GJOVIK, Norway - California’s Laura Schott scored the opening goal and forward Abby Wambach contributed two goals for the U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team in a totally one-sided affair to record a 3-0 victory Wednesday over an out-gunned Iceland team in the opening game of the 2001 Nordic Cup Championships. -more-

Dilapidated house a symbol of nimbyism -more-

Friday, July 27

UC Berkeley’s Museum of Paleontology, home to one of the largest collections of fossils in the world, will use two major grants to create Internet content that teaches students, teachers and the general public about evolution. -more-

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In an unusual move Tuesday, the City Council approved the construction of three townhouses in north Berkeley immediately after closing a public hearing on the issue. -more-

A group of 37 people from 20 different countries sat at tables and on the lawn around Pat Brown’s Grill on campus yesterday, to share their last lunch together. The group is the very first class of a new UC Berkeley international program. -more-

By Matt Lorenz -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO — The state Air Resources Board was set to vote on an air pollution cleanup plan for the Bay Area that federal clean air officials already have said isn’t adequate to address smog problems. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — An analysis of proposed staffing ratios of nurses to patients determined the changes could cost California hospitals millions of dollars, according to a study released Thursday. -more-

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LOS ANGELES — Prompted by problems in the foster care system, the state controller announced Thursday that programs in Los Angeles and Sacramento counties will be audited. -more-

WASHINGTON — As the U.S.-European rift widens, from missile defense and nuclear testing to land mines and global warming, some European leaders and U.S. Democrats suggest President Bush is drawing America into a new era of isolationism. -more-

Q. I have a humming noise in my water lines, caused by a vibration that results when the tank float valve in my toilet nears shutoff. Is there a way to fix it other than by replacing the float and shut-off valve assembly? -more-

I’ll take it, oh yes, I’ll take it! -more-

SAN JOSE — Computer and printer giant Hewlett-Packard Co. lowered its revenue forecasts again Thursday and said it is slashing an additional 6,000 jobs, more than 6 percent of its work force, because consumer spending worldwide on technology has only gotten worse. -more-

WASHINGTON — The minority homeownership rate climbed to a record-high 48.8 percent in the second quarter of 2001, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez said Thursday. -more-

Learn to look for clues of food allergens where you might not expect them, counsels a New York University Medical Center specialist. -more-

The City Council was poised early Wednesday morning to render a decision on a land use issue that had bitterly divided two communities in north Berkeley when the opposing sides announced a last-minute compromise. -more-

Thursday, July 26

Black teachers can wipe out racial prejudice -more-

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. July 27: Throw Down, Glood Clean Fun, Count Me Out, Time Flies, Faded Grey, Lab Rats; July 28: Over My Dead Body, Carry On, Merrick, Some Still Believe, Black Lung Patriots; Aug. 3: Sworn Vengeance, N.J. Bloodline, Settle the Score, Existence, Step; Aug. 4: Toxic Narcotic, Menstrual Tramps, Emo Summer, Four Letter Word, Shitty Wickets; $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-

Barons get some clutch hits, take advantage of Clayton Valley miscues -more-

YMCA isn’t just for excercise anymore -more-

FUKUOKA, Japan – One of the big downsides of going to the World Swimming Championships for Haley Cope was that she had to miss her mother’s 40th birthday. -more-

As part of a statewide campaign to get pharmacies to stop selling tobacco products, members of the Berkeley Tobacco Prevention Coalition are pressuring local “chain” pharmacies to remove cigarettes from their shelves. -more-

By approving a design scheme for a proposed mixed-use retail, housing, and art space to take the place of a parking lot on Oxford Street, the City Council provided a wish list for the community. -more-

A local environmental group recently filed a notice of violation against a playground manufacturer who sold an arsenic-treated playstructure to a Berkeley school. -more-

Among investments, there is probably no greater performance contrast over the past year than that between housing and stocks. -more-

WASHINGTON — Even though Americans bought fewer previously occupied homes in June, sales were at near record levels, suggesting that this main pillar of the economy remains sturdy. -more-

Hours of input heard before votes -more-

Wednesday, July 25

Bush tax relief is just not enough -more-

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. July 27: Throw Down, Glood Clean Fun, Count Me Out, Time Flies, Faded Grey, Lab Rats; July 28: Over My Dead Body, Carry On, Merrick, Some Still Believe, Black Lung Patriots; Aug. 3: Sworn Vengeance, N.J. Bloodline, Settle the Score, Existence, Step; Aug. 4: Toxic Narcotic, Menstrual Tramps, Emo Summer, Four Letter Word, Shitty Wickets; $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-

