The Week
News
Pratt’s spikes are leading Panthers to big season
Jazmin Pratt is the key to St. Mary’s girls volleyball rebirth. -more-
Candidates duel over education in mayoral race
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-
A vote against Worthington
To the Editor: -more-
Horstmeyer adds to family
The Cal women’s basketball family grew by one Tuesday. -more-
Look who’s fighting height limits
To the Editor: -more-
Cal’s Veress advances to semis
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-
More than 200 illegal Haitian migrants run ashore in Miami
Think pedestrian safety
To the Editor: -more-
Victim barricades himself in home
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-
Trial begins in Oakland deputy’s death
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-
Federal court protects docs who recommend marijuana
Stanford freezes hiring and considers layoffs
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-
Bad road conditions led to firefighter deaths
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-
Angels fans celebrate Series win at rally
Porn business booming in San Fernando
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-
Stocks recover from drop in consumer confidence
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-
Analysts say Congress should set gambling rules
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-
State officials report record pot seizures
Wellstone colleagues join thousands for memorial
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-
Mistrial declared lead paint lawsuit
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-
Growers discuss solutions to statewide grape glut
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-
The art of deer hunting in Mendocino county
UKIAH — The primary task of a deer hunter is not shooting, but seeing. -more-
A sign of the times
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. -more-
‘Jackass’ is top movie
LOS ANGELES — “Jackass” has pulled its craziest stunt yet, debuting in first place at the box office. -more-
Giants wonder ’What if?’
ANAHEIM — Barry Bonds probably wanted to cry, too. -more-
Remembering Wellstone’s legacy
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. -more-
Lawyers quarrel over evidence at UC hearings
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. -more-
Auditor uncovers easy re-election bid
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. -more-
Fox suspended six games; Christie two for Friday’s Lakers-Kings fight
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. -more-
Protecting the waterfront
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. -more-
Judge delays Reddy sentence decision
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. -more-
Dean endorsing Weinberg?
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. -more-
Student gunman kills three
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. -more-
Legal battle continues to rage over Bonds’ ball
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. -more-
Fans welcome Giants home
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. -more-
Judge says sound blasts hurts whales
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. -more-
Documents released naming Davis in fund-raising case
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. -more-
Shocked venture capitalists shy away from new risks
Stocks fall on profit-taking
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. -more-
Report calls for focus on fishing management
Bush blamed for salmon kill
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. -more-
To Alaskans, ’environmentalist’ is pejorative, not adjective
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. -more-
Poll finds opposition to pot
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. -more-
Peace rally draws huge crowd
Tens of thousands of protesters filled downtown San Francisco streets Saturday, demanding that President George Bush stop preparations for a war against Iraq. -more-
Veteran mucicians sell new music on television
NEW YORK – For one week this summer, Bruce Springsteen was the biggest star on television. -more-
Panthers explode for big plays against Albany
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. -more-
Jackson, Beavers run all over Bears
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. -more-
UC lecturers likely to reject contract offer
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. -more-
College-Ashby intersection needs some work
To the Editor: -more-
Cardinal streak broken as Cal men down Stanford
Cal men’s soccer has started a new win streak. -more-
Firefighters staged walkout
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. -more-
Hostage standoff shocks Moscow
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. -more-
Police investigating Oakland’s 93rd murder
