The Week

 

News

There’s no stopping this crossing guard

Chris O'Connell Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday September 01, 2001

There she stood, at the same spot she’s been at for decades, with stop sign in hand and wearing the obligatory fluorescent orange cap, vest, and gloves that are supposed to – but don’t always – alert drivers to her presence. -more-


Calendar of Events & Activities

Compiled by Guy Poole
Saturday September 01, 2001


Saturday, Sept. 1

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Stop funding Palestinian Authority

Daniel C. Spitzer, Ph.D.
Saturday September 01, 2001

Editor: -more-


Poetry, artists featured at Watershed Festival

By Adam David MillerDaily Planet Correspondent
Saturday September 01, 2001

The Sixth Annual Watershed Poetry Festival comes to Berkeley’s Civic Center Park Sept. 8, noon to 5 p.m. -more-


Arts & Entertainment

Staff
Saturday September 01, 2001

924 Gilman Sept. 7: Carry On, Champion, Breaker Breaker, Saturday Supercade, Fields of Fire; Sept. 8: Lab Rats, Relative; Most shows $5 and start at 8 p.m. unless noted. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 -more-


Jewel of recruiting class ruled ineligible

Staff Report
Saturday September 01, 2001

Cal’s men’s basketball hopes took a nosedive on Thursday, as top recruit Julian Sensley was ruled ineligible for next season by the NCAA. -more-


Water Authority floats ferry plan for Berkeley

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Saturday September 01, 2001

The Water Transit Authority held a second meeting at Berkeley City Hall Friday to discuss an evolving plan to link San Francisco Bay communities with an expanded ferry service. -more-


Need to understand the issues

'Shabnam Piryaei
Saturday September 01, 2001

Editor: -more-


Bears kick off season with 4-0 victory

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Saturday September 01, 2001

Kevin Boyd said his team would be strong on the attack. It looks like he was right. -more-


Judge disallows ‘dirty tricks’ testimony

By Hank Sims Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday September 01, 2001

A federal district court judge decided Friday that the lawsuit brought by two environmental activists against the FBI and the city of Oakland for false arrest will be decided on “narrow grounds.” Lawyers for Darryl Cherney and the estate of Judi Bari, Mendocino county Earth First! activists, will not be allowed to mention historical “dirty-tricks” campaigns conducted by the FBI. -more-


Making up our minds about the tritium lab

Elmer R. Grossman, M.D.
Saturday September 01, 2001

Editor: -more-


Rose garden – a historic treasure

By Susan Cerney
Saturday September 01, 2001

The Berkeley Municipal Rose Garden was dedicated in September 1937 after four years of construction. The building of the garden was a Civil Works Administration project. It was among the many public parks projects sponsored by the federal government to provide employment during the Depression. -more-


Unions still unsatisfied with BART proposals

By Ritu Bhatnagar Associated Press Writer
Saturday September 01, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — BART directors have presented a proposal to workers’ unions, offering a wage and benefits increase of about 20 percent over the next four years, but union members said Friday it’s not enough to keep them off the picket lines. -more-


BAY AREA BRIEFS

The Associated Press
Saturday September 01, 2001

Bankruptcies decline -more-


League of Women Voters will host forum on racism

By Ben LumpkinDaily Planet staff
Saturday September 01, 2001

In an effort to understand and overcome institutional racism in Berkeley, the League of Women Voters plans to host a series of “conversations on race” beginning in early October. -more-


Sunday deadline for Cal Grant applications

Staff
Saturday September 01, 2001

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Sunday is the deadline for community college students to apply for one of 11,250 state scholarships. -more-


Proposed 53rd District seen likely to elect a Democrat

By Steve Lawrence Associated Press Writer
Saturday September 01, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Democrats trying to recapture control of the House of Representatives may not get much help from a redistricting plan unveiled Friday by California legislators. -more-


Legislation to regulate payday lending industry stalled

By Jennifer Coleman Associated Press Writer
Saturday September 01, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Since its inception four years ago, California’s payday loan industry has tripled each year and now makes 1 million transactions a month from 3,400 storefronts. -more-


Troubled Excite@home loses two partners

By Matthew Fordahl AP Technology Writer
Saturday September 01, 2001

SAN JOSE — In another blow to financially troubled Excite@ Home, two major cable companies said Friday they will terminate their partnerships with the high-speed Internet provider. -more-