Nine protesters chanting “Books not bars, schools not jails” were arrested Tuesday for disrupting a public hearing in front of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on whether a 450-bed Juvenile Hall should be built in Dublin. -more-

Air travel for the average person has become increasingly inconvenient with the rising number of reported complaints against airlines for overbooked flights, delayed departures and lost luggage. -more-

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center announced last week it will cut about 300 jobs throughout California by the end of the summer to stop their on-going financial hemorrhage. -more-

OAKLAND — The City Council voted Tuesday night cut in half the number of plants a medical marijuana grower can cultivate – but left the limit at a still sizable garden of up to 72 plants. -more-

OAKLAND — The Alameda County grand jury has recommended that the county board of education be eliminated or run by a financial expert after officials in one school district mishandled money. -more-

NEW YORK — Stock prices dropped sharply Tuesday with the Dow industrials tumbling by triple digits for a second day on a spate of bad news – a wider-than-expected loss from Lucent Technologies, lower profits from Exxon Mobil and revenue warnings from Amazon.com and AT&T. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee will examine whether Microsoft is improperly shutting out rivals and hurting consumers, wading into an antitrust dispute as the company prepares to the new version of its Windows operating system. -more-

The City Council is expected to approve a new police retirement package tonight that might entice veteran officers to leave the department – forcing the city into a competitive job market for new recruits. -more-

Tuesday, July 24

The Berkeley City Council can rightly be applauded for the effort it has made to help fund the expansion of some local arts groups seeking to locate new facilities downtown to develop their audiences. -more-

MUSIC

Supporters of sweeping reforms for Berkeley High School say they are building a broad base of support over the summer and will make a strong case to the Berkeley School Board in September, calling on board members to give their unequivocal support to the effort. -more-

The City Council is expected to vote tonight on the controversial proposal by the Beth El congregation to build a synagogue, school and social hall at 1301 Oxford St. -more-

The African American firefighter suing the city and California OSHA because he believes a state regulation regarding fire masks is discriminatory, is now asking the City Council for support. -more-

To do some things, Emily Hancock thinks, a woman’s got to have moxie. -more-

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a pair of young men while exercising at the Downtown Berkeley YMCA at 7:30 p.m. Friday, said Berkeley Police Lt. Russell Lopes. -more-

LOS ANGELES — U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham unveiled a $300 million plan Monday to break a transmission-line bottleneck that has kept power from flowing freely through the state during times of peak usage. -more-

LOS ANGELES — An AIDS-stricken Thai boy used as a prop by immigrant smugglers will stay in the country and become the first applicant for a new kind of visa for victims of trafficking and violence, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said Monday. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The state budget cleared its final legislative hurdle Monday night, more than three weeks after it was supposed to take effect. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Voters could decide to ban the cutting of any tree that grew before California became a state in 1850, if a coalition succeeds in putting the initiative on next year’s ballot. -more-

A consulting firm recently reported that a large percentage of companies it surveyed continued to give managers performance bonuses despite the company’s poor performance. -more-

LOS ANGELES — In a deal that will give The Walt Disney Co. valuable distribution and News Corp. cash to finance an acquisition of its own, Disney is buying Fox Family Worldwide Inc. for $3 billion in cash and assuming debt of $2.3 billion. -more-

For the second Sunday in a row, Walker Toma took a slim lead into the top of the seventh inning. And for the second Sunday in a row, Toma’s Berkeley Legion team ended up losing in extra innings, a 6-5, eight-inning heartbreaker to De La Salle at San Pablo Park. -more-

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Editor’s note: -more-

Monday, July 23

Local officials involved in implementing Proposition 36 — the initiative that mandates that non-violent adults convicted of possessing illegal drugs be sentenced to drug treatment rather than jail time — say the law may need fine tuning if it is to have the impact supporters had hoped for. -more-

Due to scheduled surgery, Councilmember Dona Spring will not be able to physically attend Tuesday’s City Council meeting during which the council will finally vote on the long, contentious and controversial proposal to build a synagogue, school and social hall at 1301 Oxford St. -more-

Cohousing fills society’s natural need to live in a community, said Eric Utne, founder of the alternative magazine Utne Reader, at the opening of the 2001 North American Cohousing Conference Friday night. -more-

Tillie Olsen cannot forget that newspaper story. -more-

Bay Bridge toll may rise to $3 -more-

SACRAMENTO – Although 77 percent of voters in Gary Condit’s San Joaquin Valley district say he is doing a good job, nearly 60 percent say they won’t be voting for the congressman from Modesto in 2002, according to a San Jose Mercury News poll released Sunday. -more-

