News

About 40 Service Employees International Union workers protested Thursday outside the government offices at 1947 Center St. challenging the property manager’s replacement of three union janitorial workers with nonunion workers, who earn less money and are not covered by medical benefits. -more-

The Berkeley High boys’ soccer team continued its romp through the first round of ACCAL play on Thursday with an easy 5-0 win over Pinole Valley. The victory made the ’Jackets 6-0 in league play, having vanquished their main rival for the league title, Richmond, earlier in the week. But to hear Berkeley’s coach talk, one would think his team was in bad shape. -more-

Friday, Jan. 11

Franz Schurmann -more-

“My body had become a stranger to me,” writes Helene Byrne, a dance and fitness professional who, after giving birth to her first child, wanted to get back into her original shape as fast as possible. -more-

Two former Berkeley residents were on Attorney General John Ashcroft’s list of people to be questioned in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to information released by the Berkeley Police Department. -more-

EUGENE, Ore. – Frederick Jones scored 22 points and Anthony Lever had 12 as Oregon came from behind to defeat California 76-72 on Thursday. -more-

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It’s high noon and a crush of students has just descended upon the Hummingbird Café. -more-

Superintendent Michele Lawrence and members of the Berkeley Board of Education backed away from a controversial change in board procedures Wednesday night, which would have had community organizations speak at the end, not the beginning, of board meetings. -more-

California, which trailed the Oregon Ducks by only one point with 3:34 to play on Thursday night, is still looking for its first Pac-10 win of the season when they let down late in the game, leading to a 65-53 loss at Haas Pavilion. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Actor Benjamin Bratt took his whole family out to the movies Wednesday for the local premiere of “Pinero,” which tells the story of hard-living Puerto Rican poet-playwright Miguel Pinero. -more-

The Westbrae community will miss Alberta Godfrey. She died this past week. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Ogres, wizards, hobbits, can-can stars and a schizophrenic genius did well in movie nominations from the Producers Guild of America. -more-

Lipton to close Santa Cruz plant -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The Bush administration urged a federal appeals court Thursday to overturn a court order halting proposed oil and natural gas exploration off California’s central coast. -more-

STOCKTON — Most 76-year-old men are taking life easy. Not Edward Christopher. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — State Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued PG&E Corp. Thursday, alleging the company siphoned $4.6 billion from its utility Pacific Gas and Electric and then illegally drove the subsidiary into bankruptcy. -more-

SAN DIEGO — The new wedding ring was a surprise that Jennifer Germosen planned to present to her Marine husband when he returned from overseas next month. She never got the chance. -more-

CORCORAN — Ten corrections officers went to the hospital after being attacked by inmates in two separate fights at a maximum-security drug rehabilitation center in a prison here, officials said. -more-

Lose weight; quit smoking; exercise regularly; test the smoke detector. What have you resolved to do in 2002? If you’re like most Americans, along with ringing in the New Year, you’ve made a host of resolutions intended to improve your lifestyle and well-being. -more-

Don’t cut forsythia branches for indoor flowers yet. Forsythia and other trees and shrubs are not ready for spring — indoors or outdoors. Woody plants can sense when winter is over and can’t yet be fooled into unfolding their blossoms. -more-

HELPER, Utah — Workmen’s Market butcher Dean Nielsen turned off his meat slicer to consider how the 2002 Winter Olympics might affect his small mining town 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. -more-

LAS VEGAS — The Clark County Marriage License Bureau has said “I do” to a new computer system that will speed up the licensing process and provide colorful and more professional marriage certificates. -more-

RENO, Nev. — Nevada officials reacted angrily to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham’s recommendation that the nation’s nuclear waste be stored at Yucca Mountain, vowing to continue the fight by emphasizing the vulnerability of waste shipments to terrorist attacks. -more-

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A conviction in tribal court does not protect a Tulalip Indian from state poaching charges, the Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday in an unanimous decision. -more-