No substitute for experience, Holmoe hopes

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday August 31, 2001

The Cal Bears head into the 2001 season with nearly the same cast of characters that fashioned last year’s 3-8 disappointment. Star players Andre Carter, Nick Harris and Jacob Waasdorp are gone, as is offensive coordinator Steve Hagen. But head coach Tom Holmoe is back, as are 17 starters from last year’s squad. -more-


Actress returns to first love in ‘Goddesses’

By John Angell Grant Correspondent
Friday August 31, 2001

It took traveling halfway around the world for Berkeley actor Svetlana Couture to go full cycle, and return to her youthful love of theater. Couture opens tonight in a short, three-performance run at Berkeley’s Live Oak Theater in Bay Area playwright Dorotea Reyna’s show “Goddesses.” -more-


Missing from Racism Summit agenda – India’s caste system

Sarita Sarvate Pacific News Service
Friday August 31, 2001

A push to debate India's caste system at the U.N. Summit on Racism set off a heated debate in India. Ironically, the same week that Indian pundits were protesting the inclusion of caste-based discrimination on the summit agenda, the dean of a university medical faculty in my home town of Nagpur was fired for submitting a fraudulent caste-certificate with his job application. -more-


Friday August 31, 2001


Friday, Aug. 31

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Bridging a need

Kenyatte Davis/Daily Planet
Friday August 31, 2001

The city is constructing a bridge spanning Interstate 80 for bikers, pedestrians and persons using wheelchairs as an alternative to walking along the freeway’s University Avenue onramp. Construction began in -more-


Calendar

Friday August 31, 2001

Treat MSC seriously

Friday August 31, 2001

Editor: -more-


Campus activists call for end to ‘Israeli apartheid’

By Hank Sims Special to the Daily Planet
Friday August 31, 2001

A movement born on the University of California campus last spring will spread across the nation this fall, if local Palestinian activists have their way. And Berkeley, as usual, will be ground zero. -more-


League of Women Voterswill host forum on racism

By Ben LumpkinDaily Planet staff
Friday August 31, 2001

In an effort to understand and overcome institutional racism in Berkeley, the League of Women Voters plans to host a series of “conversations on race” beginning in early October. -more-


Quiet hero left uninsured after bureaucratic bungle

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Friday August 31, 2001

Berkeley firefighter John Mason, heralded in several publications a year ago for rebuilding housing for thousands of Albanian refugees in war-torn Kosovo, recently discovered that a bureaucratic oversight has left him without the protection of medical benefits for the past year. -more-


Bright idea would darken night sky over city

By Daniela Mohor Daily Planet staff
Friday August 31, 2001

Berkeley astronomers may soon be able to get a better look at the stars thanks to the city’s Planning Department, currently working on an ordinance to reduce light pollution and make sky watching easier. -more-


Student ‘binge’ drinking a concern

Bay City News Service
Friday August 31, 2001

A new study by the American Medical Association says that binge drinking is up among American college students, with 44 percent of students reporting that they binge drink, and nearly one in four saying they binge frequently. -more-


Redistricting could threaten Condit’s re-election bid

By Steve Lawrence Associated Press Writer
Friday August 31, 2001

SACRAMENTO — The area known as “Condit Country” would move north under a congressional redistricting proposal released Thursday, further threatening Rep. Gary Condit’s re-election chances. -more-


Marin County executives indicted in nuclear sale

The Associated Press
Friday August 31, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal grand jury has indicted three executives of a Marin County electronics firm, accusing them of illegally selling gear to India that could be used to make nuclear weapons, prosecutors said Wednesday. -more-


Powell mediates by phone in attempt at Mideast truce

By Barry Schweid AP Diplomatic Writer
Friday August 31, 2001

WASHINGTON — Long-distance mediation by Secretary of State Colin Powell helped Israeli and Palestinian leaders conclude a truce over a West Bank town. -more-


At least four dead in wake of West Bank violence

AP
Friday August 31, 2001

JERUSALEM (AP) — Three Palestinians were killed and 30 wounded Thursday in clashes with Israeli troops, dimming hopes that a limited U.S-backed truce in one Palestinian town might spread to other areas of the West Bank. -more-


Know what to look for when choosing a good surge protector

By JAMES & MORRIS CAREY For AP Newsfeatures
Friday August 31, 2001

Back in the ’80s we built a 4,200-plus square-foot home for our cousin. It had every imaginable feature and convenience: Multiple furnaces, a 400-amp main electrical service, a built-in intercom system, built-in ice maker, indoor barbecue, upscale everything. You name it, this house had it. About five years ago lightning struck, and everything in this magnificent home got cooked: televisions, radios, the computer and appliances — even the built-in intercom system. -more-


