The mayor will propose at Tuesday’s City Council meeting that the city manager examine ways to address problems created by the growing number of day laborers who gather on Hearst Avenue in west Berkeley hoping to find work. -more-
Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, 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. $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-
Cal’s Lorenz leads Americans with two goals at Spieker -more-
A crowd of people clapped and danced in the streets of Berkeley Saturday during the opening celebration of the fourth annual Berkeley Arts Festival that runs through June 30. -more-
At a time when the lack of fiscal resources has some Berkeley schools struggling to make ends meet, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers believes it has found a way to make sure the critical area of teacher training and evaluation isn’t a casualty. -more-
(AP) — A major drop in the city’s black population took place in the last decade reducing its numbers by 15 percent. -more-
Ricardo Scales (on piano) plays with James Levi and Carl Lockett at the Juneteenth -more-
City contractors must offer health, other benefits to unmarried partners -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Embattled Napster, Inc. CEO Hank Barry took the stage at a conference of librarians Saturday to speak about the thorny issues surrounding his troubled song-swap company — issues that could soon vex libraries as well. -more-
Incorrect forms causing a big problem for needy California college students -more-
Department of Transportation to stop painting over vandalized murals -more-
SAN JOSE – Mike Schlenz, who recently installed computer networks for a living, had been sleeping in his Honda Civic for three months when he went to a homeless shelter. -more-
SAN JOSE – Palm Inc. remains the world’s leading supplier of handheld computers but will lose its top spot in terms of revenue to Compaq Computer Corp. in the second calendar quarter, according to Gartner Dataquest. -more-
After the dancing, singing and poetry of Berkeley High’s graduation ceremony Thursday. -more-
Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, 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. $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-
With a year at Berkeley High and a rare North Coast Section playoff berth under his belt, varsity baseball coach Tim Moellering knows what it will take for the ’Jackets to be contenders for an Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League title next year. But it’s not pitching, hitting or fielding that concerns him most. It’s the field his team practices and plays on, San Pablo Park. -more-
As the sentencing of Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy approaches, an increasing number of community members are joining the protest against the prosecution’s recommendation to submit Reddy to a minimal punishment of six years in prison and a $2 million fine. -more-
Cal’s Spieker Aquatic Center will host a world-class event today, as the current Olympic champion Australian women’s national water polo team will face the team it beat for the gold medal in 2000, the U.S. national team. The match, which starts at 12:30 p.m., is the final game of a four-city northern California tour for the teams. -more-
The Economic Development Alliance for Business held a special meeting of its executive committee Thursday afternoon to assess the need for low and moderate income housing in the Bay Area. -more-
Tailback was unhappy with third-string status -more-
City workers may soon be riding buses free or for a minimal fare. -more-
Last 19th century house on Durant -more-
Three Berkeley High students hanging out in Civic Center Park during their lunch break Wednesday were robbed of cell phones, pagers, wallets and money by two of their classmates, police said. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Californians will get up to 48 hours notice for possible power outages this summer under a plan unveiled Friday at the prodding of Gov. Gray Davis. -more-
WASHINGTON — Supplements may have some modest benefits, but athletes can’t swallow their way to success and could make themselves sick, experts say. -more-
Dear Tom and Ray: -more-
SAN JOSE — Mike Schlenz, who recently installed computer networks for a living, had been sleeping in his Honda Civic for three months before he went to a homeless shelter. -more-
LOS ANGELES — California has leapfrogged past France, becoming the world’s fifth-largest economy. -more-
WASHINGTON — Manufacturing activity plummeted in May, the eighth straight monthly decline, stifling hopes that the battered industrial sector’s darkest days may have passed. -more-
UNITED NATIONS — Unaccustomed to talking frankly about homosexuality and prostitution, diplomats from over 100 countries have found themselves immersed in roiling negotiations over what to do about the AIDS pandemic. -more-
WARSAW, Poland — In the heart of the old Soviet bloc, President Bush chastised Russia on Friday for suspected nuclear commerce and encouraged the former Cold War rival to help “erase the false lines that have divided Europe.” -more-
GENEVA — A fist-sized meteorite, one of only 18 rocks on Earth known to have come from Mars, has been found by Swiss scientists in the Oman desert – a prize discovery that could help determine if the planet ever sustained life. -more-
School districts throughout the state are getting their clearest picture yet of how well they’re meeting California’s academic standards this spring. -more-
924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. June 15: Strike Anywhere, Missing 23rd, Crispus Attacks, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Deadlock Frequency; June 16: Nerve Agents, American Nightmare, Fields of Fire, Affront, Scissorhands. June 22 Hoods, Fall Silent, Clenched Fist, Osiva, Hellcrew. 525-9926 -more-
Spectacular soph-to-be will boost football, basketball teams -more-
“Berkeley is absolutely full of artists and natural wonders,” says Bonnie Hughes, director of the Berkeley Arts Festival. “Once a year we like to stop and take a look at what we’ve been doing.” -more-
The City Council sent a controversial proposal to temporally prohibit office development in west Berkeley back to the Planning Commission Tuesday for another public hearing. -more-
