By David Scharfenberg -more-

Friday, Dec. 21

-more-

It started in 1971 with a group of “young hippie potters” looking for a cheap place to live and practice their craft. Today, the Berkeley Potters Guild, which claims to be the oldest and largest ceramics guild in northern California, is known nationwide for the high quality of its members’ clay work. -more-

-more-

Cortez makes Cal staff nearly complete -more-

Sometime in the not-too-distant future, AC Transit buses could shoot down Telegraph Avenue from the UC Berkeley campus into downtown Oakland in their own, dedicated lanes. -more-

-more-

Berkeley High basketball fans will get a chance to help the community when they come out to see the ’Jackets play on Saturday night, as the Friends of Berkeley Boys’ Basketball will be holding a toy drive. -more-

CHICAGO — The cinematic journey finally began Wednesday for “Lord of the Rings” fans. -more-

Housing, land-use and transportation policies for the next 20 years were adopted by the City Council in a 5-4 vote Tuesday. The council will consider the remaining six sections of the Draft General Plan early next year. -more-

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter, reproduced in part, addressed to officials at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control: -more-

BEVERLY HILLS — It’s definitely a year for the terrifying, troubled, twisted and tragic at the movies. Solemn films about delusion, blackmail, vengeance and doomed love dominated Golden Globe contenders, including “A Beautiful Mind” and “Moulin Rouge,” which led with six nominations each. -more-

Editor: -more-

Tanya Mandel, editor, KPFA broadcaster and activist, died Tuesday. She was 84. -more-

Editor: -more-

Friday -more-

-more-

AC Transit will operate local and transbay bus service on Sunday Schedules this Tuesday, Dec. 25, as the East Bay joins in the observance of the Christmas Day holiday. -more-

Editor: -more-

The Berkeley police released detailed information Wednesday regarding last Friday’s auto vs. pedestrian accident at the intersection of Russell Street and Claremont Avenue. -more-

RENO, Nev. — Another powerful storm swept through the Sierra on Thursday, stalling traffic and closing schools one day before the start of winter. -more-

STANFORD — Stanford University has stripped three prominent gynecologic surgeons of their honorary faculty status and removed them as directors of an on-campus surgical training center. -more-

Following are some local-serving community agencies that can use financial and/or volunteer help. The Daily Planet is listing these nonprofits as a public service and does not have first-hand knowledge of the work of most of the agencies. -more-

SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz Sentinel may soon be for sale, according to its owner, Ottaway Newspapers. -more-

Oakland to pay woman struck by police car

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After 17 years of dispensing advice on everything from positions to prowess, sex columnist Isadora Alman has been dumped by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, an alternative weekly newspaper. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday approved a bill to allow the families of the Sept. 11 victims to watch the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, the first man indicted on charges related to the attacks. -more-

SAN JOSE — In a surprise move, the defense rested Thursday without calling any witnesses in the elephant abuse trial of a star Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus performer. -more-

MARTINEZ — A judge decided Thursday that prosecutors have enough evidence to go ahead with a trial in the grisly killings of five people last summer. -more-

We both are adamant about quality, and that includes cabinetry. Nothing bothers us more than second-rate cabinet displays in home centers. They look good from a distance, and some even look pretty good up close. But, when you know what you’re looking for, most of what you’ll find are poorly constructed products with mediocre finishes, made with inferior raw materials. The unwary consumer is fooled by their cutesy designs and slick looks — all sizzle and no steak. -more-

If you’ve got a bubble in a plastic laminate countertop it’s not a good thing. This material is used on the majority of countertops in the world and usually provides years of service without complaint. In the kitchen, water is the enemy and countertops can be its victim. Generally they are watertight and not at risk, however, occasionally the plastic laminate does separate from the substrate (the plywood or particleboard underneath) and results in a “bubble” on the surface or as a loose corner that lifts when snagged. The laminate and substrate are glued together with strong contact cement and often when it loosens, heat and pressure can reactivate its holding power. Use a hot iron with a towel (to protect the surface) and then add weight (like books) for pressure until things cool down. When removed, it should look as good as new, without your having to add a drop of glue. -more-

There’s nothing like pruning a prickly gooseberry bush or a thorny rose on a cold day to give an appreciation for gardening gloves. Gardeners who like to wallow with their hands in the soil might frown at the idea of a gardening glove between their skin and the muck. But not every gardener enjoys dirty hands, and cold weather or thorny plants make gloves a necessity. -more-