SACRAMENTO — A fatal chain-reaction crash north of Sacramento International Airport closed Interstate 5 for a time early Thursday afternoon, snarling traffic on the state’s main north-south artery. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Household and Beneficial finance companies have agreed to pay about $12 million to settle California regulators’ allegations that they deliberately overcharged tens of thousands of California customers. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis proposed a $100 billion budget Thursday that cuts $2.7 billion from programs while borrowing from future tobacco settlement money and shifting funds to get the state through tough financial times. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The Sept. 11 attacks will obliterate an estimated 1.6 million jobs in major U.S. cities this year, a new study says. -more-

Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency Executive Director boona cheema shows her excitement as she talks about plans to build a “village” where homeless families can rely on a safe, secure and supportive environment while gaining the skills to overcome the trauma of living on the streets. -more-

The Cal men’s basketball team’s season so far has come down to the equivalent of a real estate maxim: location, location, location. The Bears are a perfect 10-0 at home, with their latest triumph a shocking 68-54 win over archrival Stanford. But Cal has yet to get a win outside of Haas Pavilion, falling to both the Cardinal and South Florida by 20 points. -more-

Thursday, Jan. 10

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Berkeley High School’s four co-principals, hoping to maintain accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, presented a series of draft reform proposals Tuesday night during a meeting of the high school’s Parent Teacher Student Association. -more-

The St. Mary’s High boys’ soccer team dug its way into a deep hole on Wednesday against Albany, giving up two second-half goals to the underdog Cougars. But through constant pressure and a bit of luck, the Panthers managed to avoid the upset by scoring three goals in the last 20 minutes of the match to win, 3-2, in their BSAL opener. -more-

Editor: -more-

Running for re-election with a $12-billion-plus budget hole is not an enviable position for an incumbent gearing up for a tough campaign. -more-

This season is clearly a time of rebuilding for the Cal women’s basketball team. They have lost eight of their last nine games and are 0-4 in Pac-10 play. But eventually, the young players (seven freshmen, four sophomores) need to grow up and contribute to some wins. -more-

The Daily Planet received a copy of this poem, written by a student to Berkeley High School teacher Joseph Blaine French on the death of his wife Tatia Malika Oden French. -more-

Cynthia D. reached the end of the line 10 and a half years ago. She can tell you the exact day: July 5, 1991. -more-

Editor: -more-

Board president violated by-laws -more-

Editor: -more-

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — A man who allegedly threatened to kill former co-workers after he was fired from a nuclear power plant was in custody Wednesday after authorities found a weapons cache that included a rocket launcher, tear gas and hand grenades. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Shares of ImClone Systems Inc. fell sharply Wednesday after remarks by its chief executive failed to ease concerns about the biotechnology company’s disclosure of troubles with an experimental cancer drug. -more-

BILLINGS, Mont. — Ranchers hungry for meatier returns on their cattle are weighing their production options — and more of them are holding the antibiotics. -more-

Two high-ranking officials from Japanese political organizations conferred with Councilmember Dona Spring Monday to discuss possible strategies for their country’s fledgling anti-war movement. -more-

Wednesday, Jan. 9

SAN FRANCISCO – After the names and the utterances of prime ministers and secretaries of war are forgotten, after the madmen in the desert have been hunted and killed, after the capable youth of today’s soldiers has been undermined by the blessing of a long life, history will, I think, remember this time – our lifetime – as a religious moment, both dangerous and capable of great grace. -more-

An alleged attack on a sophomore at Berkeley High School last month has renewed concerns about safety and security on campus. -more-

Editor: -more-

A dream for Berkeley is getting rid of all the telephone poles in town. But the city needs just a little help from homeowners. -more-

Editor: -more-

A shudder went through the redwood-loving world Tuesday with news that the towering trees may be susceptible to the disease that has been laying waste to California oaks. -more-

