Four unions representing more than 60 percent of the city’s workforce united Monday in unprecedented fashion to leverage frustrations about six months of contract negotiations without a resolution. -more-

Spinsterhood in Maine a woolly way of life -more-

To the Editor: -more-

Tuesday, June 18

Cal is hosting the USA Combined Event Championships and the Junior National Combined Events Championships June 18-20 at its track stadium, where fans can see some of the nation's top decathletes and heptathletes. Action begins at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and10:00 a.m. Thursday. -more-

The Berkeley Unified School District has reinstated 24 of the 91 temporary teachers who received layoff notices in March. -more-

On June 18, 1940, during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill urged his countrymen to conduct themselves in a manner that would prompt future generations to say, “This was their finest hour.” -more-

To the Editor -more-

OAKLAND — The Oakland Athletics are about to find out whether the progress they’ve made in the past two weeks will stand up to the grind of their longest road trip of the season. -more-

Selling certain types of coffee could soon be illegal in Berkeley. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

NEW YORK — Can a nation debate the merits of cloning when fewer than half its adults can give a decent definition of DNA? -more-

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Mexico had tradition and the crowd on its side, and for much of the match it had the ball. But the United States got the goals — and a place in the World Cup quarterfinals, its best showing since 1930. -more-

Malcolm X fourth-graders got to dig into a science assignment this year when they recycled cafeteria waste using live worms as composting agents. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

OAKLAND — Two newspapers filed a motion Monday to lift a gag order imposed on jurors in the federal lawsuit two Earth First! activists brought against the FBI and Oakland police. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

In a sweet deal for shareholders, Nestle SA agreed Monday to take majority stake in Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. as part a $2.4 billion transaction that would allow the Swiss conglomerate to eventually swallow all of California-based Dreyer’s. -more-

SAN JOSE — Photo industry rivals are teaming up on an initiative to establish what they hope will become the ATM-equivalent of a global digital photo printing network. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — In another sign of the high-tech industry’s humbling times, Web browser pioneer Marc Andreessen abandoned his ambition to build a Web services giant Monday and agreed to sell most of his latest brainchild, Loudcloud Inc., to computer systems consultant Electronic Data Systems. -more-

FRESNO — A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction delaying enforcement of California’s electric-car mandate in its current form for two years. -more-

SAN BERNARDINO — Fire raging through Cajon Pass in the San Bernardino Mountains overran two fire engine crews Monday and shut down Interstate 15, the main route used by travelers between Southern California and Las Vegas. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis has asked the committee scraping to fill a $23.6 billion budget hole to find $1 billion more — with cuts or tax increases — to boost emergency reserves and protect California’s credit. -more-

Sierra Club sponsors forum on idea of building up, not out -more-

To the Editor: -more-

Tuesday, June 18

SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Zito pitched into the seventh inning for his eighth straight victory, and Adam Piatt drove in the go-ahead run as the Oakland Athletics won the Bay Bridge series, beating the San Francisco Giants 2-1 Sunday. -more-

City should provide easier access to information, critics say -more-

To the Editor: -more-

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Billionaire backers poised to build a downtown stadium to lure a professional football team back to Los Angeles abruptly abandoned their plans, according to published reports. -more-

Thousands of residents from the Bay Area gathered in south Berkeley Sunday for the Juneteenth Festival, celebrating African American history, culture and the end of slavery. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

LAS VEGAS — The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association approved a number of changes aimed at attracting more fans and contestants. -more-

Northern California man held -more-

Today is Monday, June 17 , the 168th day of 2002. There are 197 days left in the year. -more-

SAN BERNADINO— A fast-moving wildfire burned 3,500 acres of rugged forest land Sunday and caused the temporary closure of Interstate 15 in San Bernadino, fire officials said. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A suicide note left by a teen-age girl who fatally shot herself in January has led to the arrest of a neighbor, charged with molesting her and another neighborhood girl. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Students at the CHESS/SUCCESS Academy, an elementary school for at-risk kids, will get a big surprise when they return to school in the fall. -more-

SACRAMENTO — After 100 hours of contradictory testimony, blame shifting and a couple of balky witnesses, the committee investigating a potentially costly state computer contract is about to wrap up its work — maybe. -more-

MILL VALLEY — With its quaint shops and leafy residential roads, it’s easy to mistake Mill Valley for simply a quiet, upscale bedroom community across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Fewer Californians were looking for work last month and that pushed down the unemployment rate, not an increase in jobs, according to state employment officials. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — After his colleagues on the San Francisco’s liberal Board of Supervisors frowned on his plan to cut homeless welfare checks, Gavin Newsom is taking his plan to city residents. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Just as voters soon will decide who runs California, the thousands of creditors owed money by bankrupt Pacific Gas and Electric Co. are getting their chance to help determine the shape of California’s largest utility when it emerges from Chapter 11. -more-

LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire that destroyed five homes and forced evacuations of 200 people in this community northeast of Bakersfield was at least 50 percent contained Sunday. -more-

Experts: Nuclear terror would kill few, but harm the American psyche -more-

National security adviser gives commencement speech -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of family, friends and political leaders gathered at a memorial service Saturday held to honor an openly gay police officer who died when his patrol car crashed. -more-

SACRAMENTO — A federal judge has ordered a new trial for two undocumented Mexican immigrants convicted of growing more than 1,000 marijuana plants in northern California. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Hoping to attract more mass appeal for an online search engine with a cult following, AlltheWeb.com on Monday declared that it indexes more Internet information than longtime pacesetter Google. -more-

SAN JOSE — During eBay’s rapid rise to Internet commerce powerhouse, the company nurtured a quaint tale of its origins, saying founder Pierre Omidyar created the site in 1995 so his fiancee could trade PEZ candy dispensers with other collectors. -more-