LAS VEGAS — The percentage of children living in poverty in Nevada hasn’t changed significantly over the past decade but was lower than the national average, according to the most recent estimates released Thursday by the Census Bureau. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The people who put on the Grammys strive to bring the public the “freshest show” possible, but they don’t blacklist performers who appear on the rival American Music Awards, the recording academy’s president said. -more-

Marin County native admits he was part of fighters funded by bin Laden to fight for Taliban -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Federal prosecutors have decided not to file charges against Alaska Airlines after a three-year grand jury probe into reported irregularities at a maintenance center. -more-

LANCASTER — As many as 400 inmates rioted Thursday at a state prison and five were critically injured, authorities said. -more-

LONG BEACH — Family and friends mourned the death of a high school student who collapsed while preparing for a Presidential Fitness Test. -more-

LOS ANGELES— The City Council approved a $1 million settlement with the family of a New Jersey man who was killed in an accident on the historic Angels Flight funicular railway. -more-

City already has spent $36 million on the August 2000 convention -more-

LOS ANGELES — People who stockpiled drugs to protect themselves from the anthrax bacteria were warned Wednesday about a serious health threat if they take the antibiotics inappropriately during the flu season. -more-

LOS ANGELES — A man who allegedly sent a co-worker a phony anthrax letter has been charged with making a criminal threat and could face up to six years in prison if convicted. -more-

OAKLAND – Workers at the Claremont Resort and Spa received their holiday turkeys on Wednesday – but not from their employer, as they had every year in the past. -more-

Super sophomore Kamani Hill continued his amazing scoring run on Tuesday, racking up a hat trick in Berkeley High’s 4-1 win over El Cerrito in boys’ soccer. -more-

Thursday, Dec. 20

-more-

Editor: -more-

A glimpse of Berkeley High School’s future may be only a BART ride away. -more-

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter sent to the president of the Chamber of Commerce: -more-

In a series of narrow votes reflecting conflicting visions of the city’s future, the City Council approved the housing, land use and transportation elements of the revised Draft General Plan on Tuesday. -more-

Editor: -more-

County releases API figures -more-

-more-

VENTURA — A former Las Vegas topless dancer was ordered Wednesday to stand trial for allegedly stalking her ex-lover and creating a Web site with graphic photos of their trysts. -more-

-more-

BEVERLY HILLS — Dick Clark filed a $10 million lawsuit Wednesday against Recording Academy President Michael Greene, accusing him of barring artists who appear first on Clark’s American Music Awards from performing during the Grammy Awards. -more-

The Daily Planet received a copy of the following letter addressed to the Mayor and City Council. (The letter refers to the Draft General Plan, approved, in part, Tuesday.) -more-

SACRAMENTO — Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, conducted a capital bus tour Wednesday of vacant stores and empty car lots, highlighting a controversial tax-sharing bill meant to curb urban sprawl. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Californians seeking records, documents and other information that public agencies keep secret may get new help next year. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California may need a quarter-cent sales tax increase to help pay the cost of responding to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, legislators said Wednesday, even as they called on the federal government to cover the bulk of the new precautions. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Four people died and two were injured Wednesday in a fiery crash involving three tractor-trailers on a highway south of Sacramento, authorities said. -more-

RIVERSIDE — A woman said she heard a gunshot on her ranch moments before spotting one of two suspects in the slaying of a 16-year-old Las Vegas girl, whose body was later found on the Southern California property, a detective testified Wednesday. -more-

TUCSON, Ariz. — Environmental scientists from around the world are supporting a plan for the U.S. Department of Energy to team with Columbia University to use Biosphere 2 for climate research, its director said. -more-

Shopping bags stuffed with gifts were given to 230 women and children Tuesday during the annual Christmas party for those who regularly use the services of the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center. -more-

The Berkeley Police Department and the Berkeley Fire Department were called to the 1700 block of McGee Avenue at around 9 a.m. Wednesday after a woman found a suspicious white powdery substance in her driveway. -more-

Researchers say they have discovered the key component in red wine that explains the so-called French Paradox, or the way the French can eat lots of cheese, buttery sauces and other rich foods and still suffer less heart disease than Americans. -more-

BOSTON — The popular pain reliever ibuprofen blocks the heart-protecting effects of aspirin, according to a study that sounds a warning for people who take both medicines. -more-

SAN JOSE — With their $22.2 billion merger threatened, Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp. fired back Wednesday with a 50-page report detailing their reasons for the deal and criticizing leading opponent Walter Hewlett. -more-

SAN JOSE — The number of people who have high-speed Internet connections at home grew to a record 21.3 million in November, a 90 percent increase over the same month last year, according to a report. -more-

