AT&T’s cable TV business helped revive blue chip and technology stocks Monday, pushing the major indexes higher after a weeklong slump. -more-
WASHINGTON — ETrade Securities, one of the largest online brokerage firms, has been fined $90,000 by a self-policing brokers’ group for allegedly violating advertising rules by making misleading claims. -more-
Mr. Confetti, the marionette, kicked and danced and even spun on his hands, moving to the beat of a group of animated Taiko drummers; juice from fresh-picked peaches poured down shirt fronts as market-goers strolled in the sun; connoisseurs fingered hand-made quilts and looked longingly at Elaine Pruitt’s sparkling “wearable art.” And even in the stress-free environment of Sunday’s first-ever West Berkeley Market, there were folks ready to enjoy a “quickie” massage. -more-
AC Transit holiday service doesn’t get it done for poor and disabled -more-
Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer winner is first play by contemporary writer at the California Shakespeare Festival -more-
Berkeley Junior Giants short on volunteers -more-
Concerned about the constant challenges Berkeley’s large disabled community faces when it participates in special events, the Commission on Disability is currently working on a new set of guidelines for the accessibility of city-funded events. -more-
The school board chugged through a busy agenda Thursday, at its last regular meeting until Aug. 15. It reviewed summer construction plans, discussed new policies proposed for next year and approved plans for independent audits in key areas of district operations. -more-
CHICO – Curtis Scott is a 45-year-old prison guard who really wants to teach third grade. -more-
Plan would trim hundreds of millions from price -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – State power regulators are poised to protect consumers from a problem they don’t yet confront — phone companies trying to shut down their service because they haven’t paid for all the sodas, pizzas, and lattes they used their cell phones to buy. -more-
Proposition 34’s contribution limits effectively waived by new regulation, reform advocates say -more-
Herbert George Baker, a professor of Botany and Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley for 33 years, died July 2, at Piedmont Gardens in Oakland after a long illness. He was 81. -more-
MODESTO — The mother of missing federal intern Chandra Levy pressed Rep. Gary Condit on Monday to take a lie detector test. -more-