A man was held up by a gun-wielding robber as he was going to work Monday morning, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis said Tuesday his budget proposal won’t include a tax increase to close a $12.4 billion budget shortfall, but will combine cutbacks, borrowing and deferring spending until brighter economic times. -more-

SANTA ANA— The judge overseeing the battle for the estate of ex-Playmate Anna Nicole Smith’s oil tycoon husband urged both sides Tuesday to settle the case out of court, indicating neither will approve of his ruling. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The insurance industry’s attempts to limit its liability for future acts of terror were rejected Tuesday by California’s insurance regulator, though they have been approved by 41 other states since Sept. 11. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan’s inaugural television advertisement in his campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination paints his background in glowing terms. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis formally called a special session of the Legislature Tuesday to deal with an expected $12.4 billion budget shortfall this year and next. -more-

LOS ANGELES — A well-equipped Cadillac these days means adding armor to the accessories. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Singers and performers in California’s $41 billion recording industry could break their long-term contracts under a bill introduced by state Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City. -more-

LOS ANGELES — City Council President Alex Padilla has agreed to repay more than $76,000 to the city for exceeding spending and contribution limits in the 1999 election, officials said. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Former Netscape Communications CEO James Barksdale and his three venture capital partners are going their separate ways after investing most of a $180 million fund created in 1999 during the dot-com boom. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Angry shareholders have filed at least four lawsuits this week against ImClone Systems Inc., which allegedly had more trouble with its experimental cancer drug than it previously acknowledged. -more-

RENO, Nev. — A wildlife group wants a small population of sage grouse found along the Nevada-California line in the eastern Sierra to be listed as an endangered species. -more-

HELENA, Mont. — The U.S. Forest Service has made no decision yet whether it will appeal a judge’s ruling that halted a plan to log thousands of acres of burned timber in a national forest in Montana, the agency said Tuesday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — An asteroid large enough to wipe out France hurtled past the Earth at a distance of about a half-million miles just days after scientists spotted it. -more-

Berkeley seventh-graders scored significantly lower than their counterparts in other school districts on a statewide fitness test conducted in spring 2001 and released by the California Department of Education last month. -more-

Tuesday, Jan. 8

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the mayor and City Council: -more-

Last week the city clerk made census packages available for citizens who want to roll up their sleeves, dust off their calculators and sharpen their pencils to take another shot at redrawing the city’s eight council districts. -more-

Editor: -more-

The Office of Physical and Environmental Planning at UC Berkeley has released the Final Environmental Impact Report regarding a proposed amendment to the 1990 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP). -more-

Editor: -more-

The Berkeley Unified School District’s revised annual expenditure plan for Facilities Maintenance is available for public viewing in the Superintendent’s office at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way any time after Dec. 26, 2001. The plan is mandated by Measure BB, the Berkeley Schools Facilities Safety and Maintenance Act, passed by voters in 2000. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California must re-evaluate a decades-old forest fire prevention program in which the state paid for controlled burns on private land, a judge ruled Monday. -more-

Study projects local economy rebound -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Three years after rewriting the books on computer design and simplicity with the iMac, Apple Computer Inc. on Monday unveiled updated models with a flat-screen display, faster processor and a new look. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Wells Fargo & Co. is poised to introduce a discount service for wiring money to Mexico, representing the latest move in the banking giant’s courtship of the steadily growing Hispanic population in the United States. -more-

By Brian Bergstein -more-

SACRAMENTO — California legislators returned to their antique wooden desks in the Capitol on Monday, kicking off a new year of budget shortfalls and promising to keep the state solvent. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Settlement talks were under way Monday on the eve of trial for 15 Greenpeace activists and two free-lance journalists charged in connection with trying to stop a missile-defense test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, both sides said. -more-

STOCKTON — The bodies of three young children left alone in a Stockton home were discovered after the the single-story house went up in flames. -more-