Boy wins trip to ‘Harry Potter’ set -more-

The building at 1809 University Ave., the current home of Youth Radio, was busting at the seams Friday night as the nonprofit held an informal graduation ceremony. -more-

Although Berkeley's early settlers were mostly farmers, west Berkeley's location on the shore of San Francisco Bay made it ideal for commerce and industry. Before the incorporation of the town of Berkeley in 1878, the area was called Ocean View because the ocean was visible directly through the Golden Gate. The first industry, the Pioneer Starch and Grist Mill, was founded in 1855, and the second was a lumber mill established by Zimri Brewer Heywood and Captain James Jacobs in 1856. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

Saturday, June 15

Berkeley’s serious film buffs are counting the days until the Fine Arts Cinema closes its door at the end of the month. With scant few double bills left before the theater closes. -more-

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The late-night hours soccer fans in the US have been keeping lately might seem suspect, but do not call them hooligans. They have been very well-behaved during the 2002 World Cup Tournament and the strange hours are not their fault. -more-

In November Berkeley’s “body politic” will likely answer a question nearly as old and at least twice as essential to the future of the city as the mortar in the foundation of City Hall — to what extent the will the design, development and planning of the city “accommodate more growth” or to what extent will it begin to “discourage sprawl.” -more-

To the Editor: -more-

YOKOHAMA, Japan — South Korea ended nearly a half-century of frustration at the World Cup, finally reaching the second round. It was kind enough to help the United States advance, too. -more-

Twenty-five years ago, after receiving a Ph.D. in English from the University of Chicago, Berkeley resident Joe Stein went to live in Israel for a year. But he didn’t see any Palestinians. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

LOS ANGELES — Its title smacks of a hastily produced, ripped-from-the-headlines tale of sex abuse by priests. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — In 1998, Arizona manager Buck Showalter considered Barry Bonds such a threat that he had him intentionally walked with the bases loaded. -more-

Neil Smith, the widely-respected principal of Martin Luther King Middle School, has been named director of curriculum, instruction and staff development for the district, effective July 1. -more-

Hardluck boat -more-

Many Bay Area job seekers a bit more interested in improving the world than fattening their wallets may have attended Thursday’s Non-Profit Fair in Oakland. -more-

Many Bay Area job seekers a bit more interested in improving the world than fattening their wallets may have attended Thursday’s Non-Profit Fair in Oakland. -more-

SAN JOSE — Twelve eBay users from around the country have been invited to company headquarters to give the Internet auction site’s executives pieces of their minds: Customer service is lousy. The search engine is weak. Pop-up ads are deplorable. -more-

LOS ANGELES — California’s unemployment rate decreased slightly in May, even as the state economy lost 9,000 jobs, officials said Friday. -more-

You don’t think natural resources saved by your major appliances is a big deal? -more-

Bright innovations, including a resource center and lots of built-ins, lend functionality to this home, Plan K-22, by the Homestore Plans and Publications Designers Network. Its floor plan has 1,616 square feet of living space. -more-

Windows and skylights cover your home’s perimeter, each room sports a high ceiling, the walls and floor coverings are all pleasingly light-colored — yet you’re still wondering how you can work more natural light into your home. -more-

OAKLAND — Akira “Ike” Nakamura took 60 years to graduate from Castlemont High School. And when he did, he got two diplomas: one for 2002, one for 1944. -more-

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Winona Ryder pleaded innocent Friday to shoplifting and drug charges, and her lawyer said he’d try to disqualify the District Attorney’s office from trying the case. -more-

Visitors can take a Spam exam or can some ‘Spam’ -more-

BURBANK— To boost ratings at its flagging ABC network, The Walt Disney Co. is marshaling its vast resources to promote its new fall shows everywhere from Disneyland to the big screen and even in its sports restaurants. -more-

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One of the original 1776 copies of the nation’s Declaration of Independence will be in Louisville for a public viewing this fall. -more-

Industry professionals pick American Film Institute’s annual favorites list -more-

NEW YORK — Author David Baldacci has settled a legal dispute with a publisher after complaining that his name was featured too prominently on the cover of an anthology of mystery stories. -more-

Boy walks on to Potter set -more-

TORONTO — It’s hard to avoid biblical references when discussing Patrick Moore, a Greenpeace co-founder who now gets paid by the biotech industry and other foes of the environmental organization. -more-

SACRAMENTO — After months of haggling, arguing and occasional screaming about California’s toughest housing dilemma, a bill to make more room for low-income apartments is moving again. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Rejected once already, Gov. Gray Davis and California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein repeated a call Friday for President Bush to buy 36 undeveloped oil leases off California’s coast. -more-

Letters threatening anthrax contained Victoria’s Secret talcum powder -more-

People allergic to antibiotics are at risk -more-

The milk products being voluntarily recalled by Berkeley Farms were sold under the brand names Berkeley Farms, Dairy Dawn, Ralph’s, Mountain Dairy, Sysco/Wholesale Farms, Smart & Final, Albertsons, Good Day, and Best Yet. -more-

WASHINGTON — The last time Juventino Ortiz tried to collect the rest of his pay for picking fruit in Northern California, a government official chased him out of his office. -more-

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Forensic investigators said Friday that the body of a California man killed in southern El Salvador was so badly decomposed that they were unable to determine a cause of death. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Excavation of an ancient seaport on Egypt’s Red Sea found spices, gems and other exotic cargo showing that sea trade linking the Roman Empire and India 2,000 years ago rivaled the legendary Silk Road at times, archaeologists say. -more-

Hoping to implement -more-