Schwab to cut up to 2,400 jobs

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business Writer
Friday August 31, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Unable to lure its skittish customers back into the stock market, Charles Schwab Corp. said Thursday it will cut up to 2,400 more jobs as the leading online brokerage continues to dismantle its feverish expansion of a year ago. -more-


Apple admits cuts, shuffles sales force

AP
Friday August 31, 2001

CUPERTINO (AP) — Apple Computer Inc. said Thursday it has cut an undisclosed number of sales jobs, but that the overall headcount in its sales and retail departments continues to grow. -more-


Berkeley students back to school

By Ben Lumpkin Daily Planet staff
Thursday August 30, 2001

Dave Lyons, president of the Rosa Parks Elementary School PTA, thought he was ready for the first day of school. -more-


Highly-ranked Bears will be on the attack in 2001

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday August 30, 2001

When Cal women’s soccer coach Kevin Boyd is asked about his biggest concern heading into the 2001 season, he has a hard time coming up with something he’s really worried about. But ask him about the team’s biggest strength, and an answer is immediate. -more-


Thursday August 30, 2001

Albatross Pub Sept. 1: David Widelock Jazz Trio; Sept. 5: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 6: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 11: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Sept. 13: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 19: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 20: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 22: Larry Stefl Jazz Quartet; Sept. 27: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Free. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 albatrosspub@mindspring.com -more-


Welcome to San Francisco: America’s Asian city

By Andrew Lam Pacific News Service
Thursday August 30, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO – On a cable car over Nob Hill the other day, I overheard a blonde, middle-age tourist whisper this confidence to her companion: “It sure ain’t Texas, I can tell you that much.” “No kidding,” mumbled the burly man in a Hawaiian shirt as he continued filming the city with his camcorder. -more-


Thursday August 30, 2001


Thursday, Aug. 30

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High school ID program not popular

By Kenyatte Davis Daily Planet staff
Thursday August 30, 2001

The first day of Berkeley High School’s new student ID policy was far from a booming success, with many students not receiving their identification cards and most of the others disregarding the policy even though they had their tags. -more-


Police attend seminar for sensitivity training

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Thursday August 30, 2001

About 50 law enforcement officers and 24 cadets attended an all-day seminar and training at Oakland City Hall to become more familiar with issues related to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community. -more-


Parents hard-pressed to find preschool openings

Staff
Thursday August 30, 2001

By Daniela Mohor -more-


Bill limiting junk foods in some schools approved

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

One lawmaker stuffed spinach in his milk carton. Another recalled “barfaroni” with distaste. A third learned to love liver. -more-


Grocery unions may strike

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

State democrats pitch redistricting plans

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Democrats proposed new districts Wednesday that would probably allow them to maintain their overwhelming majority in the state Assembly for the next decade. -more-


News Briefs

BDP/ The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

Patients rate hospital stays statewide -more-


Missing IRS returns at Pittsburgh facility grows to at least 40,000

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

WASHINGTON — At least 40,000 federal tax returns and payments involving $810 million were either lost or destroyed at a Pittsburgh processing facility. -more-


Agency reaches settlement over threatened animals, herbs

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

Stocks fall on lackluster economic report

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

Economy expansion slowest in 8 years

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

WASHINGTON — The nation’s economy inched ahead in the spring at the slowest pace in eight years. Still, the fact that there was any growth at all fueled hope that the economy may be ready to begin climbing again – without tipping into recession. -more-


Protesters rally for radio host

By Daniela Mohor
Wednesday August 29, 2001

Nearly 200 people gathered outside KPFA Tuesday morning to show support for “Democracy Now!,” the popular news magazine that recently reheated the crisis within the Pacifica group of listener-sponsored radio stations. -more-


Calendar of Events & Activities

Staff
Wednesday August 29, 2001

Wednesday, Aug. 29 -more-


Forum

Staff
Wednesday August 29, 2001

Setting the record straight on Open Paw -more-


Arts

Staff
Wednesday August 29, 2001

Albatross Pub Sept. 1: David Widelock Jazz Trio; Sept. 5: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 6: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 11: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Sept. 13: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 19: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 20: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 22: Larry Stefl Jazz Quartet; Sept. 27: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Free. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 albatrosspub@mindspring.com -more-


