In advance of a communitywide meeting on May 19 to consider a major overhaul in the way Berkeley High School delivers its academic programs, small groups of high school staff and parents have met weekly to ponder the question. -more-
Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins, and become little “dump” workers. $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 or www.habitot.org -more-
Kopmar hurt in 3-0 loss; ACCAL title up for grabs -more-
Four years ago Jim Cisney had a vision for the Northside Community Art Garden. -more-
Judah L. Magnes Museum “Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season” through May 2002. An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950 -more-
Public power advocates spoke out Thursday evening at a forum hosted by Assemblymember Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley. -more-
Call it glorified batting practice. -more-
After months of controversy, the City Council will hold the first of two public hearings tonight on a synagogue and school proposed for 1301 Oxford St. -more-
In anticipation of a major earthquake that could isolate Berkeley for up to seven days, the City Council and the Board of Education are holding a joint meeting Tuesday to discuss a preparedness plan. -more-
“Stand up if you think students have the power to make this school a better place,” Berkeley High senior Maryan Katouli sang out over the PA system. -more-
Berkeley Observed -more-
Known for her straight talk, determination and generous spirit, Barbara Ann Hicks Moscowitz died of natural causes at her Berkeley home May 24. -more-
At age 4 Stephanie Huff’s parents were told she could possibly live until 11. -more-
BERKELEY — The building of the future will be able to keep standing even after a bomb blast knocks out first-floor supports, scientists say. -more-
In the 1970s, energy conservation was Jimmy Carter in a cardigan telling people to bundle up and turn down the heat. Today, it’s about using energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, computerized thermostats and motion sensors. -more-
A conservation group plans to buy more than 30,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada from a timber company and make that land available for public use in the next two to three years. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Attorneys who argued against the state’s vehicle smog fees are unlikely to receive an $88 million fee an arbitration board once awarded them, a judge ruled Friday. -more-
PASADENA — A new book that translates color images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope into tactile illustrations will allow the blind to touch the stars – as well as galaxies, planets and other astronomical objects captured by the orbiting observatory. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Baja California was wrenched from mainland Mexico 6 million years ago by a series of earthquakes, starting in earnest the peninsula’s 160-mile push to the northwest, a study says. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Tuesday’s mayoral election is more than just a choice between two popular Democrats in a city that has long been friendly to the politics of both. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A federal attorney is suing the Immigration and Naturalization Service over the case of an illegal immigrant whom the agency has said it might sedate before deporting to China. -more-
SACRAMENTO — California health care plans would have to cover treatment for drug and alcohol abuse under a bill approved Monday by the state Senate. -more-
MONTEREY — Despite months of seeking solutions to the energy crisis, state officials are still preparing for blackouts this summer, Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg said Friday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Dr. Michael Gottlieb sent the researcher up to 5-East in the UCLA Medical Center. -more-
HUNTINGTON BEACH — State tax officials have raided the home and office of an Orange County business owner who has refused to withhold taxes from employee paychecks. -more-
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Seriously ill patients should be able to use marijuana for medical purposes, Nevada lawmakers decided Monday, in a vote that puts the state on a potential collision course with the federal government. -more-
CORCORAN— A federal judge has ruled that the government must pay farmers in the arid Central Valley for depriving them of irrigation water to protect endangered fish. -more-
WASHINGTON — Texas jurors who sentenced a retarded killer to death did not get clear instructions about how to weigh the defendant’s mental abilities against the severity of his crime, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The number of California voters shunning political parties has nearly doubled in 10 years, but Democratic and Republican officials say they aren’t worried. -more-
WASHINGTON — Arizona and seven other Western states outperformed the rest of the country in economic growth during much of the 1990s while Hawaii and Alaska suffered the worst growth rates, the Commerce Department said Monday. -more-
The man found guilty Wednesday of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl has had a lot to say to media representatives in the day following his conviction. -more-
NEW YORK — Caution asserted itself on Wall Street Monday as investors, still nursing doubts about when the economy will improve, bought stocks but made few major commitments. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors filed a potential death penalty murder case Friday against a man who allegedly shot a man and tried to get away by hijacking a bus that sped through downtown until a violent collision that killed a minivan driver. -more-