The Associated Press -more-

PHILADELPHIA — Lawyers for Mumia Abu-Jamal said Wednesday they will ask a federal appeals court to grant him a new trial, expressing dismay that a judge upheld the former Black Panther’s 1982 conviction for murdering a police officer while throwing out his death sentence. -more-

BOSTON — Excessive wear on a throttle linkage part has been blamed for more than a dozen crashes or forced landings of older Cessna planes, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday. -more-

Berkeley High School students called on the district to put effective leadership in place at their school and to address the “achievement gap” separating white and minority students, during a student forum on small schools held Tuesday. -more-

Annie Borton knew that a tough pre-season schedule would prove beneficial in the long run, even if it meant dropping a few games. -more-

Wednesday, Dec. 19

Editor: -more-

MUSIC

It’s 1:30 p.m. on a chilly afternoon at the south end of Aquatic Park, and about 15 men are engaging in a long-standing tradition in the remote and secluded area – cruising for casual sex with strangers. -more-

-more-

Fears that a federal arts grant to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre might be denied on political grounds were dispelled on Tuesday, when the National Endowment for the Arts reported the theater was among the winners of its latest round of grants. -more-

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the Berkeley School Board: -more-

OAKLAND – There was standing-room-only Monday night as local candidates campaigned for endorsements from the Political Action Committee of the National Women’s Political Caucus, Alameda North Chapter. -more-

Editor: -more-

The California Housing Finance Agency is loaning millions of dollars to Berkeley and 15 other California cities, including Oakland, to help create affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents. -more-

Editor, -more-

Two UC Berkeley graduate students in anthropology are generating international interest with a 600-page anthology relating to the events of Sept. 11. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Advancements have been made in the fight against the vine-killing disease threatening California’s $33 billion wine industry, including the development of grapevines genetically engineered to be resistant to it. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The California AIDS Ride, a feel-good event in which 11,000 cyclists have raised $40 million since 1994, is being abandoned by the nonprofit agencies it benefits. They say it’s unacceptable they get only 50 cents of every dollar raised. -more-

GILROY — Bonfante Gardens, the bucolic but cash-strapped theme park built by a former supermarket mogul, is expected to open again in the spring after the City Council approved a rescue plan. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The parents of John Walker Lindh, the 20-year-old American captured in Afghanistan alongside Taliban fighters, are upset that a letter they sent him through the Red Cross has not been delivered. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The San Francisco Bay area produced nearly a third of the marijuana plants seized in California this fall, eclipsing the 16 percent seized in the North Coast’s “Emerald Triangle” area that once accounted for the majority of the locally grown crop. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Makers and sellers of chewing tobacco have agreed to pay $2.75 million and post signs warning of smokeless products’ health hazards in stores to settle a suit, San Francisco City Attorney Louise Renne said Tuesday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — In another sign that Hispanics will dominate California’s future, a university study has found that the ethnic group accounted for nearly half of all births in the state by the end of the last decade. -more-

LOS ANGELES — California dropped a few names and some big bucks into its latest ad campaign aimed at boosting the state’s slumping tourism. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Jones called for California to boost its ranks of National Guard troops and give them more incentives to continue serving. -more-

SACRAMENTO — With winter still officially a few days away, state hydrologists say the Sierra Nevada already has accumulated half the snow the region normally gets in the wet-weather season. -more-

PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge threw out Mumia Abu-Jamal’s death sentence Tuesday and ordered a new sentencing hearing for the former Black Panther alternately portrayed as a vicious cop-killer and a victim of a racist frame-up. -more-

CHICAGO — Hepatitis A outbreaks in all age groups could be prevented if children were routinely vaccinated against the liver ailment, a study in Northern California suggests. -more-

NEW YORK — Newsday is eliminating a third section on weekdays and offering more early retirement packages as part of an ongoing effort to cut costs. -more-

SAN JOSE — The leading opponent of Hewlett-Packard’s plans to buy Compaq Computer Corp. is demanding that HP clarify reports that directors and top executives would step down if shareholders reject the $22 billion deal. -more-

SAN JOSE — 3Com Corp. beat Wall Street expectations in the second quarter as the troubled network equipment maker’s loss narrowed and business showed signs of turning around. -more-

SALT LAKE CITY — In 1990, the idea of linking the central Wasatch Range’s seven ski areas came up in Salt Lake County planning circles and was rejected. Aerial trams over the top of the Wasatch and a tunnel through the range did not make much sense for the skiing public, although someone was sure to get rich off the scheme, recall those who participated in the debate. -more-