The Oakland police reported that a man died after being shot multiple times outside of an Oakland liquor store. -more-
Police Briefs
Girls attack martial arts class -more-
S.F. seeks $1.6 billion plumbing fix
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. -more-
Audit reveals state agency wasted $2.1 million
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. -more-
Backlog of goods at West Coast ports worries retailers, exporters
Organic school lunches not as popular as predicted
Shattuck Avenue is Main Street in Berkeley
Certain buildings on Shattuck Avenue define the historic character of downtown Berkeley and have changed little over the last 50 years. Old postcards are a wonderful source of historic images and downtown was a favorite subject of postcard publishers. -more-
Cisneros brings Berkeley a reading of “Caramelo”
Lala, the main character in Sandra Cisneros’ new novel “Caramelo,” clambers through her life’s journeys, as it twists and turns, like a free-wheeling road trip. Like Lala’s storytelling, the facts in “Caramelo” are based on real people from Cisneros’ life, but the “means for the end” are Cisneros’ own creations. The long-awaited second book from the author of the highly celebrated novel “The House on Mango Street” is a tale about a young girl who adroitly retells the story of her family and illustrates what it is like to be the youngest and only female among her siblings. -more-
Jackets rout Richmond to set up title showdown
Tell Pinole Valley we’re coming for them!” -more-
City discusses recent rise in hate crimes
Berkeley’s not insulated from the nationwide surge in hate crimes reported since Sept. 11, 2001. And so, the city sponsored a Thursday-evening forum “A Community Dialogue to Prevent Hate Crimes.” -more-
Keeping space weapons at a distance
To the Editor: -more-
“Idol” holds auditions
DETROIT — No need to worry. -more-
Washington upsets Bears
SEATTLE – Junior Melissa Bennett assisted on both Washington goals Friday, including Jaime Carstensen’s 75th-minute tally that lifted the 25th-ranked Huskies to a 2-1 upset of No. 7 Cal. -more-
Actress hopes to break stereotypes
LOS ANGELES — Hollywood has long stereotyped Hispanic women as spitfires, bombshells and maids. -more-
Cal (5-3, 2-2 Pac-10) vs. Oregon State (4-3, 0-3 Pac-10)
When Cal has the ball -more-
Mysterious letter raises brows
City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, up for re-election in November, is denouncing a mysterious letter that accuses him of “siding with anti-Jewish and anti-Israel forces” and calls on Berkeley residents to donate to the campaign of his opponent, UC Berkeley student Micki Weinberg. -more-
UC Merced underway
MERCED — On a remote foothills site marked by seven years of determination and controversy, Gov. Gray Davis inaugurated a 10th University of California campus Friday. -more-
Beasley honored for fighting the good fight
Bill Beasley has had guns drawn on him twice: once by the Los Angeles Police Department and once by the Ku Klux Klan. But in four decades of civil rights activism, antiwar protests and gay pride celebrations, Beasley has never backed down in his fight for justice and basic human rights. -more-
Oakland’s murder count hits 92 victims this year
OAKLAND — A spokesman for the Oakland Police Department Friday identified a man police say was shot Thursday night as he sat in his car, bringing the city's homicide tally to 92 victims this year. -more-
Environmental group wants farms regulated
SAN FRANCISCO — An environmental group has filed papers in a federal court here to intervene in the California Farm Bureau Federation’s most recent suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to extend the exemption of farms from air quality regulations. -more-
Family, bid farewell to killed transgender teen
NEWARK — To family members, Eddie “Gwen” Araujo was a struggling but beloved teenager whose killing, allegedly committed in a fit of homophobic rage, is a private sorrow. -more-
Court nullifies laws banning ATM charges
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court on Friday overturned laws in San Francisco and Santa Monica that ban certain ATM fees charged by banks. -more-
Regulators check executive’s link to wind farms
WASHINGTON — Government investigators said Friday they want to find out whether a former Enron Corp. executive improperly hid the company’s stake in three California wind power farms. -more-
Former New York police commissioner sworn in as LAPD’s 54th chief
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. -more-
Bail denied for suspect
OAKLAND — An Alameda County Superior Court judge ordered Friday that a man charged with murdering his wife, former San Jose Mercury News photographer Lucille Houston, be held without bail. -more-
UC students demand clean energy
UC Berkeley students, joined by Mayor Shirley Dean, called for a significant investment in “clean energy” and “green building” techniques throughout the nine-campus University of California system Thursday. -more-
