Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) articles from April 2001

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) archives from April 2001

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Bankruptcies Column.
April 1, 2001... Apr. 1--The following businesses filed for legal protection from creditors in the federal bankruptcy court in Oakland. Companies most commonly file for protection under three chapters of the bankruptcy code: Chapter 7, which involves...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Business Listing Column.
April 1, 2001... Apr. 1--The following individuals or corporations filed fictitious-business-name statements in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The Times makes every effort to ensure accuracy but cannot be held responsible if there are errors or omissions in...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., People in Motion Column.
April 1, 2001... Apr. 1--SAN FRANCISCO-BASED LAW FIRM Cooper, White & Cooper LLP had added Robert Padway and Marcy Bergman to its Walnut Creek office. ADD INC. IN SAN FRANCISCO HAS PROMOTED ERIC DUMICAN, Mark C. Herman and Michael Pattinson as associate...

Web Sites Help Moraga, Calif.-Area Kids Launch Their Own Businesses.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Jessica Guynn Apr. 1--MORAGA, Calif.--Chris Kolner pauses to reflect before he answers the question. Why did he and his pals band together to launch a start-up? "Well," he says, "it has been my dream for a long time to invent...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Business Leader Profile.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Kelly Smolen Apr. 1--NIMBYISM SLOWS GROWTH NAME: Bruce Smith AGE: 57 TITLE: President and co-founder of Smith Quality Homes in Walnut Creek; president of the National Association of Home Builders TYPE OF BUSINESS:...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., User Friendly Column.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Yael Li-Ron Apr. 1--GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF BLINKING MODEMS: Time for a confession: I'm escaping the Bay Area with its insane energy, real estate and traffic problems. My husband and I are "retiring" to Hawaii, from where I will...

Final cuts of the spring are made.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Okanes SAN FRANCISCO_The A's and Giants said their goodbyes to their final roster cuts Saturday, but, at least in the A's case, they should be saying hello to some of them again very soon. As expected, Oakland placed...

A gut-check Giants vs. A's comparison.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Neil Hayes SAN FRANCISCO_The seed was planted while watching Jason Giambi hit howling line drives over the right-field wall during batting practice at Pacific Bell Park and germinated during an idle clubhouse conversation. ...

Rankings for NBA teams.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Matt Steinmetz _ 1. San Antonio Spurs have gained separation in the West _ 2. Philadelphia Team most affected by Alonzo Mourning's return _ 3. Sacramento Scot Pollard_perfecting the art of being a role player...

New faces, same goal for Demons as they battle for playoff spot.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Cecil Conley Much has changed for the San Francisco Demons since their 16-9 loss to the Las Vegas Outlaws at Pacific Bell Park on Feb. 25. The teams meet again Sunday at 4 p.m. in Las Vegas, and it's do-or-die for the Demons...

Rankings for NHL.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Rick Hurd _ 1. Colorado Needs to get healthy for playoffs _ 2. New Jersey Outscored teams 61-25 during 13-game win streak _ 3. Ottawa Losing Radek Bonk hasn't hurt so far _ 4. Detroit Hasn't lost at...

Devils poised to repeat.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Rick Hurd Their scoring line has emerged as one of the best trios in the NHL. Their goalie has moved another step closer to the Hall of Fame. Their defense, already the best in the league, has added reinforcements. Oh, and one...

Sharks revert to bad habits.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Rick Hurd PHOENIX_They had enjoyed a catharsis of sorts two nights earlier, exploding for two week's worth of goals. Two nights before that, they had enjoyed one of the season's most emotional wins. That was the wave the Sharks...

Blade Prospector opens eyes.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Chuck Dybdal ALBANY_Blade Prospector set easy fractions, then shifted into another gear when challenged in the stretch by Dixie Dot Com as he won the Grade III Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday. The second...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., 401(k) Queries.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Steve Butler Apr. 2--REPUTATION KEY IN FINDING AN ADVISER: The thought of hiring a financial adviser has occurred to many investors recently. We aren't feeling quite like the geniuses we were when our funds and stock picks were...

California Hospitals Subject to Planned Strikes by Health Care Workers.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Sonia Krishnan Mar. 30--Health care workers say they will strike nine Sutter Health hospitals starting Monday to protest what they see as their lack of involvement in staffing decisions. "Over the last 10 years, the health...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Money Make-Over Column.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Janet Adamy Apr. 2--LIVERMORE, Calif.--DIGGING OUT OF DEBT: Back when Mike and Melody Pelzl paid $1,200 a month for their two-bedroom condo, they had enough money left over at the end of the month for things like Mike's 401(k). ...

