On a brutally hot day in Stockton, several members of the St. Mary’s track & field team didn’t have a chance to take a break at the Bayshore Regional championships. With qualifying spots for the Northern California Meet of Champions next week on the line, the Panthers’ top performers had to be at their bests. -more-

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What side are you on in the marijuana fight? -more-

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Monday, May 21

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As Berkeley school administrators decide what to do with more than $500,000 awarded to the district for improved standardized test scores, a growing core of frustrated Berkeley teachers are studying ways to protest the test. -more-

A plan to install permanent lighting inside UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium has Panoramic Hill residents worried that glaring, unsightly lighting towers will be visible from all over the city. -more-

There were at least as many questions as there were people at the Berkeley Alternative High School on Saturday. Yes, that’s right — on Saturday. -more-

The University of California at Berkeley is offering summer courses at a discounted price for teachers from the Berkeley, Oakland, West Contra Costa and San Francisco unified school districts. -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO – Complaints against some of the state’s largest telephone companies are on the rise, according to an analysis of 47,000 complaints filed with state utility regulators over the past two years, a newspaper reported. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Higher power costs zapped restauranteur Marino Sandoval and his customers even before California regulators decided this week how to allocate a $5.7 billion electricity rate hike — the highest in the state’s history. -more-

LOS ANGELES – The head of the California Public Utilities Commission provided a state Senate committee with evidence showing three power generators reduced electricity production and then benefited from the resulting high prices. -more-

By Ron Harris -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO – Two runners from Kenya won San Francisco’s most popular race Sunday, the 12K Bay to Breakers. -more-

For the fourth game in a row, the Berkeley Yellowjackets couldn’t put together a big inning. For the fourth game in a row, they gave the other team a big inning. So for the fourth game in a row, they lost. -more-

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Progressives? Call them radical -more-

Saturday, May 19

Battle lines are being drawn in the discussion about whether “small learning communities” could help Berkeley High School tackle problems with truancy, campus violence, teacher turn-over, and the achievement gap that separates Asian and white students from their African-American and Latino peers. -more-

The Berkeley High crew team will compete in the state championship meet today, but they will be unique among the 15 teams racing at Lake Natoma. -more-

The City Council asked two commissions to monitor the city’s Sewer Fund, which generates about $14 million a year in local fees, because of “inappropriate use and allocation.” -more-

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A day after defeating Connecticut, 2–0, the second–seeded California Golden Bears used eight hits on offense and an excellent three–hit shutout pitching performance by junior Jocelyn Forest to defeat the Florida Atlantic Owls, 2–0, in the winner's bracket of the South Region of the NCAA Regional. -more-

Berkeley Lite is an occasional column illuminating those who’d like to shine us on. -more-

STONE MOUNTAIN, Georgia – The No. 7-ranked California women’s tennis team suffered a major loss, when they fell in the NCAA Round of 16 to the No. 11-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils, 4-2, in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The Bears met up with the Sun Devils for the third time this year, the first two coming in the regular season. -more-

West Berkeley’s past is evident today through its diverse building stock. It presents a heterogeneous mix of old and new buildings, residential and industrial buildings often side by side. -more-

A woman was battered and raped by two men who forced her into a bathroom on the Berkeley School District’s east campus about 2 a.m. Tuesday, police said. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — After years of complaints from parents about San Francisco’s crowded, ill-equipped and run-down schools, the FBI has been called in to find out whether the mess is more than just a matter of bad management. -more-

A committee of nine ratepayer groups will not be allowed to take part in the proceedings involving the bankruptcy filing of Pacific Gas and Electric Co., a judge ruled Friday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The lawyer for a dying smoker suing tobacco giant Philip Morris Inc. suggested Friday that a jury award $10 billion in punitive damages. -more-

BREA — A 1,000-pound steer raised at a parochial school was slaughtered in front of more than 100 students, some as young as 5, to teach them where meat comes from – a demonstration that has drawn protests from some quarters. -more-

“ALIVE IN HER: Icons of the Goddess” -more-

Two years ago, Halihl Guy showed up for his first workout with the St. Mary’s track coaches. A junior transfer from Berkeley High, Guy wasn’t quite used to the workload the Panthers demanded. -more-

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West Bank, Gaza settlements illegal -more-

Friday, May 18

Despite grave concerns of two of its members, the Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to make more than $4 million in cuts to balance its budget of about $65 million by June. -more-

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The second-seeded California Golden Bears got a fine pitching performance from junior Jocelyn Forest and senior Nicole DiSalvio to defeat the fifth-seeded Connecticut Huskies, 2-0, to advance to the winners bracket of the NCAA Regional. The Bears moved on to face Florida Atlantic, which defeated Florida, 3-0, in the second round. With the win, Cal improves to 50-15 on the year, just one win shy of tying its most wins in school history. The Huskies fall to 35-22 with the loss. -more-

Jen Collins parks bikes for a living and loves it. -more-

The City Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday that spells out exactly when some city commissioners have a conflict of interest due to outside employment and how to remedy the situation. -more-