Berkeley girls win another one
The Berkeley High girls volleyball team continued their dominance of league competition on Thursday, giving up just six points while beating De Anza High, 15-1, 15-3, 15-2. -more-
Music industry targets campus file-sharing
The music and recording industries sent out letters this month asking 2,300 colleges and universities around the country, including UC Berkeley, to clamp down on students sharing copyright-protected songs and movies over the Internet. -more-
Diary excerpts show Nirvana star felt tortured by stomach disease, drug use
NEW YORK — Kurt Cobain regretted using heroin to ease the pain of a stomach ailment but could not bring himself to stop, and talked of shooting himself, according to excerpts from the late Nirvana star’s diaries. -more-
Ex-Pentagon official skeptical about war policy
In 1971, Pentagon official Daniel Ellsberg risked his career, his reputation and his freedom to make public what has become known as the Pentagon Papers – 7,000 pages of top-secret documents outlining America’s untold and often nefarious involvement in the Vietnam War. -more-
Whitney Museum unveils collection
NEW YORK — The Whitney Museum has unveiled its new $200 million collection of works from Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and other American masters of postwar modernism at pivotal moments in their careers. -more-
Bombs away! Giants bludgeon Angels
SAN FRANCISCO – Teased and taunted for tiptoeing around Barry Bonds, the Anaheim Angels decided to challenge him. -more-
CBS may delay sniper-themed episode because of shootings
Bush praises law community for capturing sniper suspects
UC offers organic foods information
DAVIS — Farmers and consumers with questions about the national organic food standards adopted on Monday can find answers through a University of California program. -more-
One of three suspects pleads innocent in murder
Experts question use of Pelosi’s PACs
WASHINGTON — Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, has raised and distributed tens of thousands of additional dollars to congressional candidates using a practice that campaign finance experts say could skirt federal limits. -more-
Davis maintains fund-raising lead
SACRAMENTO — Democratic Gov. Gray Davis had $12 million on hand as of Oct. 19 for the closing days of his re-election bid — 10 times as much as Republican challenger Bill Simon, according to campaign reports submitted Thursday. -more-
No winners yet in Ford compromise
SAN FRANCISCO — One year ago, attorneys emerged from a California judge’s chambers and announced a historic, pro-consumer settlement of a lawsuit accusing Ford of producing millions of defective vehicles prone to stalling. -more-
Stocks fall on profit-taking
NEW YORK — Profit-takers rushed back to Wall Street Thursday as disappointing news from International Paper and Duke Energy stirred fears that stocks won’t hold gains from their two-week surge. The Dow Jones industrials slid more than 170 points. -more-
30 days to write the fairly dreadful American novel
State commissioners no-shows in major vote
LOS ANGELES — It was one of the most important decisions for the California Fish and Game Commission in 10 years. Yet President Mike Flores and Commissioner James Kellog weren’t there. -more-
Son of Britain’s top judicial officer guilty
NEWPORT BEACH — The son of Britain’s top judicial officer was sentenced Thursday to 16 months in state prison after pleading guilty to stalking the boyfriend of a woman he met in a tanning salon. -more-
Hospital refuses to let nurses return to work
LONG BEACH — Nurses who staged a one-day strike at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center were barred from the hospital Thursday and replaced for five days by contract workers. -more-
UC makes new offer to lecturers
The University of California made a comprehensive contract proposal to its roughly 1,600 lecturers Wednesday in an aggressive bid to end a 2 1/2-year-old labor dispute over job security, wages and arbitration procedures. -more-
Keeping up with Jones at Zellerbach
Cal Performances is a Bay Area treasure. Last year it presented, among other riches, Yo-Yo Ma and Mikhail Baryshnikov, and this season it offers Mark Morris and Merce Cunningham, the Abbey Theater and Robert Lepage, the Kronos Quartet and Sarah Chang, Pat Metheney and Dianne Reeves. Pretty impressive, and that’s not half of a list that comprises talent from Argentina, Senegal and Africa. -more-
Defensive line leading the charge for Bears
Ever see a pride of lions go after a downed gazelle? How about sharks in a feeding frenzy? Try watching the Cal defensive line go after a quarterback. -more-
Incumbent faces tough opposition
Police, sewers, infrastructure. These may not be the issues that Berkeley residents care to ponder over coffee, but these are the issues candidates are bringing to the forefront of the 4th District City Council race. -more-
