Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) articles from April 2005

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) archives from April 2005

Bridge's Fremont offramp should provide faster route to San Francisco.
April 1, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Apr. 1--The curtain rises today on the new Fremont Street offramp at the western end of the Bay Bridge, offering commuters and day trippers alike faster routes into the heart of San Francisco and popular tourist...

Fears unsettle stock market's first quarter.
April 1, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 1--Jitters about crude oil and inflation spooked stock market investors during the first three months of the year and launched 2005 on a downbeat note. Stocks in the East Bay and the rest of the Bay Area were...

Baseball book is worth its considerable weight.
April 1, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson Looking for a good book? Have an affinity for page-turners that never run out of pages? May we suggest the Baseball Encyclopedia. In printed form, it is the approximate weight of Cecil Fielder's left leg....

Truckers hauling hazardous materials facing background checks.
April 1, 2005... Byline: Kiley Russell WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ The war against terrorism hits American highways this spring when truckers who haul dangerous chemicals and explosives will be subjected to a new, more thorough criminal background check. ...

Pension-reform protests come to Charles Schwab's headquarters.
April 1, 2005... Byline: Dan Laidman Apr. 1--SAN FRANCISCO -- Throngs of workers and senior citizens encircled a city block in the financial district Thursday to protest proposed changes to Social Security and California's pension system. The protest...

Smith Barney faces gender bias suit.
April 1, 2005... Byline: Dan Laidman Apr. 1--A Walnut Creek financial consultant is among a group of women who filed suit Thursday alleging a pattern of gender discrimination by Wall Street firm Smith Barney. The four plaintiffs, all current or former...

Expect the same from low-budget A's.
April 2, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson OAKLAND, Calif. _ The transfer of the Oakland Athletics became official on Friday, which is to say three men in suits and ties sat before the assembled press and slipped probing questions with the elan of the pre-Rope...

California legislators will debate bill over Bay Bridge construction project.
April 2, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Apr. 2--The state Senate transportation committee plans to debate a newly bolstered bill Tuesday that would shake up the management structure of the $6.2 billion Bay Bridge replacement project, putting more power in...

Valero agrees to pay $97,000 fine for hazardous waste violations.
April 2, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher Apr. 2--Valero Corp., which recently began airing commercials extolling its environmental stewardship, has agreed to pay a fine of more than $97,000 for hazardous waste violations at its Benicia refinery. For four...

Joy for java priceless for coffee lovers.
April 2, 2005... Byline: James Temple Apr. 2--Most CEOs would give away their box seats for the sort of customer loyalty Tim Lewis bestows on a Starbucks latte. "This is my afternoon break, it's what I look forward to everyday," said the Vallejo...

Warning signs scare off investors.
April 2, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 2--The convergence Friday of the specters of inflation, high oil prices and an uncertain job market turned April Fool's Day into anything but a laughing matter. Investors, business owners and workers had to...

Television ready to go high-tech.
April 3, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Apr. 3--Remember that time you wanted to reach into your television set and strangle the person inside it? We may be getting closer to being able to do that, sort of. Television, after years of staying the same,...

Forecast: A's new identity cloudy.
April 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick BALTIMORE_The grand opening will occur today. After an interminable wait, when the curtain finally goes up for real and the new A's are on stage, do not gasp and cover your eyes. Yes, it will take some getting used...

Giants' time trip might be bumpy.
April 3, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Through THE magic of the Hindsight 450 XL, the official time machine of Major League Baseball, we take you back to Opening Day, 1992 _ the last Opening Day before Barry Bonds joined the Giants....

Warriors solve Sonics.
April 3, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II OAKLAND, Calif. _ Golden State Warriors forward Troy Murphy said the entire team should file into a time capsule immediately. Take some food, maybe something to read and stay put ''until October.'' ''As long...