After months of parent complaints, school officials reassigned a first grade teacher at Washington Communications and Technology Magnet School to another job in the district Friday afternoon, according to several people familiar with the move. -more-

Tuesday, Dec. 18 -more-

Study parking -more-

924 Gilman Dec. 21: Kepi, Bonfire Madigan, Kevin Seconds; Dec. 22: The Lab Rats, Onetime Angels, A great Divide, Last Great Liar, Gabriel’s Ratchet; Dec. 23: 5 p.m., Over My Dead Body, Panic,Breaker, Some Still Believe; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 -more-

After more than two years of public meetings and workshops, the City Council is expected to approve three sections of the Draft General Plan tonight. In question, however, is whether the council will move forward on four other proposed amendments, put forward by Ecocity Builders. -more-

Ecocity plan pro-profit -more-

A pedestrian was reportedly hit by a car Friday morning at the intersection of Russell Street and Claremont Avenue, the very spot where flags had been placed with much fanfare the day before in order to make pedestrians more visible as they cross the street. -more-

Ecocity plan pro-neighborhood -more-

Sales for durable goods rose an amazing 12.8 percent during the month of October 2001, the largest-ever increase in sales in U.S. history. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Consumer Index Report,(http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/adv/priorrel.htm) the vast majority of those purchases (more than 9 percent, or $15.3 billion) were the sale of cars and trucks. The bulk of those sales were for pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles, or SUVs. -more-

-more-

Among the issues the City Council will consider during its last meeting of the year will be an authorization for the city manager to increase a contract with Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity, Inc. by $50,000 to run the city’s Homelessness Prevention Program. The HPP program has already exhausted its annual $110,000 per year allocation due to an increase of clients. -more-

Editor: -more-

Teacher found dead in her car -more-

Editor: -more-

SAN JOSE — A judge refused to drop elephant abuse charges Monday against a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus star, setting up a closely watched trial this week. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Corrections officers could see salary boosts of 20-30 percent in the final years of a tentative five-year state contract, officials said Monday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Can Barry Diller leave well enough alone? -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — In early October, investors still seemed willing to give Calpine Corp. whatever it needed to realize its goal of becoming the nation’s largest power generator. -more-

SAN JOSE — Palm Inc. said Monday it has chosen Texas Instruments as the “preferred supplier” of chips for its next generation of wireless handheld devices. -more-

When the stock market soared, the worldwide network of United Methodist missionaries thought big. -more-

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began training state and local health officials Monday on how to recognize smallpox and quickly contain an outbreak spread by terrorists. -more-

A year after a high-profile sexual assault against a 12-year-old student, Willard Middle School still does not have a police officer assigned to its campus. -more-

Monday, Dec. 17

-more-

-more-

Sharper scores 24 vs. Bethel -more-

-more-

-more-

’Jackets win Mel Goode Classic

When Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announced the closure of its Tritium facility last September, many city officials and residents breathed a sigh of relief. But now a neighborhood organization is raising concerns about how the laboratory will dispose of left over radioactive and chemically toxic materials. -more-

Editor: -more-

LOS ANGELES – Two Jewish Defense League members accused of terrorist activity thanked their supporters Sunday and asserted they would be found innocent of the charges against them. -more-

Traffic monitor hit by car

SACRAMENTO – A Sacramento publisher’s commencement speech was drowned out by hecklers after she began speaking about threats to civil liberties posed by the federal government’s investigation of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. -more-

MTC sets aside $1.7 million for bus passes for poor students

Five finish 2,757-mile route -more-

Advocates say program will reduce landfills -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – If your e-mail box is already besieged by unwanted salutations and solicitations, brace yourself – the onslaught is about to get worse. -more-

Student body at Oak Grove have reduced landfill output by almost 90 percent using worms and pigs -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Burning Man organizers do not understand why the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has doubled fees over the past three years for those wishing to attend the popular festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. -more-

The Berkeley Democratic Club, home to the moderate wing of the city’s Democratic Party, overwhelmingly endorsed Charles Ramsey for the 14th State Assembly District seat and Jacki Fox Ruby for the Alameda County Board of Education on Thursday. Both candidates are up for election in March. -more-

Saturday, Dec. 15

A recent exhibit at the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum explored the concept of environmentally responsible architecture. The buildings presented in the exhibit were designed and built within the past few years and their design was distinctly contemporary. -more-

Editor: -more-

Splendor of the masters reborn in pages of many fine art booksxZ -more-

-more-

When it comes to Northern California dominance, the Berkeley High girls’ basketball team is usually right up there with De La Salle football. But although the Spartans won yet another NorCal title this season, times may be changing for the Lady ’Jackets. -more-

