The flock of the One True Church of the Great Green Frog adorned sacred vestments of capes, masks and wizard’s caps, for their annual parade through Berkeley streets to celebrate Fat Tuesday. -more-
OAKLAND – The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is calling all those who spend their time waiting at bus stops, or idling in traffic, dreaming up ways to fix the transportation system. The primary agency for regional transportation planning, MTC is holding a series of meetings to receive public input on the development of the Regional Transportation Plan. The plan is revised every three years and guides funding priorities for Bay Area transportation projects. That includes highways, roads and public transit as well as bike and pedestrian roadways. -more-
When Alta Bates Summit announced its plan to consolidate services between its two facilities – Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley and Summit Medical Center in Oakland – East Bay lawmakers cried foul. The plan, which calls for “Centers of Excellence” to be instituted at both hospitals, seemed to break an agreement the hospitals made with the community at the time of their merger in 1999. -more-
Cal Ink: Etched into the history of the 20th century -more-
LOS ANGELES — Even as networks delay or drop potentially sensitive episodes and clip violent scenes in terrorism’s immediate wake, network executives expressed uncertainty Tuesday about how deep or lasting the effects of Sept. 11 will be. -more-
Berkeley comes back to beat -more-
Even after teacher salaries jumped 9.5 percent last year as part of new four-year contact, Berkeley Unified School District is struggling to recruit the teachers it needs. -more-
The Berkeley Unified School District filed suit in Alameda County Superior this week to recoup money mistakenly paid to dozens of service employees. -more-
Laura Schott returned to her goal-a-game pace as the Cal women’s soccer team shut out Fresno State, 2-0. -more-
The Berkeley Housing Authority has opened up the Section 8 waiting list as part of the agency’s aggressive attempt to add 300 households to the housing-subsidy program by April. -more-
Editor: -more-
An occasional column of -more-
Editor: -more-
Bulent Altan put on his Planet Hollywood T-shirt Thursday to make sure no one thought he was a terrorist. -more-
RIVERSIDE — A group of University of California, Riverside scientists are tackling a curious problem for parks and wilderness areas in the West: smog. -more-
On Wednesday, members of California Peace Action, an anti-war group, reported that their group had received several hateful e-mails over the last few weeks, some of which may have risen to the level of threats. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Despite a presidential pardon, Patty Hearst’s criminal record could be mentioned at trial if she testifies against Sara Jane Olson, the former fugitive accused of a Symbionese Liberation Army plot to bomb police officers, experts said. -more-
Dear Tom and Ray: -more-
WASHINGTON — President Bush can’t rely solely on Republican votes for his budget’s centerpiece across-the-board tax cut, and his debut prime-time speech Tuesday night put his persuasive and political powers to a crucial test in courting Democratic and moderate support. -more-
SAN JOSE — With the high-tech industry settling down and the economy slowing, Silicon Valley can expect slower growth over the next 10 years, according to a study released Friday. -more-
WASHINGTON — The nation’s premier environmental law withstood a major industry challenge Tuesday as the Supreme Court upheld the way the government sets air-quality standards under the Clean Air Act. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Natural gas prices are dropping nationwide, and two California utilities say their customers can expect substantially lower heating bills — a relief after gas bills exploded last winter by as much as 150 percent. -more-
I sit . . . -more-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The state Department of Education may have to reclaim $750,000 it mistakenly awarded to San Joaquin Valley schools after a scoring error on a standardized test. -more-
NEW YORK — Worries about jobs and the business climate dragged consumer confidence in February to its lowest level in more than four years. -more-
TOPEKA, Kan. — A female state senator says she views women’s suffrage as a sign that American society doesn’t value the family enough but she wouldn’t deprive women of the vote. -more-
PORT GIBSON, Miss. — A jury awarded $100 million Friday to plaintiffs who claimed a drug-maker pushed sales of a heartburn drug even as the federal government moved to ban it. -more-
LOS ANGELES — In the nation’s “new kind of war” on terrorism, defense spending is likely to focus as much on information and surveillance as bombs and bullets. -more-
POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — Sooner or later a gardener finds the need to keep a journal. From simple jottings in a notebook to entries in a computer database, today’s diary helps to grow tomorrow’s garden. -more-
White flowers and leaves are not the first things that come to mind when planning a colorful garden. Nonetheless, they can really spruce up a flower bed. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden Gate Bridge will reopen to pedestrian and bike traffic Monday, but for reduced hours. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Supermarket giant Safeway Inc. on Friday announced higher quarterly profits amid weakening sales growth that executives said should continue as consumers react to the economic fallout from this month’s terrorist attacks. -more-
There is a growing consensus that the top issue for the next superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School District will be tackling the achievement gap between white students and students of color. -more-
