While last year’s study by the city’s Health Department uncovered shocking statistics on the disparities between the longevity and health of hill-dwelling whites compared to flatlands’ minorities, one Berkeley program has found what could be the key to turning those numbers around. -more-

Lorenzo Alexander is used to being the big dog on the block. He dominated the gridiron for four years at St. Mary’s High in Berkeley, using his massive 287-pound frame to push around smaller opponents. But after his first two practices for the Cal football team this week, he admitted that size isn’t the biggest factor in his mission to start for the Bears this season. -more-

Thursday, Aug. 9,/h3>

Free market has rules -more-

MUSIC -more-

In an effort to ease the adjustment into high school for 60 at-risk students, an “all-star” cast of Berkeley High teachers have spent this week showing the students around campus and sharing strategies for survival. -more-

California junior forward Laura Schott was picked as a second team preseason All-American by College-Soccer.com. -more-

To access the Multi-Agency Service Center near downtown, clients walk down a narrow passage next to the Veterans Memorial Building on Center Street until it opens up onto a cloistered, courtyard garden. -more-

Few would imagine as they pass Claire Burch’s quiet wooden house in south Berkeley, that they are walking by historical archives. -more-

SANTA MONICA — More than ever last year, beachgoers around the country found their plans dampened by warnings to keep away from the water. -more-

The popular economic hope, shared by Washington, Wall Street, manufacturers, retailers and many academics, is that the consumer will pull the rest of the economy to higher ground. -more-

WASHINGTON — Alan Greenspan’s investment portfolio shows that in years when the stock market is in a funk, safety can beat exuberance, whether rational or not. -more-

Berkeley school administrators have hatched a plan they say will put an end to the class scheduling nightmares that too often taint the first few weeks of school at Berkeley High. -more-

Wednesday, Aug. 8 -more-

$40,000 to find dirt near tracks -more-

-more-

After years of rancor, organizers of the Berkeley Free Folk Festival and members of the Commission on Disability are finally working together to make the annual event more accessible to disabled individuals. -more-

While Berkeley has won awards for its efforts to prepare for seismic upgrading and disaster preparation, city officials caution that there’s still a long way to go before it is ready for a major quake on the Hayward Fault. -more-

They call themselves “shellmounders.” -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A California researcher has created a tomato that can grow and thrive with salty water, a breakthrough he said could lead to the cultivation of now-barren fields around the world. -more-

The parent company of California’s largest utility told federal regulators Tuesday that its corporate structure is legal and that it should not be subject to a review requested by the state Attorney General Bill Lockyer. -more-

Nearly a million gays and lesbians identified themselves as same-sex couples in the latest census, which for the first time gives an authoritative record of homosexuals in America. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The story of Hispanic migration to California has largely been one of Mexican immigration. But new census figures show that trend is less predominant in San Francisco, where people of Mexican origin do not hold a majority among Hispanics. -more-

SAN JOSE — Cisco Systems Inc. earned a relatively paltry $7 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, meeting Wall Street’s expectations, as the networking giant continued to struggle with the global economic downturn. -more-

WASHINGTON — Worker productivity, a key measure of living standards, had its best showing in a year in the second quarter. -more-

City officials say they are quietly leading the way to improved air quality by using three all-electric vehicles. The city’s first was a red Solectria Force leased in September 1999. It now has 7,389 unpolluted miles and is driven every day. -more-

The planning director, named July 24 by the City Council, will be stepping into a department often characterized by controversy. -more-

Tuesday, Aug. 7

LOS ANGELES – Hugo Alexander and Marcos Montero stand at the corner of Fletcher Drive and Atwater Avenue beneath the old, peeling neon sign for Ray’s Liquor. The intersection is a popular gathering place for day laborers; half a block away is a busy U-Haul outlet. Whenever a work truck rolls by, the men whistle and wave their hands, hoping to join a crew with a construction, painting or landscaping job. -more-

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-

To send a message of peace and perseverance to parents, peers and the community, 17 Berkeley High students set out on a 600 mile, 14-day cycling trip from downtown Berkeley to San Diego County’s Santana High School Monday. -more-

Tonight, there are some Berkeley residents who will be alone, locked inside shuttered houses, unaware of who their neighbors are and unable to get or give help in case of a disaster. -more-

Deregulation. Price caps. Energy fuel shortages. And pundits pointing fingers in all directions. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Philip Morris attorneys urged a judge Monday to slash a $3 billion punitive damage award to a cancer-stricken smoker and to grant a retrial. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — California appears to be a land of haves and have-nots, with above-average median household incomes but more children living in poverty. -more-