Warriors' Richardson keeps eye on MSU, Final Four.
April 3, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II OAKLAND, Calif. _ Warriors guard Jason Richardson was still a little depressed prior to Sunday's 101-92 win over Seattle. He had yet to get over his Michigan State Spartans losing to North Carolina in the...

Nurses pick battle with Schwarzenegger.
April 3, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Apr. 3--"Don't do this," Donna Gerber pleaded to California Health and Human Services Secretary Kimberly Belshe. "I don't think you know what you're doing." But the decision had already been made. With Gov. Arnold...

Oil costs bump gas prices to record.
April 4, 2005... Byline: James Temple Apr. 4--Soaring oil costs have catapulted local and state gasoline prices into record territory, with more hikes likely on the way. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded hit $2.48 in Oakland and...

Homebuyers not deterred by rising prices.
April 4, 2005... Byline: Rick Jurgens Apr. 4--To two Bay Area residents who bought new homes during the winter of 2005, it looked like a good time to make a move into something better. And although each paid triple what the previous owners spent for...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., retirement planner column.
April 4, 2005... Byline: Steve Butler Apr. 4--EDUCATION WILL CREATE INVESTORS: My Army tour of duty years ago taught me about the broad spectrum of people beyond the sheltered life of a small-town high school and college experience. I found myself in a...

Crosby hurt, A's blanked in opener.
April 4, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick BALTIMORE _ This is how it started for the new-look Oakland A's, making a rare Opening Day appearance on the East Coast. There was bad news at every turn, a twist and a surprise swirling in the maddening wind...

Safeway to launch marketing campaign.
April 5, 2005... Byline: James Temple Apr. 5--Safeway Inc. will unveil today the largest marketing initiative in its history, a $100 million campaign to highlight new products, remodeled stores and other ongoing efforts to differentiate itself in an...

'Bonus Mom' wears title justifiably.
April 5, 2005... Byline: Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe Q: My child's father and I are divorced, and I live far away from my daughter. Her dad has decided to remarry, and his girlfriend just moved in with him until they marry in two months. I am still...

American Catholics mixed on religious, social issues.
April 5, 2005... Byline: Jack Chang and Lisa Vorderbrueggen WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ U.S. Roman Catholics adored Pope John Paul II, but vast numbers of the nation's 67 million parishioners openly disregard the pontiff's core teachings about abortion, divorce,...

Project puts city's needs on display.
April 5, 2005... Byline: James Temple Apr. 5--WALNUT CREEK -- A Bay Area development team is set to begin construction on one of this city's largest housing developments, as well as a project that reflects Walnut Creek's embrace of "smart growth" and the...

Crosby's injury creates roster dilemma for A's.
April 5, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick BALTIMORE _ Bobby Crosby's sore upper back had not improved Tuesday, sending him for more tests and creating the strong possibility that the A's shortstop will go on the 15-day disabled list. Crosby appeared to be...

Davis shows way for hot Warriors.
April 5, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II OAKLAND, Calif. _ Two of the NBA's brightest talents went toe-to-toe at the Arena on Tuesday night, both at the top of their game. The Golden State Warriors' star was better. Point guard Baron Davis...

State could add surcharge to residential water bills.
April 5, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher Apr. 5--State water officials are floating a proposal to add a monthly surcharge to residential water bills as they search for ways to fund sagging water initiatives. The proposal was developed to help resolve the...

City Council maneuvers to keep new office building.
April 5, 2005... Byline: Liz Tascio Apr. 5--MARTINEZ -- The cost to move two county offices from their aging quarters downtown to a modern new building has risen about $2.6 million above an estimate approved by the Board of Supervisors. Fearing the...

Mass Web site game generates buzz.
April 6, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee The pay phone on the Berkeley, Calif., street corner started ringing at the prearranged hour. "Don't hang up," said the woman on the other line. "If you really are who I think you are, I must tell you something." ...

Portfolio sale pours cash into E-Loan.
April 6, 2005... Byline: Rick Jurgens Apr. 6--E-Loan Inc., a small Pleasanton-based provider of online lending services, gave a boost to its share price Tuesday by announcing the sale of a $651 million portfolio of automobile loans to a banking affiliate...