Feeling the heat of a grassroots nationwide campaign targeting the majority of the members of the Pacifica Foundation Board, Chair David Acosta and Boardmember Karolyn van Putten resigned their posts Wednesday. -more-
One of the city’s largest street fairs is this Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Adeline and Alcatraz not far from the Ashby BART. -more-
It is quite appropriate that this concert in honor of Umm Kulthum will take place at the International House, because her music profoundly crosses borders. -more-
WASHINGTON — In a triumph for President Bush, the Senate overwhelmingly passed groundbreaking education legislation Thursday that requires annual math and reading tests for millions of schoolchildren as part of an effort to improve the nation’s public schools. -more-
WASHINGTON — Conservative Republicans balked at President Bush’s plan to end six decades of naval training on Puerto Rico’s Vieques Island, complaining that he is caving in to protesters and endangering the military. -more-
WASHINGTON — The vitamin C pills taken by millions of health-conscious Americans may actually help produce toxins that can damage their DNA, a step toward forming cancer cells, a laboratory study suggests. -more-
Homeowner Helen Crawford, of Grand Rapids, Mich., had no idea her kitchen remodel would involve so many decisions. It wasn’t even two weeks into the project when, as Crawford was mulling over hinges, handles and drawer pulls for the cabinets she had chosen, her contractor called. He couldn’t even order the cabinets until he had a location approval on the appliances. And he needed her final choices on flooring and lighting fixtures and their location. As the decisions piled up, Crawford began dreading the prospect of looking through another showroom or catalog. -more-
A steel pole is as good as it gets when it comes to structural support. However, such a round steel column can be an eyesore when poised beneath a beautiful wooden patio cover made of square-edged wood trim. -more-
TRENTON, N.J. — A deal for struggling Lucent Technologies Inc. to sell two Midwest manufacturing plants for sorely needed cash reportedly has collapsed. -more-
SAN JOSE — Adobe Systems Inc. surpassed Wall Street expectations with its second-quarter earnings Thursday, but said the economic slowdown has spread abroad and will flatten revenues in the upcoming quarter. -more-
GOTEBORG, Sweden — President Bush sparred Thursday with European leaders over climate change, unwavering in his opposition to a global warming treaty. Sweden’s prime minister accused Bush of pursuing “wrong policies” that endanger the environment. -more-
JERUSALEM — A Palestinian shot and killed an Israeli army intelligence officer Thursday, marring the first day of a truce worked out by CIA director George Tenet. -more-
The City Council voted Tuesday to send a housing safety ordinance – called for after the deaths of three people in accidental fires over the last year – back to a subcommittee for fine tuning. -more-
Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, 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. $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-
New boat can’t stop ’Jackets -more-
Plastered on the windows of the old and empty futon shop on University Avenue – next to the old and empty UC Theatre – are posters touting the draft plan of the Revolutionary Communist Party. -more-
With just the final baseball points to be added, Cal appears headed toward its highest finish ever in the Sears Directors’ Cup standings. -more-
School officials announced Monday that Berkeley High Vice Principal Michele Patterson will be the new principal of Willard Middle School next year, replacing retiring Principal Gail Hojo. -more-
Junior Walter Chun has been named an All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America. -more-
UC Berkeley graduate, Adam Varat, has been selected from over 100 students to participate in the 21st annual EDAW Summer Student Program. -more-
The Pac-10 Conference has accepted the recommendations of a Cal internal investigation into violations involving the school’s football program and will take away four scholarships over the next two years, the conference office announced Tuesday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — In the month since the U.S. Supreme Court said it’s illegal to sell or possess marijuana for medical use, the decision appears to be having little effect in the eight states with medical marijuana laws. -more-
WALNUT CREEK — A second death has been linked to a contaminated batch of meningitis shots, and officials say up to 60 people may have been injected with the tainted cortisone solution. -more-
VACAVILLE — Smoke from a fire near Interstate 505 caused two multiple-car accidents, closed the highway to traffic and forced the evacuation of a mobile home park in northern Solano County Wednesday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — In May, Gov. Gray Davis announced a plan to give Californians detailed warnings of rolling blackouts to help businesses and residents plan for outages. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A federal judge is threatening to block the cutting of trees in three Northern California national forests as part of a fire prevention program, unless the U.S. Forest Service submits a better plan addressing regrowth and potential harmful effects. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Amid soaring gas prices that topped $2 per gallon in some areas, nationwide sales of Honda’s electric-gasoline hybrid car reached record-breaking levels in May, company officials said Wednesday. -more-
SAN DIEGO — The online music service Mp3.com added the 1 millionth song to its library this week and introduced a new premium service that allows subscribers to transfer songs to a portable device and burn compact discs from their own music collection. -more-
JERUSALEM — After grudgingly accepting CIA chief George Tenet’s truce deal, Israelis and Palestinians argued Wednesday over who should make the first move, but agreed the next 48 hours would be a crucial test period. -more-