Two problems, the energy crisis and global warming, have a singular solution: turn off the lights, use public transit, save energy. -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO — Nonunion workers should not be required to pay union organizing fees, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, overturning an earlier decision by the National Labor Relations Board. -more-

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LOS ANGELES — Lawyers for former SLA fugitive Sara Jane Olson went to court Thursday to defend themselves on criminal charges and later told a judge they may have to be removed from Olson’s trial. -more-

A judge spared federal officials a contempt of court charge Thursday, but implied he might be less understanding if they don’t follow through on a deal keeping cattle off land reserved for the threatened desert tortoise. -more-

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SACRAMENTO — A state Senate panel kept California’s high-speed rail project alive Thursday by approving $1 million for environmental studies for the 700-mile system. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The largest Catholic hospital system in the Western states has settled allegations that its Sacramento hospital made false Medicare and Medi-Cal claims and agreed to pay the federal government $10.25 million. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The rugged men portrayed in Marlboro cigarette ads became the identity of a cancer-stricken smoker suing tobacco giant Philip Morris Inc., his attorney told a Superior Court jury in closing arguments Thursday. -more-

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WASHINGTON — More fathers are going solo in raising kids. -more-

BOSTON — Two national studies of a widely used drug for colorectal cancer were suspended for new patients because the drug turned out to be more toxic than expected. -more-

Q: I have a leaky bathroom faucet. Can you tell me some simple instructions to fix it? Please include specific tools, and parts needed. -more-

Asian manufacturers still No.1, but quality gap closing -more-

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Correcting the record on Beth El -more-

Thursday, May 17

SAN FRANCISCO – In a move affirmative action supporters hailed as a major victory, the University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to drop its controversial 1995 ban on race-based admissions Wednesday. -more-

Eight different sports and seven different decades are represented in the 2001 class selected for induction in the University of California Athletic Hall of Fame, the school announced this week. -more-

A City Council task force, working to increase transit ridership and reduce fares, was derailed Tuesday because of bickering between progressive and moderate council factions. -more-

Today’s the annual bike-to-work day and a number of city officials will bolt their cars in their garages and teeter tentatively from Channing Way and Milvia Street, three blocks north to city hall. -more-

LOS ANGELES — One of Sara Jane Olson’s defense lawyers plans to demand a quick trial – for himself – when he appears for arraignment on misdemeanor criminal charges related to the case of the former Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California will no longer be held captive by energy suppliers charging high prices for power, Gov. Gray Davis said Wednesday as he officially put California into the electricity wholesale business. -more-

PASADENA — A two-year-old project that harnesses spare computer time to hunt for signals from alien civilizations has signed up its 3 millionth volunteer, officials said Wednesday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Where’s all the outrage? -more-

SACRAMENTO — For two years, California enjoyed a bulging state budget and soaring economy, but no more. -more-

SANTA BARBARA — Two years of consensus-building and compromise among fishermen and environmentalists failed Wednesday to produce a plan to establish the nation’s biggest marine reserve off California. -more-

STOCKTON — With his mother’s ex-boyfriend opening fire behind him, a 10-year-old boy “ran like hell” as the gunman fatally shot the boy’s grandmother and killed his little sister and two cousins. -more-

WASHINGTON — President Bush, in his much-awaited energy plan, will warn on Thursday that the United States faces “the most serious energy shortage since the oil embargo of the 1970s.” He will order federal agencies to dismantle regulatory barriers that slow gas, electrical, coal and nuclear power production and propose opening federal lands for oil drilling. -more-

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Colin Powell wants to meet this month with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in a newly energized U.S. drive to end violence, help the Palestinian economy and find a way back to the negotiating table with Israel. -more-

WASHINGTON — FBI agents this week have found still more Oklahoma City bombing documents that may not have been turned over to Timothy McVeigh’s attorneys, FBI Director Louis Freeh said Wednesday. -more-

WASHINGTON — Drawing on Reagan-era successes in undermining communism in Eastern Europe, a group of senators introduced legislation Wednesday to promote democracy in Cuba by providing dissidents cash, fax machines, telephones and other items. -more-

WASHINGTON — The House voted Wednesday to preserve President Bush’s policy prohibiting $425 million in U.S. aid for global population assistance from going to groups that advocate abortion rights. -more-

SEOUL, South Korea — After a three-year manhunt, military detectives found Sgt. Maj. Park No-hang sprawled on the floor of a high-rise apartment just one mile from the Defense Ministry, a skin-care mask over his face. -more-

At a forum Monday, Berkeley High School students said their new principal’s proposals for dealing with truancy will harm the kids most in need of help. -more-

Wednesday, May 16

Jewish rights to Israel ‘pre-existing’ -more-

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Two nights a week about 11 p.m., UC Berkeley student Mike Barnes drops whatever he’s doing and walks the eight blocks from his fraternity to his second job. -more-