Three people, who tried to change a flat tire in the left lane of Interstate 80, were sent to the hospital with minor injuries after the car they were driving was rearended by another. -more-
SPENCER, Ind. — In a fluorescent-lit barn 40 miles from a federal penitentiary, Glenda Breeden applies paint to 14-foot-tall papier-mache puppets of Uncle Sam and Jesus. -more-
WASHINGTON — The ejection of the United States from the U.N. Human Rights Commission has infuriated lawmakers, and some are calling for withholding $650 million in payments to the United Nations. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration will allow a ban on road-building in much of the nation’s federal forest lands to take effect next week but will propose changes to it in June, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said Friday. -more-
WASHINGTON — The unemployment rate jumped to 4.5 percent in April, reviving fears of recession as companies shed the largest number of jobs in a decade. The White House stoked that concern, suggesting that economic growth in the first quarter might be less than originally reported. -more-
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Six months after Florida plunged the presidential race into chaos, lawmakers approved a sweeping election overhaul Friday that will banish the hanging chads and butterfly ballots that made the state a laughingstock. -more-
WASHINGTON — Food companies reeling from recalls of biotech corn products say the government shouldn’t let genetically engineered crops go to market unless there are tests to tell those crops apart from conventional varieties. -more-
ATHENS, Greece — Pope John Paul II arrived in Greece on Friday for a personal pilgrimage with much wider implications: trying to heal nearly 1,000 years of discord between the Vatican and Orthodox churches. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Computer chip designer Rambus Inc. has lost a crucial round in its legal fight to enforce patent claims that could generate $1 billion in royalties. -more-
Popular assumptions can create vast misimpressions, such as the one that the typical American household has become a daring investor in stocks, devouring market data and trading aggressively. -more-
NEW YORK — Stocks moved higher Friday as more dismal economic news raised hopes that the Federal Reserve will aggressively cut interest rates. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Tracking growth of the nation’s Hispanic population, the Cinco de Mayo holiday has become a bull’s-eye for businesses targeting a largely untapped market. -more-
NEW YORK — Wall Street has no doubt that the stock market and the economy will eventually regain the kind of strength they enjoyed for much of the last decade. -more-
That national teacher shortage hasn’t hit Berkeley as hard as some districts. -more-
The No. 1 ranked Cal men’s varsity eight won its third-consecutive IRA National Championship in Cherry Hill, NJ, on Saturday. Cal raced from the front all the way down the 2000-meter Cooper River racecourse to cross the line in 5 minutes and 34 seconds – three seconds faster than runner-up Princeton. The Bears capped another undefeated and secured Steve Gladstone a ninth IRA Championship. Cal’s JV eight and varsity four won IRA titles of their own and the freshman eight took bronze. It was the Bears 12th varsity IRA title moving Cal into a tie with Navy at No. 2 on the all-time list. -more-
Muralist Juana Alicia paints a “scary clown” face on Mike Pratt, 5, at a Rosa Parks School ice cream social yesterday afternoon. Alicia, a parent of a Rosa Parks student, is a -more-
Guy finishes 3rd in hurdles race, relays falter; Warren, Duffy both win medals -more-
The Zoning Adjustments Board approved a use permit for a proposed development of 71 residential units and 7,200 square feet of commercial space at 1392 University Ave. at Acton Street late last week. -more-
A number of African-American students at Willard Middle School walked out of a classroom in protest Wednesday after a teacher allegedly used a racial slur, according to sources at the school. -more-
Judah L. Magnes Museum “Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season” through May 2002. An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950 -more-
What was supposed to be the culmination of Halihl Guy’s high school track career nearly went down in flames Friday night at the CIF State Championship Meet qualifiers, but everything turned out fine in the end. -more-
The Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville chapter of the League of Women Voters joined forces last year with Californians for Justice, Coleman Advocates for Youth and Families and other organizations to fight against Proposition 21, the Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act. -more-
To kick start the use of alternative energy in residences, the mayor will ask the City Council on Tuesday to consider fast-tracking the city’s permit process and waiving fees for those who install solar devices. -more-
Berkeley Observed -more-
La Peña event honors activist, union leader Dolores Huerta -more-
HAYWARD — An unemployed crime lab technician has been found guilty on all 11 counts, including attempted murder, for planting bombs under the homes of Fremont’s police chief and other city officials. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Hank Ketcham, whose lovable scamp “Dennis the Menace” tormented cranky Mr. Wilson and amused readers of comics for decades, died early Friday morning at age 81. -more-