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — The Philippines’ president urged national unity Wednesday to fight a group of Muslim rebels holding more than two dozen captives but admitted that carrying out her promise to crush them could mean a “long and bloody war.” -more-
By Joe Loya -more-
In an event that was months in the planning, more than 300 members of Berkeley churches packed St. Joseph the Worker Church Monday night to hear school district officials publicly pledge to reform the English Language Learner program at Berkeley High. -more-
This afternoon will likely be the last chance for the public to contribute to Berkeley’s ADA Draft Transition Plan, which will act as a guide for making all public facilities in the city accessible to the disabled. -more-
Berkeley recyclers represented by the Industrial Workers of the World signed their first union contract with Community Conservation Centers last week after a relatively short bargaining process. -more-
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday ordered California to continue using gasoline additives to reduce air pollution, providing a boost to the ethanol industry and raising concern about California gas prices. -more-
SACRAMENTO — State budget negotiators were planning to meet publicly Wednesday for the first time in six days, but too late to make the rarely met constitutional deadline for passing the budget. -more-
The first Web-based application in the nation allowing low-income children and pregnant women to enroll in public health insurance programs was announced Tuesday by Gov. Gray Davis. -more-
KHAYELITSHA, South Africa — Grace was coughing up blood. Her feet were numb. Her head pounded. Her mouth was full of sores. Her throat burned with a choking infection. Ulcers riddled her stomach. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A new line of business software introduced Tuesday by search engine maker AltaVista Co. will enable employees to scour corporate networks, e-mail accounts and personal computers by stitching together valuable – and sometimes embarrassing – information scattered on far-flung office systems. -more-
CHICAGO — AT&T, the nation’s largest cable business, says it’s still committed to creating new and innovative interactive services delivered to consumers by TV. -more-
In keeping with a long tradition of activism, Berkeley’s Housing Department is asking the City Council to officially participate in a grassroots “blackout” protest of the Bush Administration’s energy polices. -more-
City needs to help faith-based groups like Beth El -more-
Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, 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. $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-
Among the issues the City Council will consider tonight is a recommendation from the Public Works Department to continue a contract for revegetation of a section of Cerrito Creek in Albany. -more-
In a move some hope will reverse a decline in the school district’s delivery of key services, the Board of Education approved an administrative structure change last week. -more-
SAN QUENTIN — Glen “Buddy” Nickerson walked out of San Quentin State Prison a free man Monday, 17 years after he says he was wrongly sentenced to life in prison for two murders. -more-
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gray Davis is getting his first glimpse of relief after months under the political cloud of soaring electricity prices and rolling blackouts. -more-
MARIPOSA — When his wife, daughter and a teenage friend failed to return from Yosemite National Park and meet at a San Francisco airport rendezvous, Jens Sund thought nothing of it and boarded a plane for Phoenix. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Acting under a new consumer protection law, state regulators have sent nearly 200 disputes between HMOs and patients to an independent review board, which has ruled in favor of the health plans 65 percent of the time. -more-
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — About 300 demonstrators – far fewer than expected – converged on the federal prison where Timothy McVeigh was executed Monday, praying or quietly holding signs, then quickly dispersing after his death. -more-
As much as his crime united the nation in shock, Timothy McVeigh’s death left Americans divided. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Rapidly expanding Peregrine Systems Inc. announced Monday it will buy rival Remedy Corp. in a deal that will unite two leading makers of software that helps companies identify and fix problems in their computer networks. -more-
NEW YORK — These are times that test not only the financial courage of investors but the nerves and credibility of financial advisers. -more-
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — Muslim rebels claimed Tuesday that they killed an American hostage, one of more than two dozen captives they’re holding in the southern Philippine jungles. The military was skeptical of the report. -more-
Unsure whether to believe the worst, relatives of the U.S. businessman reportedly killed by Philippine rebels gathered at his home Monday, still hoping for the best. -more-
(AP) — An aging dog named Missy walks with a limp and her time is winding down, but the unassuming pooch is at the forefront of research that could see her become the first cloned pet. -more-
I was rushing out the door heading to Ozzie’s 80th birthday party/fund-raiser at his namesake lunch counter at the Elmwood Pharmacy, when the phone rang. -more-
Jazzschool founder and director Susan Muscarella couldn’t be more pleased as the private music school enters its fourth year of operation. -more-
MARIPOSA — Cary Stayner had planned to kill for months before he acted spontaneously on his fantasy and targeted three Yosemite National Park tourists staying at the motel where he worked. -more-
SACRAMENTO — California environmentalists, critical of newly relaxed air pollution rules for power plants, say air quality and public health are taking a back seat to “keeping the lights on.” -more-
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered an expanded inquiry Monday into whether El Paso Corp. drove up the price of natural gas destined for California last year by improperly favoring gas marketing companies it owns in bidding for transportation capacity on one of its pipelines. -more-