NEW YORK — The phrasing varies but the message is the same: The big dreams of a stock market comeback as momentous as its collapse are faded and jaded now. Forget them. Get real. -more-

Austin’s assistant planning director, Carol Barrett, will take the reins of Berkeley’s Department of Planning and Development in the fall. The appointment was approved by the City Council at its July 24 meeting. -more-

Monday, Aug. 6

Never an excuse for crimes like those of Reddy -more-

History might be written by its victors, but a new film about an African political hero suggests revolution is remembered for its martyrs. -more-

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-

Echema waiting for NCAA ruling -more-

“There’s only two things that money can’t buy,” Texas songwriter Guy Clark sang in 1983. “That’s true love and home grown tomatoes.” -more-

With a new school year fast approaching, the oft-asked question of what to do about Berkeley High is back in the spotlight. -more-

Sunday, the day before the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, some 65 anti-nuclear activists gathered in the afternoon on the west lawn of the UC Berkeley Campus to remember the death and destruction the bomb caused and to vow that it will never happen again. -more-

Boy dies after freak motorcycle accident -more-

LOS ANGELES – Buoyed by generous government subsidies and plummeting costs, solar power is enjoying a rare day in the sun. -more-

SACRAMENTO – Julia “Butterfly” Hill spent nearly two years living in a California redwood to save it from a logger’s chain saw. -more-

Eight months ago, a group of Berkeley High parents, appalled to find 180 freshmen failing two or more classes at Berkeley High, decided to take matters into their own hands. -more-

Saturday, Aug. 4

New power plants - get ready for assault on environment -more-

When local composer Phil Freihofner first saw the classic silent film “Der Golem” (Germany, 1920), it struck him that this film needed an appropriate musical soundtrack. -more-

924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug. 4: Toxic Narcotic, Menstrual Tramps, Emo Summer, Four Letter Word, Shitty Wickets; Aug 10: 90 Day Men, Assembly of God, Strong Intention, Under a Dying Sun; Aug 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen. $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-

Initial results of a Harrison Park air study confirmed predictions that airborne particulate matter has increased over the soccer field and alarmed some city officials with an increase as much as 60 percent above state-recommended levels. -more-

When he speaks about the book he wrote in 1999, Ken Moshesh describes it as the narration of a tragedy, his tragedy. -more-

Some 140,000 people died as a result of the atomic bomb dropped Aug. 6, 1945 on Hiroshima, Japan. Others were burned, blinded, became diseased and scarred for life. -more-

The 800 block of Delaware Street is the location of the first settlement in Berkeley that grew into a true community. -more-

BERKELEY — Two weeks after being injured by fishing hooks and fishing lines, five brown pelicans hobbled out of their cages and jumped onto the rocks at the Berkeley Marina Thursday. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of dogs of all sizes and breeds gathered with their owners Friday outside City Hall to protest a proposed citywide dog policy tightening off-leash restrictions. -more-

SACRAMENTO — A 41-year-old Turlock man charged with breaking into the state Capitol with his bare hands Friday has reignited a debate over Capitol security. -more-

PASADENA— NASA’s Galileo will swoop within 124 miles of the north pole of Io on Sunday, a close shave that may take the aging robotic spacecraft through a giant plume of volcanic gases erupting from the moon of Jupiter. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Despite being the only Republican holding statewide office, Secretary of State Bill Jones is battling lukewarm reception from his own party and scant financial support for his gubernatorial campaign. -more-

MODESTO — Rep. Gary Condit returned Friday to face an uncertain future with his California constituents, leaving behind growing unrest among his Washington colleagues. -more-

SACRAMENTO — In California this summer, energy prices have stabilized, the lights have stayed on and Gov. Gray Davis keeps raising millions of dollars for his re-election bid. -more-

LOS ANGELES — In an unusual hearing, a frail elderly woman who witnessed a Sacramento-area bank holdup in 1975 gave testimony Friday for use in the upcoming trial of former SLA fugitive Sara Jane Olson on charges of trying to kill police officers. -more-

HAMILTON, N.J. — Seven years ago, Maureen Kanka and her husband thought they would live in their house for the rest of their lives. As she looks toward the small park across the street, she’s no longer sure. -more-

A group in North Carolina plans to protest the “overwhelming number of illegal Hispanic workers invading the area.” A California coalition urges people to lobby against giving legal status to undocumented immigrants. -more-