Activists in the movement to save listener-sponsored radio took their message to the halls of Congress Tuesday, when “dissident” Pacifica Foundation board members, fired staffers and banned volunteers spoke to members of the Progressive Caucus, in an informal hearing. -more-

Pacifica Foundation Board member Michael Palmer resigned Monday. Local KPFA staff and supporters showed no regrets. -more-

A alleged prostitute working on the 2800 block of San Pablo Avenue just after midnight Thursday was attacked and robbed by a suspected former pimp, police said. -more-

SAN DIEGO — “Monty Montezuma,” San Diego State’s red-faced, spear-throwing mascot, got the heave-ho Tuesday by the university president, who wants a more dignified portrayal of the Aztec leader. -more-

State power regulators finally decided Tuesday how to spread the pain of the biggest electric rate hikes in California history, boosting rates by as much as 80 percent for residential customers who use the most power. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The rising cost of gas appears to be prompting many Southern California motorists to find alternative ways of getting around. -more-

The Dalai Lama expressed hope for a more peaceful 21st century Tuesday night, saying humanity seems to have learned something from the bloody and violent one that just ended. -more-

VALLEJO — Cal OSHA is investigating an accident at Marine World this weekend in which a woman fell off a ride and had to be hospitalized. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Supporters of California’s proposed high-speed rail system hope lawmakers will provide some money to keep the project on track despite Gov. Gray Davis’ decision to cut off most funding. -more-

WASHINGTON — A Democratic proposal to finance the hiring of thousands of public school teachers went down to narrow defeat in the Senate as the administration and its Republican allies sought to assert control over debate on President Bush’s education bill. -more-

FORT MEADE, Md. — Once, the National Security Agency insignia, a bald eagle perched on a skeleton key, surveyed a barren terrain of top-secret letterhead, its forbidding stare known only to a privileged few. -more-

WASHINGTON — The record-high prices at the nation’s gas pumps should start going down around Memorial Day – even in especially hard-hit California and the Midwest, a top federal energy official said Tuesday. -more-

NEW YORK — Wall Street got the interest rate cut it had been hoping for Tuesday, but that wasn’t enough to put investors in a buying mood. -more-

WASHINGTON — Zach Landau, 13, gets a weekly allowance of $6.50. He spends some on crickets and fleas as food for his menagerie of lizards, salamanders, tree frogs and other creatures. Some of it he saves. -more-

SANTA CLARA — Applied Materials Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of chip-making equipment, reported Tuesday a “severe decline” in earnings during the second quarter and missed Wall Street expectations by a penny. -more-

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Are you happy now that we’ll be in the dark? -more-

Tuesday, May 15

An aggressive public information campaign spurred by the recent hospitalization of a 19-year-old woman with bacterial meningitis seems to be working as hundreds of west Berkeley residents and scores of students attended clinics to be screened and treated. -more-

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt medical marijuana users a blow Monday with a unanimous decision that a medical necessity defense can not be used against federal marijuana charges. -more-

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With opening night nearing, things were a bit hectic at Willard Middle School’s Metal Shop Theater last week. -more-

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church is ordinarily filled with the sounds of hymns and prayers, but lately the rafters have been ringing with the sounds of saws and jackhammers. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Blaming a plunging stock market and slipping economy, Gov. Gray Davis said Monday he will abandon almost $3.2 billion in new programs, tax cuts and spending increases he proposed in January. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Slowing growth in the state’s inmate population due to a new drug treatment initiative allowed Gov. Gray Davis to cut $54 million in Department of Corrections spending in the revised budget proposal he released Monday. -more-

LONG BEACH — California State University, the nation’s largest public university system, is considering a sweeping alcohol policy for its 23 campuses following the drinking-related death of a student. -more-

JERUSALEM — Israeli troops killed five Palestinian policemen in the West Bank and rocketed security targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday – part of an emerging strategy of taking the offensive against Palestinian security forces, rather than retaliating for specific attacks. -more-

NEW YORK — Anxiety over interest rates made for a quiet Monday on Wall Street, with investors reluctant to make any big moves on the eve of an important Federal Reserve meeting. Blue chips rose moderately, while technology stocks drifted lower, giving the Nasdaq composite its fourth straight decline. -more-

NEW YORK — If you have a decent memory, you will experience the sensation of reliving events, including such diverse public drives as conserving energy, saving for retirement and simplifying taxes. -more-

The glassy-winged sharpshooter and the Pierce's Disease that it spreads are seen as a major threat to the state's wine industry. -more-

The glassy-winged sharpshooter and the Pierce's Disease that it spreads are seen as a major threat to the state's wine industry. -more-

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On Friday, a 19-year old woman was hospitalized with a presumptive diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Public health officials confirmed Thursday that the diagnosis is meningococcal meningitis. -more-

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OAKLAND — Yvonne Westbrook recalls when getting relief from the symptoms of multiple sclerosis meant venturing into seedy parks to buy bags of marijuana from drug dealers. -more-

OAKLAND — Supporters of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative say a Supreme Court ruling against them was a blow, but not a fatal one. -more-