Big Plunge for Shares of Oakland, Calif.-Based E-Business Software Maker.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Chris Metinko Mar. 31--The Nasdaq halted trading of Versata Inc. on Friday after shares of the Oakland-based e-business software maker plummeted 73 percent in early trading. The stock price's nose-dive happened one day after...

A major obstacle for Woods.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi AUGUSTA, Ga._Forget about all this Grand Slam stuff. If Tiger Woods doesn't beat Vijay Singh to win the Masters, there will be nothing grand, and no slam. Singh is the most formidable obstacle in Woods' quest to...

If you go to England's Lake District ...
April 2, 2001... Byline: Anne Chalfant TRAVELER ALERT: The spread of foot-and-mouth disease has closed most of England's footpaths, including those in the Lake District. Check with the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food Web site at www.maff.gov.uk...

Write feet forward: England's Lake District is literally literary.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Anne Chalfant It was dusk. We had been tromping with British friends through the hills of England's Lake District, a fine hike with views of charming lakes and rolling hills. But now it was dusk. Dusk is when Americans go...

Office romances may court disaster, but they happen.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Sara Steffens To date co-workers, or not to date them: That is the question. Oh, sure, there's a million reasons why it's a bad idea to have a fling with that hottie in the next cubicle. On the other hand: In survey after...

Earnings Melt at Oakland, Calif.-Based Ice Cream Company.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Ellen Lee Apr. 3--California's energy woes, coupled with higher costs for dairy products, have melted Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream's earnings expectations, the company announced Monday. The Oakland-based ice cream company said it...

Safeway Introduces New Price Tag System in Silicon Valley Stores.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Janet Adamy Apr. 3--PLEASANTON, Calif.--As if Commerce One and PeopleSoft didn't do enough with technology here, Safeway is also enhancing the digital landscape by testing fancy electronic price tags at two Tri-Valley stores. ...

`Typical' victory for Giants.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick SAN FRANCISCO_Tony Gwynn called it vintage "Giants baseball," and who in their right mind would argue with him? The Giants' tidy 3-2 victory Monday over the San Diego Padres was accomplished in a manner eerily...

Victory provides answer for Giants.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Gary Peterson SAN FRANCISCO _ The questions weren't unfair. They were just repetitive to the point of causing ordinarily pleasant men to effect scowls you could hear from a half-mile away. How would the Giants replace Ellis...

Gragg is happy to return.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman Offensive tackle Scott Gragg was so intent on starting in his 80th consecutive game that he did so with a severely torn left knee ligament in the 49ers' season finale last year. Three months later, Gragg's...

Not-so-happy meals: Read this before eating that Big Mac.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Nicholas Boer If only that perfect McDonald's french fry could talk, what a tale it could tell. It could recount its trip through the giant Lamb Weston production facility in Idaho, where the potato gets its skin exploded off,...

Derby fever is catching.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Chuck Dybdal Kentucky Derby excitement heats up this week with several key races Saturday, including the Santa Anita Derby, Illinois Derby near Chicago, Flamingo at Hialeah in Florida and Lone Star Derby near Dallas. Next week...

Josephson looking to keep ball rolling.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Chuck Dybdal SAN MATEO, Calif. _ Trainer Jedd Josephson is like the basketball coach whose team is going so well he wishes the first half were 25 minutes long instead of 20. He has been on fire the first three months of the...

Lighter Potatoes With Leeks And Gruyere for Easter.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Elaine Magee Q. I need a potato side dish for Easter dinner. Can you find me one that is low in calories and fat because several people coming to dinner are on heart-healthy diets? A. I just found a recipe at www.epicurious.com...

Oldest exploding star offers scientists a look back more than 11 billion years.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Peter Felsenfeld BERKELEY, Calif. _ The oldest exploding star discovered to date has offered scientists a glimpse back more than 11 billion years and provided startling clues into the nature of the universe. Researchers used...

California Businesses Pass Increasing Utility Costs to Consumers.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Janet Adamy Apr. 4--Get used to the surcharges and price increases that businesses are using to pay their escalating PG&E bills. They're likely to become more common. Last week's news that electricity rates will soar 42 percent...