School budget could fail

By Ben LumpkinDaily Planet staff
Wednesday August 29, 2001

In a special budget workshop Monday night, Alameda County education officials told the Berkeley school board that its 2001-2002 budget will probably not be approved by the state due to a number of errors and inconsistencies. -more-


Engineer promotes nuclear power advantages

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Wednesday August 29, 2001

Touting the resurrection of the commercial nuclear energy industry, Dr. Denis Beller, told a group of 20 people Monday night at UC Berkeley that nuclear power is now safe, clean and affordable. -more-


Local youth learn the ropes of sailing

By Kenyatte Davis Daily Planet staff
Wednesday August 29, 2001

After a summer of overnight sailing adventures and educational voyages on the San Francisco Bay, the 11 graduates from the Pegasus Lifeskills Project celebrated the completion of their program with a barbecue Friday night at the Berkeley Marina. -more-


Murder charges filed against accused wildfire starter

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

HOPLAND — A man accused of starting a campfire that burned out of control and led to the death of two air tanker pilots was charged with two counts of murder Tuesday by Mendocino County prosecutors. -more-


HealthNet plans to drop Sutter Health from Medicare network

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

SACRAMENTO— HealthNet of California plans to drop Sutter Health from its Medicare HMO network, and will stop paying for Seniority Plus subscribers’ care from Sutter’s hospitals or doctors after Jan. 1. -more-


U.S. doesn’t want conference to promote abortion

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration wants to ensure that a U.N. conference on children does not proclaim support for abortion, officials said Tuesday. It was the latest sign of a prickly relationship between the United States and the United Nations, which already are at odds over a racism meeting. -more-


FDA approves device for heart failure patients

Staff
Wednesday August 29, 2001

The Associated Press -more-


Israel seizes town, U.S. urges withdrawal

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

BEIT JALLA, West Bank — Israeli troops seized parts of this Palestinian town and fortified positions with sandbags Tuesday as Israel said it was settling in for an indefinite stay – a first in 11 months of fighting. -more-


Gateway slashes 25 percent of workforce

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

SAN DIEGO — Struggling personal computer maker Gateway announced Tuesday it is laying off about 5,000 employees – 25 percent of its global workforce – as it tries to cope with an increasingly bleak market. -more-


Consumer confidence drops for second straight month

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

NEW YORK — Consumer confidence dropped for the second consecutive month in August, a sign of growing concern about a lack of jobs and unemployment, a private research group said Tuesday. -more-


Genentech feud heads to court

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

LOS ANGELES — Jury selection began Tuesday in what was expected to be a mammoth court battle between two partners who helped spawn the biotechnology revolution. -more-


Housing’s plentiful this fall — but be prepared to pay plenty

By Jeffrey Obser Special to the Daily Planet
Tuesday August 28, 2001

UC Berkeley students face an easier housing search this fall than last in the wake of the dot-com bust, according to city and university housing officials and local rental agencies – but not necessarily a less expensive one. -more-


Guy Poole
Tuesday August 28, 2001


Tuesday, Aug. 28


Green Party joins Pacifica protest

Leslie Bonnet, Dana Engen, John Selawsky, B Soffer Green Party of Alameda County Council
Tuesday August 28, 2001

Editor: -more-


It’s back to school for volunteers, too

By Ben Lumpkin Daily Planet staff
Tuesday August 28, 2001

Parents and professionals -more-


Safer at lesser speeds

Charles Siegel Berkeley
Tuesday August 28, 2001

Sufferers want to clear the air on scents at meetings

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Tuesday August 28, 2001

Proponents of strengthening a warning against wearing chemical fragrances at public meetings say the city’s current admonition, printed on public meeting agendas, is vague and arbitrary. The council will consider stronger wording when it meets Sept. 11. -more-


Application for transit czar post

Steve Geller Berkeley
Tuesday August 28, 2001

Editor: -more-


Party turned ‘riot’ prompts ban on dances at ballroom

Bay City News
Tuesday August 28, 2001

A weekend riot at UC Berkeley has prompted school officials to ban all dances at the school’s main dance hall for the semester, the university announced Monday. -more-


It’s not a rebate

Richard Lewis Ex-Berkeleyian Elyria, Ohio
Tuesday August 28, 2001

Editor: -more-


UCSF named eligible for stem cell research funding

Bay City News
Tuesday August 28, 2001

The National Institutes of Health announced Monday that the University of California at San Francisco is among 10 organizations worldwide that are eligible to receive federal funds for stem cell research. -more-