REDLANDS — A first-grade teacher died suddenly from meningococcal disease but her students were at little risk of contracting the bacterial infection, officials said Friday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — An environmental group has launched a door-to-door campaign to remind 250,000 Californians to conserve energy this summer. -more-
BAKERSFIELD — Gov. Gray Davis announced a “Buy California” program Friday, promoting native farm products as part of an initiative to invigorate economic growth in the farm-rich Central Valley. -more-
SUSANVILLE — Firefighters battling a 4,459-acre blaze in the Sierra Nevada were forced to deal with windy conditions Friday. Gusts up to 40 mph pushed estimates for full containment to Monday. -more-
California power regulators can still order the state’s largest utility to perform an accounting change the company claims will end its chance to recover billions in undercollected electric rates from its customers, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled Friday. -more-
SAN DIEGO — An elderly American cancer patient who says he traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to buy Valium to relieve his pain has been arrested and jailed on suspicion of drug smuggling. -more-
Two rare amphibian species in the Sierra Nevada are in danger of extinction and likely would be protected under the Endangered Species Act except for a federal moratorium on new listings, a government biologist acknowledged Friday. -more-
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Nkosi Johnson, a boy who was born with HIV and became an outspoken champion of others infected with the AIDS virus, died Friday of the disease he battled for all 12 of his years. -more-
Gardening is a favorite pastime for both of us. While neither claims to have a green thumb, we can hold our own. -more-
NEW YORK — The Nasdaq surges more than 41 percent over seven weeks and then drops back nearly 10 percent in just five days. -more-
DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler arm reported sharp declines in U.S. auto sales for May, while General Motors Corp. managed a slim gain. -more-
SAN JOSE — The technology economy’s downturn has opened the eyes of personal computer makers to the nation’s booming Hispanic population, which has grown 58 percent to 35.3 million in the past decade. -more-
Heading into the final track & field event of the season, the St. Mary’s Panthers are in better shape than ever before. But even with nearly every hopeful on the team qualified for the CIF State Championships this weekend at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, the Panthers will need to achieve perfection to win a team title. -more-
Students get taste of Elizabethan Era with ‘Summer’ play -more-
Kirsten McKnight, a veteran of the Pacific-10 Conference, has been named assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of California, head coach Caren Horstmeyer announced Thursday. -more-
The Parks and Waterfront Department released an environmental study Wednesday on the proposed Harrison Street Skate Park nearly seven months after discovery of a chrome 6 groundwater plume halted work on the project. -more-
The Cal men’s varsity eight won its opening round heat at the IRA National Championship regatta on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J., on Thursday. The win advanced the Bears to the semifinal in the Varsity Challenge Cup. -more-
Options for building a new courthouse in Berkeley are practically nil, Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz said Thursday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A year after California’s electricity price shocks began, regulators say they are close to proving how power wholesalers aggravated a crisis that so far has raised customer rates by $5.7 billion, saddled two utilities with $8.2 billion in losses and dumped a $13 billion bailout bill on taxpayers. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Environmental groups are offering a deal they hope federal officials can’t refuse: Some relief from lawsuits in exchange for quickly getting species declared endangered. -more-
SUSANVILLE — Nearly 2,000 firefighters and support personnel battling a forest fire that threatened homes and forced evacuations in the Sierra Nevada expected to have the 4,300-acre blaze fully contained by Friday. -more-
Q: I have a plumbing problem wherein the toilet appears to bubble up water and the bowl completely fills with water upon flushing. It requires about 30 minutes for the water to drain out. When it does, it almost completely drains out. I have tried using a plunger, but to no avail. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A steady influx of young immigrant families, coupled with an exodus of older, wealthier residents, has helped California resist the graying seen across America during the last decade. -more-
ATLANTA — Social worker Anthony McWilliams says he sees it every day – a new generation of gays and bisexuals numb from years of endless AIDS statistics and warnings about the epidemic. -more-
In sweltering heat, about four dozen high school athletes are doing drills while coaches bark instructions at them. These players won’t actually play a game for another four months, but they know that starting jobs can be on the line even today. -more-