Rival's Gloomy Forecast Causes Commerce One Stock to Plunge.
April 4, 2001... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 4--PLEASANTON, Calif.--Investors shoved the shares of Internet rivals Commerce One Inc. and Ariba Inc. overboard on Tuesday after Ariba warned Wall Street that its financial picture is taking on water far more...

Earnings Slide for San Francisco, Calif.-Area Firms That Recently Went Public.
April 4, 2001... Byline: George Avalos Mar. 31--Initial public offerings made like a magician and disappeared during the first quarter. Hardly anyone cheered the vanishing act, however. Investors decided instead to direct plenty of catcalls at...

Worldwide Semiconductor Sales Drop.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Ellen Lee Apr. 4--Sales of semiconductors worldwide continued to drop between January and February, falling 6.9 percent from $16.63 billion to $15.49 billion, according to a report released Tuesday. The San Jose-based...

Lack of affirmative action hasn't hurt California admissions.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Carrie Sturrock WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ The percentage of minority students admitted to the University of California has nearly reached affirmative action levels, according to figures released Tuesday. In addition, the system...

Zito, A's dominate Mariners.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn SEATTLE_Whatever anxiety present after the A's Opening Night loss was erased Tuesday by the near flawless pitching of Barry Zito. Miguel Tejada's third-inning grand slam was all the support the left-handed Zito...

DH Saenz hopes to be big hit.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn SEATTLE_Olmedo Saenz does not want his time in the A's starting lineup referred to as an audition. "I don't want to hearabout trying to make an impression," he said. "That will only put more pressure on me. I...

Hitting second not his first choice, but Aurilia adjusts.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick SAN FRANCISCO_Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia has not been told officially that he'll be the full-time No. 2 hitter for the Giants, replacing his old buddy Bill Mueller, but that's beside the point. Aurilia pretty much...

Giants, Pac Bell looking to land the Aloha Bowl.
April 4, 2001... The Aloha Bowl is saying goodbye to Honolulu and, possibly, hello to San Francisco. The game has been played in Hawaii since its inception in 1982. But declining attendance has convinced organizers to move it and its sister game, the Oahu...

Borges making himself heard.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Eric Gilmore BERKELEY Cal quarterback Kyle Boller has gone through all of five spring football practices under new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Al Borges. That's four more than he needed to realize what to...

Tiger beat stresses Grand Slam talk.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi AUGUSTA, Ga._All this talk about the Grand Slam is bit nauseating. Hey, doesn't anyone care the 2001 Masters is the first major championship of the new millennium? Unquestionably, though, this year's Masters, which...

The other ones_Duval and Mickelson.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi AUGUSTA, Ga._News flash: Tiger Woods isn't the only one who wants to win the Masters. He's already had a green jacket stored at Augusta National Golf Club. He was treated to delicious Thai food, courtesy of Vijay...

Selanne has already come in handy.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Rick Hurd SAN JOSE_To hear Teemu Selanne tell it, the best could be yet to come. Heck, the Sharks right wing said, his knee still isn't 100 percent, and he's still learning how to play with his new teammates. "Things should...

Decorating dilemma: Arrange furniture groups to break up oversize room.
April 4, 2001... Q. My husband and I really wanted a house with a large master bedroom. We found one, all right! Our bedroom is enormous _ a big, bare, plain room. It measures about 15 by 18 feet, has two uninterrupted walls (a third wall has a door leading to...

If the power goes out at the amusement park, go see the animals.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Thomas Peele WALNUT CREEK, Calif._Up, up, up goes the roller coaster car to the top of the hill. Then, just beyond the crest, as people scream, their stomachs tighten and the ride really begins, a rolling blackout hits the...

California's Attempts to Keep Alternative Energy Production High Falter.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Mike Taugher and Andrew LaMar Apr. 4--A week after state regulators took a series of steps designed to reduce the number of alternative energy producers who have shut down power plants rather than face the risk of not getting paid,...

Contra Costa County, Calif., Medical Center Admits Liability in Lawsuit.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Claire Booth Apr. 4--MARTINEZ, Calif.--An Antioch woman and her daughter will receive $4.5 million to settle a lawsuit against Contra Costa County and its medical center. Aaryah Saxton-Lucas suffered severe brain injuries when...

California Legislative Committee Proposes Changes in Nursing Home Regulations.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Thomas Peele Apr. 4--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--The Assembly Health Committee passed legislation Tuesday to change the way California nursing homes calculate the amount of direct care patients receive, with supporters claiming it creates...