Census: State’s Hmong on the move again

By MARGIE MASON Associated Press Writer
Tuesday August 28, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Florence Vangay was once a refugee in search of opportunity. Like thousands of Hmong, she fled her native Laos to escape persecution after the Vietnam War, and eventually settled in California’s Central Valley. Now she has joined a growing wave of Southeast Asian immigrants again on the move, looking for a better life. -more-


Dog days in Berkeley

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Monday August 27, 2001

Open Paw seeks another ‘doggy’ first -more-


Calendar of Events & Activities

Compiled by Guy Poole
Monday August 27, 2001


Monday, Aug. 27

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Even the dead travel in the age of globalization

By Andrew Lam Pacific News Service
Monday August 27, 2001

SAN JOSE, CA. — “‘Til death do us part,” that age-old marriage vow, has always sounded a little, well, non-committal to Confucian ears. In Vietnam, for instance, where I come from, death is not the end of relationships, it only deepens them. -more-


Arts

Compiled by Kenyatte Davis
Monday August 27, 2001

Albatross Pub Sept. 1: David Widelock Jazz Trio; Sept. 5: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 6: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 11: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Sept. 13: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 19: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 20: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 22: Larry Stefl Jazz Quartet; Sept. 27: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Free. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 albatrosspub@mindspring.com -more-


Pac-10 leaders have to deal with pre-season hype

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Monday August 27, 2001

Two years ago, the Pac-10 was a national joke. Last year, three teams tied for the conference title, had big bowl wins and finished in the top 10 nationally. So with expectations raised sky-high for the conference leaders this season, can Oregon, Oregon State and Washington replicate their super seasons? Or will the league be hit with another down cycle? With eight teams returning their starting quarterbacks and a couple of early Heisman candidates in Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington and Oregon State tailback Ken Simonton, this could be the year that establishes the conference back in the nation’s elite. Here are our predictions for the upcoming season. -more-


Copwatch keeps its eye on the police

By Daniela Mohor Daily Planet Staff
Monday August 27, 2001

Lamont is nervous. A police officer has stopped him and is asking for his identification. But Lamont refuses to produce his wallet or the I.D that is inside. And the police officer looks like he is getting mad. -more-


Stem cell research can help older Republicans as well

Terry Cochrell
Monday August 27, 2001

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to United States President George W. Bush. -more-


John Muir students master one of the Rs

By Ben Lumpkin Daily Planet staff
Monday August 27, 2001

For reading 275,462 pages over six months last year – on their own time – John Muir Elementary School students will be awarded $5,000 from the state. -more-


UC Berkeley students return to campus, city

Bay City News
Monday August 27, 2001

“The students are here.” -more-


Surf’s up for industry catering to women

By Chelsea A. Carter Associated Press Writer
Monday August 27, 2001

CARLSBAD – Straddling a longboard, Kim Kennis scanned the incoming waves, searching for one packing enough height and force. -more-


Opinion

Editorials

Researchers predict 42 percent of HIV in San Francisco will resist drug treatment within four years

By Randolph E. Schmid Associated Press Writer
Saturday September 01, 2001

WASHINGTON — The share of HIV infections that are drug-resistant will jump to 42 percent in San Francisco by 2005, according to a team of researchers. -more-


Fire at frat blamed on pot lights

Bay City News
Friday August 31, 2001

Police and fire officials in Berkeley say that a small fire at a University of California fraternity on Tuesday was caused by lights that were being used to grow hydroponic marijuana. -more-


Marin executives indicted in nuclear testing sale

The Associated Press
Thursday August 30, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal grand jury has indicted three executives of a Marin County electronics firm, accusing them of illegally selling gear to India that could be used to make nuclear weapons, prosecutors said Wednesday. -more-


State SAT scores stay stable nationally

The Associated Press
Wednesday August 29, 2001

SACRAMENTO — This year’s California high school graduates thinking about college increased their scores slightly on their college-entrance tests in English skills, but dropped in math. -more-


Japanese firm hopes green tea catches on here

By LESLIE GORNSTEIN AP Business Writer
Tuesday August 28, 2001

LOS ANGELES — Steaming, swamp green and topped with whipped cream, the chocolatey “o-cha mocha” drink is the brainchild of Japanese executives hoping to do for green tea what Starbucks has done for coffee. -more-