LOS ANGELES — An investment adviser must repay nearly $19 million he took from 400 investors and spent on himself, including paying for his honeymoon and his wife’s cosmetic surgery. -more-

PASADENA — PBS said Monday it is launching a weekly news program with veteran journalist Bill Moyers that will round out its Friday night public affairs lineup. -more-

SALT LAKE CITY — Workers for some major Salt Lake City employers will be at the office as early as 4 a.m. next month in hopes of avoiding downtown traffic snarls during the Winter Olympics. -more-

SALT LAKE CITY — Workers for some major Salt Lake City employers will be at the office as early as 4 a.m. next month in hopes of avoiding downtown traffic snarls during the Winter Olympics. -more-

SALT LAKE CITY — Yas Tokita, owner of Mountain West Travel, “bet the bank” on turning a profit by snapping up tickets and hotel reservations for the Winter Olympics. -more-

BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho company landed a $3 million contract for what might be the most sought after seats at the Winter Games in Salt Lake City — the portable potties. -more-

A Letter to the Readers: -more-

In what may be viewed as sad irony Charlotte Ortega, the special education teacher found dead in the bay, had hoped to build a homeless shelter in Lagos, Nigeria to be called the Lazarous House. On Wednesday, the Alameda County District Attorney charged Lazarus Ortega with the murder of Charlotte Ortega, his adoptive mother. -more-

On Friday night, the Cal Bears stopped Stanford’s two main scorers, Casey Jacobsen and Curtis Borchardt, but still lost by 20 points. Sunday night, the Bears stopped just about everyone the Cardinal threw at them, breaking a 10-game losing streak to their rivals with a 68-54 win at Haas Pavilion. -more-

Monday, Jan. 7

Just a week ago an editorial by Iris Starr (Dec. 22, 23) stated that there are “educational inequities between whites and people of color.” She claims that many adults “deny the students - needs, life experiences and cultural and racial identities are ignored;” and that “the Board of Education and the Superintendent have only acknowledged an achievement gap with no action taken, year after miserable year.” -more-

As of January 1, anyone buying a firearm also has to buy a trigger lock thanks to a first-of-its-kind state gun control law, which advocates say will prevent accidental gun deaths, especially among children. -more-

NASSAU, Bahamas - The California women’s basketball team did not have an answer for junior guard Molly Creamer - last year’s Patriot League Player of the Year - as it lost to Bucknell, 59-56, in the championship game of the Nassau Knockout Saturday night at the National Gymnasium. -more-

While traveling through Europe recently, my wife and I stopped for two days in Montpellier, in the south of France. Hardly for the first time, I was awed by the way Europeans make things work—things like transportation systems and cities, for example. The implications for Berkeley are profound. -more-

These days, Terry Doran is the lone ranger on Berkeley’s Board of Education. He stepped down as board president last month to make way for Shirley Issel, but has been the sole voice on the committee in support of the hotly-debated small schools policy put forth by the Coalition for Excellence and Equity. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco supervisors have scheduled a last-minute committee meeting for Monday to consider what the board should do officially. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A stolen vehicle believed to have been driven by a man suspected of killing his wife and three children in Oregon was found this morning at San Francisco International Airport. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Not all doctors who are ordered to pay damages to patients end up paying the price on their records, according to a newspaper investigation that found only some cases ever make it into the Medical Board of California’s records. -more-

SANTA ANA – Nearly 350 injury reports were filed last year under a new law regulating California theme parks, and they offer a rare glimpse into the secretive ride industry. -more-

SACRAMENTO – A $1.2 million state program launched this week has the California Highway Patrol working overtime to ticket speeding truckers. -more-

LAS VEGAS – Amid the latest in high-tech – from wearable gadgetry to automobile accoutrements – the loudest buzz at the 2002 International Consumer Electronics Show will likely center on entertainment devices for the living room. -more-

SAN JOSE – Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. on Monday are launching the fastest models yet of their flagship processors, the electronic brains of personal computers. -more-