SACRAMENTO – The state Senate passed a $101 billion California budget and the bills to implement it early Sunday, ending partisan bickering that had left the state without a spending plan for nearly a month. -more-

SACRAMENTO – Eleven years after Californians adopted term limits, a new ballot battle is shaping up over whether voters should be able to give their state legislators extra time in office. -more-

LOS ANGELES – Police Detective Brian Solinsky doesn’t carry a wrist radio like Dick Tracy, but he does use a new tool that makes the comic book cop’s vision of high-tech policing a reality. -more-

The City Council closed the last Beth El public hearing Thursday and is set to render a decision Tuesday night on what has been called the “most important land use issue in more than 10 years.” -more-

Saturday, July 21

Seven-story ‘monster building’ is unacceptable -more-

We are fortunate that internationally famous music ensembles often visit Berkeley, especially in the years of the biennial Early Music Festival. But during the festival’s off years we can be glad that there is a rich vein of local talent that mounts concerts of pre-Classical music performed in authentic period style. -more-

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. July 21: Babyland, 78 RPMs Derelectics, Man Alive, Philps & Reuter; July 27: Throw Down, Glood Clean Fun, Count Me Out, Time Flies, Faded Grey, Lab Rats; July 28: Over My Dead Body, Carry On, Merrick, Some Still Believe, Black Lung Patriots; Aug. 3: Sworn Vengeance, N.J. Bloodline, Settle the Score, Existence, Step; Aug. 4: Toxic Narcotic, Menstrual Tramps, Emo Summer, Four Letter Word, Shitty Wickets. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-

Former St. Mary’s AD, football coach will assist son at Tamalpais High -more-

G-8 Summit events spur local action -more-

The piano music of Arnold Schoenberg is not played as often as it deserves. Each piece is a gem, yet these gems defy most attempts to display them in the normal context of a variety of compositions from the Classical and Romantic traditions. -more-

The 2001 California women’s lacrosse team finished its third season as a varsity sport this past spring with a 12-6 mark and advanced to the title game of the Western Women’s Lacrosse championship under head coach Jill Malko. -more-

Berkeley may soon have better transportation for disabled and elderly people. -more-

Neighborhood controversy over a proposed three-unit townhome development in north Berkeley is reaching a critical point as city officials prepare for an appeal hearing of the project. -more-

The area south of the UC campus is a good example of a Berkeley neighborhood that has retained the character of its initial development despite 134 years of change. -more-

SANTA MONICA — Frustrated by a federal decision they expect will extend California’s use of the pollutant MTBE, Southern California water agencies Friday drafted a plan to defend the region’s wells against the water-fouling gasoline additive. -more-

LOS ANGELES — A Texas man who pulled a small knife on board an eight-hour American Airlines flight was found innocent of a federal charge by reason of insanity Friday. -more-

Assembly measure stalled -more-

LOS ANGELES — A judge dismissed misdemeanor charges against the lead lawyer for former SLA fugitive Sara Jane Olson Friday after both sides agreed that the case against attorney J. Tony Serra would be burdensome to the court, Serra’s lawyers said. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The state Assembly continued negotiations Friday to try to break its budget logjam while the Senate adjourned until 9:30 a.m. Saturday. -more-

WASHINGTON — Ever since Woodrow Wilson, presidents have cozied up to popes. Lyndon Johnson lobbied a pope to back him on Vietnam. Ronald Reagan, once caught dozing during a papal address, talked Cold War tactics with a pope. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration will maintain a diverse AIDS panel from the Clinton era, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Friday. -more-

Dear Tom and Ray: -more-

AUSTIN, Texas – When times were good, Agillion Inc. looked like a million bucks. -more-

Amid increasing attention on the plight of sweatshop workers, Gov. Gray Davis signed into law a $2 million budget increase Thursday for the California’s labor law enforcers. -more-

Dead woman found found floating near Marina -more-

SACRAMENTO — If you are a California farmer, you could save thousands of dollars on a new tractor and the diesel fuel to run it. -more-

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors will hold its last redistricting public hearing next Tuesday, before adopting the final plan setting the county’s new boundaries. -more-

SACRAMENTO – A state Senate committee wants to know why Morgan Stanley, a multibillion dollar financial firm and adviser to several power generators, destroyed documents that potentially could show efforts to gouge California consumers. -more-

Starting August 6, 19 Berkeley High School students will mount bicycles donated by the Berkeley Police Department and begin the 14-day, 600-mile ride from the entrance of Berkeley High to the entrance of Santana High School in San Diego County – the site of a deadly shooting rampage this year that left two students dead and 13 wounded. -more-