Berkeley police officers exchanged high-fives in Old City Hall Thursday night after the Zoning Adjustments Board voted to shutter the Golden Gypsy Massage Parlor for good. -more-

-more-

-more-

-more-

Floyd Lee Gill, owner and operator of Gill’s Ambassador Shoe Repair Shop in Berkeley for 48 years, died Dec. 12 from natural causes. He was 77 years old. -more-

-more-

BATH, MAINE – The following local residents recently received academic honors from the independent, character-based Hyde School in Bath: -more-

Following are some local-serving community agencies that can use financial and/or volunteer help. The Daily Planet is listing these nonprofits as a public service and does not have first-hand knowledge of the work of most of the agencies. -more-

CASTRO VALLEY — Within a 10-month period in 1999, three women who worked in the same office at Eden Medical Center were diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a very rare and aggressive type of the disease that strikes just a few dozen women in the Bay Area every year. -more-

-more-

Terrorist leader reminds one Bay Area resident of a gloating, smirking criminal -more-

-more-

Installing a frost-proof sillcock -more-

Q. Roy asks: Help! I recently moved into a house that has a wooden front door with a large oval window, which takes up most of the door. In the past two months a gap has slowly formed and grown between the door and the window molding. It is about 3/4 of an inch at the top of the window and tapers down as it follows the contours of the window. You can see through it to the outside. It appears that the window is settling. Is this possible? What can I do to fix it? Is there a caulk I should use, or will I have to replace my front door? -more-

Door hinge fill-in -more-

BERTHOUD, Colo. — Bent over a 14-foot-long ponderosa pine log, Peter Haney gripped a 19th-century broad ax and meticulously shaved small slices of wood from its right side. -more-

Years of protesting, complaining come to a head as one prominent performer opens a bloody wound on an elephant -more-

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Interior Secretary Gale Norton says she supports forming a task force that would help her smooth money-management problems with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. -more-

TUCSON, Ariz. — Federal, academic and international scientists will be eyeing Biosphere 2 this weekend to determine its suitability for climate research. -more-

reighter departs on two-day voyage egging on embargo debate -more-

RALEIGH, N.C. — A death row inmate who is said to have the mind of a first-grader became the first person to have his sentence reduced under a new North Carolina law barring execution of the mentally retarded. -more-

BALTIMORE — A public relations firm is under fire for inviting students with only straight, chemically processed or short hair to appear in a TV commercial for historically black Morgan State University. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The number of Californians out of work topped 1 million for the first time in nearly five years in November, as increasing job cuts in the state comprised a disproportionately large amount of the national total, officials said Friday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Media mogul Barry Diller could emerge as head of Universal Studios if Vivendi Universal buys the film and TV assets of Diller’s USA Networks, sources familiar with the negotiations said Friday. -more-

REDWOOD CITY — Preparing to go out of business at the end of February, bankrupt cable Internet provider Excite@Home laid off 400 of its 1,300 employees Friday. -more-

Breaking in brakes -more-

Editor: -more-

BERKELEY — The former chairman and publisher of the San Jose Mercury News has joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley. -more-

EL CENTRO — A veteran Border Patrol agent has been charged with repeatedly molesting the daughter of a former illegal immigrant from Mexico. -more-

-more-

A spokesman for the Alameda County Coroner’s Office identified one of the two people killed by an Amtrak train at Gilman Street Saturday evening as Jorge Alvarado. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — NBC announced Monday it is buying San Jose-based KNTV for $230 million from Granite Broadcasting Corp., giving the network an owned-and-operated station in the San Francisco Bay area. -more-

Editor: -more-

SAN DIEGO – An American Airlines flight about to take off for Chicago was delayed more than three hours on the runway Sunday after a fake grenade used to test security screening rolled out of a carry-on bag. -more-

Police officers in Berkeley are once again teaming up with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves to deliver toys to the children of needy families this holiday season. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Home prices in California surged to new heights in November, even as a weak job market led to a sizable decline in the overall number of sales, according to a report released Thursday. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The roughly 40,000 California customers of fallen energy giant Enron Corp. are in a pickle. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Anschutz Entertainment Group has spent the last few years putting its mark on Los Angeles. -more-

Taxpayers may end up paying the bill -more-

SUNNYVALE — Shares of Juniper Networks Inc. fell nearly 18 percent Thursday after the network equipment company warned its fourth-quarter profits and revenue will not meet forecasts. -more-