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Friday, March 8

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Leukemia survivor Franklin headed into his last season at Berkeley High -more-

Residents upset that Planning Commissioners didn’t give a recommendation for the hotel and spa’s grounds -more-

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LOS ANGELES – Ryan Forehan-Kelly tied his career high with 20 points and Amit Tamir’s inside basket snapped a tie with 1:39 remaining, lifting No. 25 California over UCLA 67-61 Thursday night in the first round of the Pacific-10 Conference tournament. -more-

It used to be that a trip to the doctor’s office would only get you some foul-tasting medicine. Oakland Children’s Hospital, however, hopes that every kid can go home with a book. -more-

The St. Mary’s-Oakland Tech Northern California Division I semifinal game on Saturday night will be played at California State University at Hayward, with tipoff tentatively set for 7:30 p.m. -more-

Today is Friday, March 8, the 67th day of 2002. There are 298 days left in the year. -more-

Oregon 86, Washington 64 -more-

A whale of a tale -more-

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LOS ANGELES — A young man who heard the fatal dog attack on Diane Whipple testified Thursday he thought it was a rape or domestic violence when screams echoed through a stairwell of a San Francisco apartment building. -more-

RENO, Nev. — A winter storm that dumped more than 2 feet of snow on parts of the Sierra Thursday restricted travel over all mountain passes and threatened to bring more snowfall over night. -more-

Tightening those doggone rear-view mirrors -more-

The “lady of the forest” is in all her glory this time of year, her pure-white bark is especially lovely as she mingles with spruces and other dark-green evergreens. Unfortunately, the lady — a nickname for white birch — is often not nearly as happy in a suburban yard as she is in the forest. -more-

What if you were ready to plant your garden and had nowhere to buy seeds? In many parts of the world, each growing season is not heralded in with garden catalogs in mailboxes and seedpackets lined up on racks in stores. Rather, gardeners not only grow vegetables and flowers, but also the seeds for them. Here, you might want to grow some seeds to ensure a supply of a particular variety of vegetable or flower not readily, perhaps not always, available. -more-

Our father, although he had never worked in the trades, definitely was a handyman’s handyman. He loved his workshop. He favored plumbing, painting and carpentry, but was hesitant about doing electrical work. And, we never saw him do ceramic-tile work. -more-

PALO ALTO — Standard & Poor’s lowered the credit ratings for Hewlett-Packard Co. on Thursday, saying the potential benefits of the planned $22 billion acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp. are offset by the deal’s high risks. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Fast-growing online DVD rental service Netflix Inc. plans to raise $115 million with an initial public offering of its stock, providing another flicker of optimism in the depressed dot-com industry. -more-

SAN JOSE— Chip-maker Intel Corp. tightened the range of its first-quarter sales forecast Thursday, saying demand for PC processors remains stable but the communications chip business is weak. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Ailing credit card issuer Providian Financial Corp. on Thursday announced a deal to sell its Argentina operations to a group of Buenos Aires investors for an undisclosed sum. -more-

About 200 students walked out of Berkeley High School Wednesday afternoon and marched on to district headquarters protesting the move from a seven- to a six-period day beginning next fall. -more-

A furious third-quarter comeback wasn’t enough for the Berkeley Lady Yellowjackets as St. Ignatius (San Francisco) pulled off a 52-49 upset in a quarterfinal of the Northern California Section Division I playoffs. -more-

EDITOR'S NOTE: Fueling the worst Hindu-Muslim violence in Indian in nearly a decade is a new Hindu nationalism that adopts the militaristic rhetoric of today's world leaders. PNS Associate Editor Sandip Roy fears that an older form of Hinduism that could accept, absorb and change other cultures is being lost. Roy (sandiproy@hotmail.com) is host of “Upfront” – the Pacific News Service weekly radio program on KALW-FM, San Francisco. -more-

Thursday, March 7

Jacki Fox Ruby, a California Federation of Teachers official, soundly defeated incumbent Jerome Wiggins Tuesday in the race for Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Area 1, bringing an end to an often nasty campaign. -more-

The St. Mary’s boys basketball team found their rhythm shortly before halftime, cruising to an eventual 74-58 victory over Oak Grove (San Jose) and moved one step closer to a CIF Northern Section crown. -more-

Right now, it is an empty section of railroad track blocked off on both sides by a cyclone fence. It used to be a hang-out for prostitutes and rowdy drinkers until the city erected these fences at Berkeley Way and University Avenue about 10 years ago. Now many groups in the city want to make it part of a landscaped pedestrian and bicycle corridor. -more-