At its meeting tonight, the City Council will hear a report by the Community Action Team discussing its work plan to address the health disparities in Berkeley. The gap in health outcomes between wealthier Caucasian people who live in the hills and lower income people of color who live in the flatlands was pointed out in a Berkeley Health Department study last year. -more-
Gerald M. Rubin, professor of genetics in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, has been awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize for 2000 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for a review paper he published last year on the sequencing of the fruit fly genome. He shares the prize with about 100 co-authors, including CraigVenter, head of Celera Genomics Corp. -more-
SANTA BARBARA — Prosecutors charged a college freshman with four counts of murder and other crimes Monday for allegedly running down pedestrians with his car in a neighborhood near the University of California, Santa Barbara. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal Monday to hear Gov. Gray Davis’ challenge of a ruling overturning a fee for handicapped parking placards is a victory for disabled rights, advocates say. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The state’s booming housing market shows little sign of a slowdown despite the softening economy, a report released Monday by the California Association of Realtors shows. -more-
The Associated Press -more-
PASADENA — A U.S.-Russian group announced Monday it plans an April test launch of a space sail that relies not on wind but the gentle pressure of the sun’s rays to propel it. -more-
Skyrocketing energy costs, teacher pay raises and growing enrollments are just a few reasons the Berkeley Unified School District is facing a budget crunch in the fiscal year beginning July 1, according to a financial report released last week. -more-
In a special night at Haas Pavilion, Sean Lampley etched his name into the California record books, and the Bears followed his strong offensive lead to defeat Washington State, 84-65, on Saturday night. -more-
The city’s effort to resurrect a deal to purchase 4.5 acres from KBLX Radio as an addition to Aquatic Park stalled when the station’s management said it wasn’t interested. -more-
After St. Mary’s jumped to a 21-8 lead at the end of the first quarter in the BSAL title game against Salesian Saturday night, it appeared that the Panthers were on its way to recording yet another blowout in a season filled with lopsided victories. -more-
The annual Black History Month celebration at the Martin Luther King Youth Services Center Saturday opened with a libation — the tradition of giving honor to ancestors and people before you. -more-
An Emeryville environmental consultant has been sentenced to community service and fined in federal court for moving and harming threatened California red-legged frogs at a Concord development site. -more-
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission will hold a public workshop on the 2001 Regional Transportation Plan on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The plan will determine the way that government funds are spent for transportation infrastructure in the nine counties that make up the Bay Area. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Shunning a movement to adopt a more moderate approach, California Republicans narrowly elected a conservative chairman Sunday to revive a party dogged by division and defeat. -more-
VENTURA — A national Hells Angel leader and nearly two dozen others, including his son and daughter, have been arrested for allegedly participating in an extensive drug ring. -more-
Family. Can’t live with ‘em… Can’t live with ‘em. -more-
LOS ANGELES — In the ongoing battle between the recording industry and Napster, industry officials have brought forth new evidence in their attempt to prove the Internet music-swapping service has cut into their business. -more-
WASHINGTON — Microsoft will try to convince an appeals court this week that the breakup of the software giant is unwarranted in a high stakes legal showdown that may focus as much on the judge who made the ruling as the legal underpinnings for it. -more-
A rose is a rose by any other name. Sure, but in Berkeley, Shakespeare wouldn’t be able to apply his famous saying to the special relationship between humans and their furry companions – the family dog or cat. -more-
The Berkeley High boys’ basketball team capped a 14-game winning streak to end its regular season Friday by defeating the El Cerrito High Gauchos 77-62 in Berkeley. -more-
The school board, parents and many students support a plan by Berkeley High Principal Frank Lynch to implement a “closed campus” for freshman next year, prohibiting the ninth graders from leaving campus during the school day. -more-
Finding affordable quality childcare will get even harder next week, when Dragonfly Preschool shuts its doors forever. -more-
Berkeley Observed -more-
Q: A brick chimney goes up between two unheated rooms in our attic. For the last 35 years, creosote appears to have leaked out of the chimney and stained the wallpaper. Is this dangerous, and if it needs repair, what kind of technician handles this? -more-
OKLAHOMA CITY — Constance Favorite offers a half-serious suggestion for how to accommodate the 250 people who want to watch Timothy McVeigh’s execution: Hold it in the middle of an Oklahoma field. -more-
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Jeb Bush wept before a black Baptist education group Friday as he introduced minority staffers and appointees he said have been ridiculed by other blacks for associating with him. -more-
SAN JOSE — A start-up telecommunications company that still has no revenues has received about $435 million in venture capital, a huge amount of money in the beleaguered high-tech industry. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The state’s unemployment rate hit a 30-year low last month as the state’s economic boom continues, the state reported Friday. -more-