WASHINGTON— President Bush seems to bolt from the White House every chance he gets. He begins a monthlong vacation on his Texas ranch Saturday, and by the time he returns he will have spent nearly two months of his presidency there. -more-

Dear Tom and Ray: -more-

When one of Wall Street’s best-known prognosticators said this past week that the Dow Jones industrials would reach 12,500 by year’s end, at least a few market watchers were flabbergasted. -more-

If it weren’t for the consumer – the courageous, spendthrift, debt-be-damned U.S. consumer – the economy might now be in the midst of recession. -more-

WASHINGTON — The yearlong slide in factory jobs slowed a bit and service jobs gained some ground in July, holding the nation’s unemployment rate steady at 4.5 percent. -more-

When a San Francisco police officer stopped him in his car eight months ago, Pablo, a 27-year-old Berkeley day laborer from Honduras, knew what to expect. It was the fifth time this had happened to him since he moved to the United States in 1996. -more-

Friday, Aug. 3 -more-

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson -more-

What does it mean to be brainwashed? -more-

MUSIC

Six years after the concept was approved, bicyclists, day trekkers and bay enthusiasts can expect the completion of the Berkeley Bay Trail by January. -more-

Many casual listeners believe that Mexican music consists of a single style. -more-

LOS ANGELES — NASA has begun releasing the most accurate global map ever created – 3-D images of mountains, valleys and plains that were put together from a trillion measurements of the Earth’s surface collected by a space shuttle crew last year. -more-

PALO ALTO — A jury convicted a Palo Alto man of second-degree murder Thursday for beating and strangling his wife of 33 years. -more-

OAKLAND — The boy who was mauled by three pit bulls in June is showing signs of improvement, but hospital officials said Thursday he likely will not get to go home any time soon. -more-

BERKELEY — The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation says that longtime leader Julia Carol is one of five recipients of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's "Innovators Combating Substance Abuse'' award, which comes with a $300,000 grant. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California’s fourth- and eighth-graders, including students who must take the state’s new graduation test, scored near the bottom again in the latest national math test released Thursday. -more-

The FBI on Thursday discounted an anonymous tip to an Internet site alleging that Chandra Levy’s body was buried under a parking lot near a Virginia military base 130 miles south of Washington. -more-

SAN DIEGO — A 15-year-old boy who allegedly was lured away from his family in 1999 returned to San Diego on Thursday after he was stopped at Disneyworld for trespassing. -more-

MARINA DEL REY — The California Coastal Commission, faced with a lawsuit, promised Thursday to begin reviewing this Santa Monica Bay community’s coastal development plan this year, a move that might result in recommending a halt to new development. -more-

SANTA FE SPRINGS — Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson’s effort to reopen a defunct oil refinery and build a power plant faced scrutiny Thursday by some who questioned the safety of such an operation. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals panel ruled Thursday the California Department of Corrections cannot punish Muslim inmates who miss prison work assignments to attend a Sabbath service. -more-

LONDON — Depression is at least as common during pregnancy as it is after childbirth, and should be diagnosed because it may be harmful to the baby, new research indicates. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Hospitals that perform a relatively small number of bypass surgeries did well in the first report measuring how California hospitals do in bypass operations. -more-

MENLO PARK — The future of Geron Corp. – and of millions of people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and other ailments – could well lie in a nondescript business park, guarded by sophisticated electronics and patent attorneys. -more-

LOS ANGELES — NetZero Inc., one of the few remaining providers of free Internet access, is slashing staff, selling a subsidiary and reducing its free service to save money, company officials said Thursday. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — While San Francisco International Airport struggles to overcome environmental objections to a runway expansion plan, other Bay Area airports are picking up the slack by handling more flights and more passengers. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The flood of artificial light that washes the stars from the sky has left one in five human beings unable to see the Milky Way at night, according to a new study of the global effects of light pollution. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Victims and their families cannot sue weapons manufacturers for damages when criminals use their products illegally, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday in a closely watched case testing gunmaker liability. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Oracle Corp. built an $11 billion dollar a year business selling and installing software on computers, but CEO Larry Ellison thinks those days are ending. Five years from now, Ellison believes Oracle will generate most of its revenue renting its products in a world wired to the Internet. -more-

Two men were shot Thursday morning on West Frontage Road, according to Berkeley police. -more-

The state’s 20/20 energy conservation program will shell out $60 million in rebates for utility customers who made significant cuts in their power use in June. -more-