California Public Utilities Official Favors Wholesale Price Caps.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Rick Jurgens Apr. 5--LOS ANGELES--Two hundred of the finest economic minds in California gathered Wednesday at UCLA's Anderson School of Management to discuss the state's energy crisis but, as state Public Utilities Commission...

San Francisco-Based Firm Offers Real Estate, Retail.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Kelly Smolen Apr. 5--When Jan Duffy walked into the San Francisco office of SOMA Living, she sipped on a cup of cappuccino in an Internet cafe setting. She perused home-decorating books and browsed homes for sale listed on the Web....

No relief for A's in Seattle.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn SEATTLE_It is apparent after three games that the A's are not going to cruise in the American League West division by reputation alone. The prognosticators who have said Oakland would win the division by a wide...

New team, but same slow start for Damon.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn SEATTLE_Slow starts are usual for the newest Athletic, Johnny Damon. So his subpar series against the Seattle Mariners should be no surprise. Damon, expected to improve the club's offensive production, went...

Giants get shot at Jones.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick SAN FRANCISCO_Bobby J. Jones, Public Enemy No. 1 as far as Giants fans are concerned, gets the start tonight against San Francisco, the team he unceremoniously dispatched in the National League Division Series last...

Giants capture roller-coaster win.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick SAN FRANCISCO_The Giants provided a pretty vivid flashback to last season, when they christened Pacific Bell Park with a number a memorable comeback victories and magical moments. This one had to rank right up...

Warriors make easy target for Bucks, boos.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Matt Steinmetz OAKLAND_It was target practice for the Milwaukee Bucks at the Arena on Wednesday night. As for the Warriors, they bore no arms in this shootout. The Warriors, who had six injured players sitting on the bench in...

Simple ways to avoid getting burned by rolling blackouts, high energy prices.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Peggy Spear WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Never has the idea of summer been greeted with more trepidation, the fear fueled by the worst energy crisis in the state's history. Dwindling electricity and natural gas supplies, a drier than...

Raiders should run to add Garner, trade Kaufman.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Neil Hayes It was two hours before a 1996 game between the Raiders and Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium and Jeff Hostetler and Rickey Dudley were playing catch on the field. They were standing maybe 20 feet apart, lobbing the...

Garner awaiting decision from Raiders on contract.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Steve Corkran Free-agent running back Charlie Garner's signing with the Raiders once seemed like a long shot. Now, it's a stroke of the pen away from happening, according to Garner's agent. Scott Crawford, Garner's agent, said...

Decorating Dilemma: Shift into high gear to decorate guest room.
April 5, 2001... Q. A few years ago my wife and I had the entire inside of our house repainted, except for one small 10-by-10 bedroom that was being used as a storage room. When it was possible to remove the boxes, furniture, etc., I elected to cover the...

San Francisco-Based Biotech Firm Celebrates Anniversary.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Judy Silber Apr. 6--Saturday marks the 25th birthday of South San Francisco-based Genentech and, many industry insiders argue, an important anniversary for the biotechnology industry as well. "They are the company that, to some...

Housing Affordability Rises in California.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Kelly Smolen Apr. 6--Slightly more households could afford a median-priced California home in February, a real estate trade group reported Thursday. But the good news did not extend to the Bay Area. The California Association...

Ortiz justifying A's faith in him as second baseman.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn OAKLAND_On the final day of spring training, when all the roster decisions were made, A's manager Art Howe finally revealed the truth. The competition for second base never existed. Sure, the A's tried to present...

Davis worries about Strawberry.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick SAN FRANCISCO_News that Darryl Strawberry had run afoul of the law earlier this week after an unauthorized absence from a drug treatment center in Tampa, Fla., hit home for Giants outfielder Eric Davis. Davis grew...

Giants remain perfect, gain revenge vs. Jones.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick SAN FRANCISCO_It would make for good copy if the Giants made more of a rematch against Bobby J. Jones, who ended their season abruptly in the 2000 National League Division Series. But they insisted they weren't...

Cherry adjusts his attitude, gets a second chance at Cal.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater BERKELEY_The cornerstones of Cal's defense_linemen Andre Carter and Jacob Waasdorp_watched from the sideline as the Golden Bears went through spring drills at Memorial Stadium. Unfortunately for coach Tom Holmoe, both...