NEW YORK — Speculation about an earlier-than-expected interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve helped technology stocks stage a last-minute comeback Friday, giving the Nasdaq composite index its first positive finish in more than a week. -more-
If the St. Elizabeth boys’ basketball team went into Thursday’s playoff game at St. Mary’s with any hopes of upsetting the top-seeded Panthers, they were shattered almost immediately after the opening tip. -more-
As rents continue to rise making Berkeley affordable for financially exclusive renters, book store employee Sarah Glickstein, 62, and four others are being evicted from their longtime homes under the Ellis Act. -more-
Late nine-point Washington run dooms Bears -more-
Despite the adamant opposition of two of its members, the Berkeley Unified School District board of directors voted Wednesday night to give key financial backing to a Berkeley High School program for students failing two or more classes. -more-
The Berkeley Chinese Community Church celebrated its centennial late last year. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Imagine picking up your baggage after a long flight when, over the public address system, a voice warns that a major earthquake is about to hit. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The second dog involved in the fatal attack on a popular college lacrosse coach was declared “vicious and dangerous” Thursday and was ordered to be destroyed. -more-
TRUCKEE — Two teen-agers who failed to return from a skiing outing at Squaw Valley USA were found dead in an avalanche Thursday near the Lake Tahoe-area ski resort. -more-
WASHINGTON — President Bush, in his first full-fledged news conference, declared the military strike against Iraq a success Thursday despite the sub-par performance of U.S. missiles. “We got his attention,” he said of Saddam Hussein. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Investments in venture capital funds plunged 33 percent during last year’s final quarter in a retreat spurred by the accelerating pace of Internet business failures. -more-
LONG BEACH — The last plane to be built under the McDonnell Douglas name was delivered Thursday during ceremonies marking the end of an era for the Southern California aviation industry. -more-
Students and staff of Berkeley High School gathered at the Community Theater during their lunch break Wednesday to mark the one year anniversary of the death of Marcia Singman, a dance teacher at the school for more than 30 years. -more-
924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership Feb. 23: Subincision, 30 Second Fury, AKA Nothing, No Common Sense, Stalin’s War; Feb. 24: Slow Gherkin, Plus Ones, 78 RPMS, Merrick, Enemy You; March 2: Books Lie, Living Under Lies, Remnants, No Regrets, The Fadeaways, LWL; March 3: Dr. Know, The Dread, Hot Box, Anal Mucus; March 9: Dead and Gone, Sworn Vengence, Punishment, Misoura, The Computer Kills; March 10: The Varukers, 46 Short, Scarred for Life, Oppressed Logic, Faced Down; March 16: The P.A.W.N.S., Kill the Messenger, Phoenix, The Sugarlips; March 17: The Hood, Benumb, Above This World, Chrome Disorder, Eulogy 525-9926 -more-
Milton, St. Jules lead balanced attack -more-
The Landmarks Preservation Commission unearthed a problem when it considered awarding the West Berkeley Shellmound protective status last September - there were no city regulations for buried and paved-over landmarks. -more-
It took the Berkeley High girls’ basketball team nearly two minutes to score its first points against Encinal Tuesday night, a lapse that may have cost the ’Jackets its second 100-plus point game in two weeks. -more-
The same five members of the Supreme Court who put George W. Bush in the White House decided Wednesday that persons with disabilities who work for their state governments cannot file discrimination suits against their employers under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. -more-
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Bill Lockyer is backing an Oakland cannabis distribution club in its fight with the federal government over medical marijuana. -more-
State Attorney General Bill Lockyer announced today that a DNA match made at the California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory in Berkeley has fingered a suspect in a 1984 sexual assault and murder. Lockyer said David James McIntosh, a convicted sex offender currently in Folsom Prison on parole violations, will be charged tomorrow in the sexual assault and murder of 13-year-old Heidi Fredette in Tehama County. -more-
NEW YORK — The Nasdaq composite index fell to its lowest level in nearly two years Wednesday after an unexpected surge in inflation intensified investors’ fears about the future. -more-
LOS ANGELES — An Iranian national who allegedly threatened to “kill all Americans” when he was caught smoking on an international flight was ordered held without bail Friday after a prosecutor argued his actions threatened thousands of lives. -more-
SACRAMENTO — It’s becoming more likely that the ninth-graders who take the state’s first high school graduation test starting next week will be doing it only for practice. -more-
LOS ANGELES — As Californians brace for a summer of anticipated power shortages, their neighbors should be ready to share the pain, experts warn. -more-
POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — White asparagus, long a European delicacy, has lately become popular also in America. Home gardeners can easily grow these so-called blanched or gourmet whites as well as the better-known green and purplish spears. -more-
California called off all power alerts Thursday for the first time in nearly six weeks, thanks to the availability of more imported electricity and the return to service of power plants that had been down for repairs. -more-
The stock market’s plunge has left many small investors so intimidated they are likely to miss out on the beginning of the next upturn and the chance to recoup their losses. -more-