A 36-year-old Oakland man was struck and killed by an eastbound local freight train early Wednesday morning. At 3:27 a.m. the train hit Kevin Raney, who was apparently lying on the tracks a quarter-mile north of Gilman Street, according to Charles Brewer, an investigator at the Alameda County Coroner’s Office. -more-

Today is Thursday, March 7, the 66th day of 2002. There are 299 days left in the year. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Democrats from Santa Cruz and San Francisco are set to become the first openly gay men in the California Legislature, joining three uncloseted lesbians in pushing an agenda that includes giving same-sex couples the same protections as married straight people. -more-

The Daily Planet inaccurately reported in its March 5 article, “City settles with UC for less than expected” that Councilmember Linda Maio made a motion to sue UC Berkeley over the Northeast Quadrant program. It was Councilmember Dona Spring who made the motion. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Wednesday to require any pipeline that would carry natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to pass along a southern route through Alaska instead of an alternative route mainly through Canada. -more-

SAN JOSE — A small plane with three people aboard spun out of control and crashed into a canyon Wednesday, landing upside down. -more-

RENO, Nev. — It was slow going over the Sierra Nevada range Wednesday as a wet Pacific storm brought heavy snow to the Lake Tahoe region. -more-

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Wednesday approved the proposed $22 billion merger of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp., a deal that would be the biggest in high-tech history. -more-

Shares of ImClone Systems Inc. surged more than 23 percent Wednesday on news the biotech company has settled its public feud with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. over the handling of a $2 billion deal to co-market a highly touted experimental cancer drug. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — California power regulators again have delayed a vote on a pair of proposals that either would end electricity competition in the state or only allow businesses with deals already in place to continue buying from an energy seller other than their local utility. -more-

At 1:00 a.m. the folks down at Loni Hancock for Assembly Headquarters were not only claiming victory — winning more than 50 percent of the preliminary returns in the 14th district assembly race — but were referring to it as a landslide victory. -more-

Cal third baseman Conor Jackson hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat visiting Georgetown, 6-5, on Tuesday afternoon. -more-

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Wednesday, March 6

Berkeley City Councilmembers were not in their office yesterday — not because they were slacking off, but because they were getting the vote out. And it wasn’t even an election year. -more-

Bears end first day in first place -more-

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Election night always tempts the tongue of pundits and insiders — to predict victory, defeat and the fate of future elections. But last night’s election proved to be a little less than illuminating as councilmember Linda Maio did not announce any intention to run for Mayor in Berkeley and Councilmember Kriss Worthington’s name was mentioned for the first time as a possible candidate. -more-

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A local debate over gay rights, the Boy Scouts, the military and federal funding for education came to a boil Monday night at a meeting of the Peace and Justice Commission. -more-

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Superintendent Michele Lawrence, who proposed closing City of Franklin Microsociety Magnet School in January, laid out two options for saving the school in a meeting with parents Tuesday night. -more-

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Today’s Highlight in History: -more-

Olmos files for divorce -more-

“I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing, but I did think it was pretty shady,” said Berkeley City Councilmember Betty Olds about Gov. Gray Davis’ anti-Richard Riordan campaign that perhaps did not give Bill Simon the GOP primary but certainly did not hurt. -more-

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is committing more aircraft to the battle with al-Qaida and Taliban holdouts in eastern Afghanistan, sending in five Marine Corps attack helicopters after enemy fire damaged Army copters. -more-

REDWOOD CITY — The Minnesota doctor accused of stabbing her son to death again blurted out in court Tuesday that she was guilty, this time saying she planned to commit the murder, wanted to be punished for the crime and asked for a death sentence or life in prison, according to the prosecution. -more-

If a report card was given out to American media based on their coverage of the Middle East, the grade would be barely passing, according to those who compare it to overseas coverage. -more-

A few changes in the Alameda County voting process meant that Berkeley voters in yesterday’s primary elections had to deal with more than hanging chads. -more-

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Gray Davis has appointed a former Edison International and Southern California Edison executive as the newest member of the Public Utilities Commission, the state agency that regulates Edison and other investor-owned utilities. -more-

WALNUT CREEK — An opening for a new city manager has attracted 67 applicants from across the country. -more-