Amateurs have plenty to crow about.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi AUGUSTA, Ga. THE BUNCH AT the Crow's Nest had a jolly ol' time. The Masters' version of Amateur Hour drew rave reviews Thursday. The five non-professionals acquitted themselves rather well in their first outing...

Sharks get playoff clincher.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Rick Hurd SAN JOSE_The familiar organ beat started to play midway through the third period Thursday, and the Compaq Center crowd picked up the cue. "Na-by, Na-by, Na-by," they chanted. In net, the Sharks' rookie goalie...

PG&E files Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
April 6, 2001... Byline: John Simerman WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Pacific Gas and Electric filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning, less than a day after California Gov. Gray Davis finally endorsed electricity rate hikes and sought to mend his deeply...

California's largest utility files for bankruptcy.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Mike Taugher and Rick Jurgens WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ California's 11-month-old electricity crisis took a dramatic turn Friday when the venerable Pacific Gas & Electric Co. unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy, stunning state...

Davis admits rate hikes unavoidable in any plan.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Andrew LaMar, Rick Jurgens and Mike Taugher SACRAMENTO _ After months of assuring Californians he could find a solution to the state's energy crisis without raising electricity rates, Gov. Gray Davis used a live televised address...

MLS team capsules.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Jennifer Starks _ 2000 RECORD: 13-15-4 (43 points, third in West) _ PLAYERS TO WATCH: F Junior Agogo, D Marcelo Balboa, GK Adin Brown _ OUTLOOK: Colorado will look to former Tampa Bay coach Tim Hankinson to lead it into the...

X-Cursions: Mulder's alive _ and so, finally, is `The X-Files'.
April 6, 2001... Byline: George Avalos and Michael Liedtke It's a shame that the Cigarette Smoking Man was one of the few familiar standbys missing from the latest "X-Files" episode, "DeadAlive." About the only thing that would have made the climactic...

Giambi not concerned by slow start at plate.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn OAKLAND_Jason Giambi expected this. The reigning American League MVP is being pitched differently from last season. In other words, he's getting even fewer pitches to hit. "I knew that would happen," Giambi said...

Mayor could hit grand slam with ballpark plan.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Neil Hayes Dear Jerry Brown: Let me begin by saying I'm a big fan of your city. Maybe it's because I've always rooted for the underdog, or maybe it's because you find more regular people in Oakland than you do in San Francisco...

Milestone making Bonds `nervous'.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick LOS ANGELES_Barry Bonds would prefer not to think about approaching the 500-homer mark, but he has no choice. He is reminded of it almost every day, much to his dismay. "It was on my mind during the homestand," he...

Aging Whitaker still in the ring.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater It was 1991, and undisputed lightweight champ Pernell Whitaker was doing his thing in Reno against overmatched Jorge Paez. It was a thing of beauty. In sharp contrast to the bash-and-be-bashed style that thrills the...

Cal emphasizes special teams.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater BERKELEY_If people fear the unknown, the Cal special teams units should be downright scary in 2001. For four seasons, the Bears have trotted out one of the nation's best punters in Nick Harris. Of course, he is gone,...

49ers hoping to deal for more draft picks.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman SANTA CLARA_Come draft day two weeks from now, the 49ers wouldn't mind snatching a top-notch defensive end. Or a linebacker. Or a running back. Most of all, however, they'd like more draft picks than the measly seven...

Woods back to his old habits.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi AUGUSTA, Ga._It's Tiger Woods' world. Chris DiMarco is only renting space_he just doesn't know it yet. In his quest for a fourth straight major championship victory_or Tiger Slam_Woods is reverting to his 1997 form....

Daly's presence missing at Augusta.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi AUGUSTA, Ga. Dear John: We're having a wonderful time here at Augusta National. The course is immaculate. The golf is riveting. The folks are respectful and friendly. And the food is... well, cheap. But we miss...

Colorado's Sakic has Hart of champ.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Rick Hurd He is the heart of the NHL's best team. The way Joe Sakic's Colorado Avalanche teammates see it, their quiet captain is the Hart of the entire league. They only wonder why Sakic and the organization won't crow about it....

Forget rehab, let's watch Tiger.
April 7, 2001... Byline: Mike Wolcott Welcome back to Two-Minute Drill, where it's been almost 120 seconds since anyone walked past the sports desk and asked, "Hey, how's Tiger doing?" _ Hi, I'm Darryl Strawberry, and I'm demanding $50,000 for the...