In this area few men’s mere presence has impacted the public image of African American lawyers, as did the late State Appellate Court Justice Clinton White. An Oakland resident, and native of Sacramento, he was the voice of the African American legal community, long before he became first an Alameda County Superior Court Judge in 1977 and later a State Appellate Court Justice. Although, others were fighting aggressively for racial equality within the judicial system, no one fought for African Americans like he did. In the tradition of national civil rights lawyers, like Charles Houston, Thurgood Marshall and William Hastie, Clint White, as he was known before becoming a judge, viewed the law as an instrument to achieve social justice. In the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, he was the consummate lonely warrior representing African Americans in courtrooms where the odds were perpetually stacked against them. -more-
Monday, May 21, came as a rude awakening to fire department personnel throughout Northern California. -more-
First-ever event unlike usual State of City talk -more-
The School Board wanted to do things right. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — MarketWatch.com Inc. announced Wednesday it is laying off about 15 percent of its work force, making the popular online business news site the latest media outlet to shrivel in the face of an advertising slump. -more-
After a four-month, nationwide search that yielded 22 candidates, the Berkeley Board of Education announced Tuesday it has found its new superintendent. -more-
The Daily Planet omitted the letter writer’s name when it published “Playing that density song” on May 29. We are reprinting it with the author’s name – ed. -more-
A man undergoes brain surgery and experiences a transformation of his life in the quirky and well-performed, but otherwise surprisingly bland 1998 opera “A New Brain,” which Shotgun Players opened Saturday as its latest show at Julian Morgan Theater in Berkeley. -more-
The 86-year-old Claremont Hotel Resort and Spa, among the most majestic buildings in the Bay Area, was nominated for historical landmarking this month, causing surprise among many who automatically assumed it was already a landmark. -more-
OAKLAND – House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri, joined congressional representatives from the Bay Area Tuesday at the Ron Dellums Federal Building to take a hard look at the energy crisis in a forum not lacking in commentary on the president’s arrival in California the same day. -more-
Pat Graef of Acton Street in Berkeley won $250 last week in the Cash for Trash Contest. She was very pleased to win but admittedly would have preferred the previous week’s prize of $2,700. -more-
OAKLAND – The debate over the last medical waste incinerator in California, the Integrated Environmental Systems plant in Oakland goes on, as high school students from a Catholic high school in Hayward march and rally at the site Tuesday afternoon. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A gay psychiatrist owes the U.S. Air Force more than $71,000 for his top-notch education because he failed to fulfill his active duty obligation, a judge has ruled. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The white abalone, a tasty Southern California mollusk whose numbers have dropped from the millions in the 1970s to perhaps a few thousand, officially became an endangered species Tuesday. -more-
A federal appeals court declined Tuesday to order federal energy regulators to cap wholesale electricity prices. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The state Senate voted Tuesday to require health officials to set drinking water limits for chromium-6, the substance that gained notoriety in the Julia Roberts film “Erin Brockovich.” -more-
SUSANVILLE— A raging 4,100-acre forest fire forced evacuations of 60 homes and a hospital, coating the town of Susanville with dark soot and giving firefighters an unwelcome taste of what could be ahead this summer. -more-
PALO ALTO — After nearly a decade of development and two years of delays, Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. on Tuesday launched the first in a new generation of microprocessors they hope will dominate the next era of computing. -more-
NEW YORK — Merger talks between French telecommunications giant Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc. were called off Tuesday after intense negotiations over the long holiday weekend failed to produce an agreement. -more-
NEW YORK — Technology stocks fell for a second straight session Tuesday as investors, unconvinced that the sector will recover by year’s end, cashed in profits from the market’s big spring rally. -more-
BERKELEY — Six years after capturing the national spotlight by dropping affirmative action admissions, University of California regents are poised to revisit the contentious topic. -more-
SAN JOSE — Trial begins this week for a former telephone repairman accused of an infamous act of road rage – throwing a woman’s little white dog into traffic after a minor accident. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A 200-pound black bear crashed through a glass door and was holed up in a Hertz rental store in Salinas for 4.5 hours Friday before police officers closed off the street, surrounded the building and tranquilized the animal. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — In a blow to the logging industry, a federal appeals panel blocked the harvest of thousands of acres of old-growth forest in southwestern Oregon, ruling Thursday the federal government did not adequately address the plight of protected salmon. -more-
LAFAYETTE – Contra Costa County health officials are completed a second day of clinic care and education Tuesday after an adult chaperone on a weekend camping trip was hospitalized with meningitis. -more-