San Pablo Avenue and height limits
To the Editor: -more-
Film features parolees
OAKLAND — With perspiration glistening on his forehead, Ron Owens is pacing in front of a class full of recently paroled men and women, describing how he adopted the “hip, slick and cool” persona when he was 13. -more-
Giants even World Series up at two
SAN FRANCISCO — Just in the nick of time, the San Francisco Giants solved the Kid. -more-
Safer strolls hang on Measure L
On Election Day, Berkeley voters will have a chance to make a $10 million investment in pedestrian safety. But some say the investment would be a waste of taxpayer dollars. -more-
Fear of height (limits)
To the Editor: -more-
MTV plans November debut for ’The Osbournes’
LOS ANGELES — The Ozzy Osbourne clan will return to MTV in November with the second season of their hit reality show, the music network announced Tuesday. -more-
Residents gather to address hate crimes
Faced with an unprecedented rise in hate crimes, city officials are trying to stem the tide of intolerance. This evening, the city will sponsor its first ever community forum to address the alarming problem. -more-
Armed Chechens storm Moscow theater, take hundreds hostage
MOSCOW — About 50 armed Chechen rebels stormed a crowded theater in a daring assault, took hundreds of theatergoers hostage and threatened early Thursday to shoot their captives and blow up the building if Russian security forces attacked. -more-
Berkeley honors officers
The Berkeley Police Department awarded medals to seven officers Wednesday who demonstrated bravery in the line of duty. -more-
Police looking for video
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Police Department says it is working with several other agencies in a search for surveillance video of a man who responsible for a trans-bay hit-and-run spree that claimed the life of a woman and critically injured a bicyclist. -more-
Regulators to decide who gets stuck with bill
SAN FRANCISCO — California politicians are hoping the stunning admission by a top Enron trader that the energy giant manipulated power markets will help the state’s plea for $9 billion in refunds. -more-
BART station closed after bomb threat
EL CERRITO — The El Cerrito del Norte BART station at 6400 Cutting Blvd. was closed following a bomb threat, a BART spokeswoman said Wednesday morning. -more-
Prosecutor expects no more arrests in Newark transgender killing
NEWARK — An Alameda County prosecutor said Wednesday that he doesn't anticipate any more arrests in the slaying earlier this month of a 17-year-old Newark boy who sometimes passed as a girl. -more-
Committees examine cancer link
Fishing in Channel Islands banned
SANTA BARBARA — A state commission decided Wednesday to create one of the nation’s largest marine reserves by banning fishing in areas around the Channel Islands. -more-
State breaks up large recycling fraud ring
SACRAMENTO — Fourteen people were arrested in one of the nation’s largest recycling fraud cases for allegedly swindling millions of dollars from California’s recycling program by transporting discarded bottles and cans from outside the state and redeeming them in Los Angeles. -more-
Shipping companies say pace of work slow at the docks
SAN FRANCISCO — West Coast dockworkers deliberately are slowing the pace of work in response to a bitter labor dispute, according to documents shipping companies have filed with the Department of Justice. -more-
Stocks continue upswing
NEW YORK — Wall Street managed a modest advance Wednesday, rising for a fourth time in five days as investors weighed a mixed economic assessment from the Federal Reserve against disappointing earnings from Eli Lilly. -more-
Court upholds award
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court on Wednesday let stand a $290 million personal injury jury award levied against the Ford Motor Co. stemming from a Bronco rollover accident in 1993. -more-
Opinion
Editorials
State says UC Berkeley group misunderstands admissions policy
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. -more-
Aroner gets high marks from watchdog group
Two Bay Area legislators received high marks from an environmental watchdog group that handed out report cards last week. -more-
Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone killed in Minnesota plane crash
Sniper suspect lived in Pinole
PINOLE — The former sister-in-law of one of the suspects arrested in connection with the sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C. area expressed sympathy for the victims and their families. -more-
Schools open as police confirm sniper’s 10th fatality
KENSINGTON — The search for the sniper stalking the suburbs of the nation’s capital stretched across the country Wednesday as FBI agents converged on a home in Tacoma, Wash., with metal detectors and chain saws. -more-