SAN JOSE — A highly influential proxy research firm recommended Tuesday that Hewlett-Packard Co. investors approve the proposed $22 billion acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp., giving new life to HP’s efforts to complete the hotly contested deal. -more-

SANTA ANA — Microsoft Corp. agreed to pay more than $100,000 to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of consumers claiming they were overbilled for Internet time, an Orange County prosecutor said Tuesday. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — PG&E Corp. reported sharply higher profits at its bankrupt utility on Tuesday and disclosed $64 million in employee bonuses, punctuating a stunning reversal of fortune in the power market over the past year. -more-

It was when he saw a young girl in a traditional chador and veil do a wheelie around the room that Pat DeTemple said he knew he was making a difference. -more-

PORTLAND, Ore. — There was no wild celebration or trash talking after Portland extended its winning streak to 10 games by beating the team with the NBA’s best record. -more-

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Tuesday, March 5

Bad roads and mind-numbing traffic. Berkeley residents know them well. Today, they will join with millions of voters statewide to decide whether Proposition 42 provides an answer. -more-

SAN DIEGO — The Gonzaga Bulldogs are going back to the NCAA tournament on an all-time high, thanks to a breathtaking shooting display by Dan Dickau. -more-

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Last week, the city approved an agreement with University of California, Berkeley to dampen the impact of the upcoming Northeast Quadrant Project. The university is thrilled. But the city’s political leadership is not. -more-

EL SEGUNDO — At this time last season, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were taking verbal shots at each other. This year, they’re taking physical shots at guys on the other team. -more-

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The City Council voted last night 8-1 in favor of the redistricting plan drafted by the subcommittee on Monday. In the two-hour special meeting, councilmembers grumbled about boundaries, but eventually that compromise had to be the order of the day. -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO — Two Oakland men pleaded innocent to marijuana cultivation charges Monday at a federal court arraignment in San Francisco in which they were told of stiff mandatory sentences if they are convicted. -more-

To the Berkeley Community, -more-

Gimmick generates genuine suspence -more-

LOS ANGELES — Word that the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese has removed as many as a dozen priests involved in sex abuse cases was hailed Monday as a victory for people fighting pastoral sex abuse. -more-

LOS ANGELES — John D. Rockefeller took 25 years to make his first billion. Gary Winnick needed only 18 months. -more-

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge set a Sept. 30 trial date in a lawsuit filed by major movie studios against Internet file swapping service StreamCast after declining Monday to dismiss part of the case. -more-

There was no clashing last night, it was all smiles and laughter at the Berkeley Repertory Theater’s hosting of Culture Clash where Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, was making one of her last public appearances before tomorrow’s primary election. -more-

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Saturday, March 2

Sharper scores 34, but St. Mary’s falls back in second half -more-

It wasn't so much about donning suffragette sashes at tea parties as picking electric guitars in a bar lined wall-to-wall with Barbie dolls. -more-

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The Berkeley High girls’ basketball team shook off a tough first half with a 9-0 run to start the second half of Saturday’s North Coast Section Division I championship game against Pittsburg, finishing with a 60-53 win at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley. -more-

An independent publishing house has declared Sunnyvale the seventh safest city in the nation based on a comparison of crime rates as of 2000, and ranked 10 other Bay Area cities in the top 100 of the 327 cities surveyed. -more-

Proposition 42 hijacks general purpose state taxes to benefit only transportation, in fixed proportions. There already is a gas tax to support transportation. If it is insufficient, increase it or have an honest weighing of spending priorities for all the state's responsibilities. -more-

TUCSON, Ariz. - In perhaps its biggest Pac-10 basketball game ever, California came away with the second-worst loss in the school’s history. -more-

Today’s Highlight in History: -more-

While not wanting to belittle the welcome addition of the new Berkeley Pedestrian Bridge over Interstate 80, I was amused to learn from a quote by Mr. Scott Berkowitz that “t's awesome and unique. There is no other bridge like this anywhere, and I've been everywhere.” -more-

LOS ANGELES — Dave Smith, whose elegant prose helped usher in an era of literary journalism at the Los Angeles Times in the 1960s, died of a heart attack at his Tucson, Ariz., home. He was 64. -more-

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40,000 square-foot facility fulfills Harvey Milk’s dream -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — As California’s primary draws near, Rep. Gary Condit faces the toughest election of his crumbled political career and Republicans are waging a fierce battle for the right to take on Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. -more-

“Hand over Taliban and al-Qaida or you will be destroyed. Come forward with information about Taliban and al-Qaida,” -more-