Insurance hearing initiates Round 1.
April 6, 2005... Byline: Rick Jurgens Apr. 6--LOS ANGELES -- The tempest over allegations that some large title insurers paid illegal kickbacks percolated through an all-day hearing during which company executives denied any wrongdoing and sparred with the...

A's Plan B _ Saarloos _ dominates Orioles.
April 6, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick BALTIMORE _ Kirk Saarloos did a lot more than pitch six innings of one-hit ball against a rock-`em, sock-`em Baltimore Orioles offense. Pressed into the starting assignment after Rich Harden developed a blister on...

Warriors run win streak to seven, hold off Trail Blazers.
April 6, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson III PORTLAND, Ore. _ The Warriors went 21-61 in 2001-02, guard Jason Richardson's rookie year. They finished the season by losing 15 of their final 19 games. So Richardson knows about playing out the string,...

It's time to get back to real baseball.
April 7, 2005... Byline: Neil Hayes WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ A newspaper photograph of actress Uma Thurman sparked a heated debate in the Fenway Park press box before Game 4 of the 2003 Division Series. A veteran sportswriter maintained that Thurman did...

Heard about superb herbs?
April 7, 2005... Byline: Joan Morris WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ When many gardeners dream of that perfect garden, it seems that at least part of that dream has the sweet smell of basil and rosemary. We envision ourselves stepping out on the back patio to...

Cable TV's future on display in San Francisco.
April 7, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Apr. 7--SAN FRANCISCO -- Playing poker against your neighbors with your remote control. Text messaging on television. And for the very lazy, changing channels with just the sound of your voice. High-tech companies...

Parkinson's treatment left in limbo.
April 7, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Apr. 7--A shift in strategy by biotech company Avigen Inc. puts in jeopardy a preliminary but potentially promising clinical trial for Parkinson's disease. The Alameda-based company announced this week that it is...

A's win on Byrnes' three-run homer.
April 7, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick BALTIMORE _ Oakland A's manager Ken Macha wasn't kidding around when he said he was going to put more emphasis on fundamentals this season, stressing them during spring training. To illustrate the point, Macha had...

California legislature, FBI probe safety of new Bay Bridge.
April 7, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Apr. 7--An FBI probe into the safety of the new Bay Bridge has lawmakers calling for better construction oversight while Caltrans and the contractor are fighting allegations of fraud and shoddy workmanship. The...

Around the remote: TV picks for April 10-16.
April 7, 2005... Byline: Chuck Barney DON'T MISS: "REVELATIONS" _ Television, it seems, is getting religion. Undoubtedly inspired by the remarkable success of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" and the best-selling book "The Da Vinci Code,"...

University of Texas, Lockheed Martin team up in bid to run lab.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Betsy Mason Apr. 8--Two of the University of California's biggest potential rivals for the contract to run Los Alamos Laboratory are considering joining forces for the competition. The University of Texas and Lockheed Martin...

Big Mac's exit is good for inductees.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Eric Gilmore WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Raise your hand if you're surprised that former Oakland A's star Mark McGwire pulled the plug Thursday on his scheduled induction next week into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Let's see,...

McGwire declines Bay Area honor.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ With questions about his alleged steroid use still hanging in the air, Mark McGwire backed out of his upcoming induction into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. The former A's and St. Louis...

`Up for Grabs' follows topsy-turvy fight by two men for Bonds' home-run ball.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Chuck Barney SAN FRANCISCO _ Bathed in glorious spring sunlight, SBC Park looks as radiant as ever. Inside its gates, meticulous groundskeepers are tending to a freshly mowed field in preparation for that evening's exhibition game...

Workers may swap bedsheets for pickets.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Apr. 8--Health care laundry workers are preparing to protest what they claim are poor working conditions, salaries and benefits at facilities across the state if they cannot resolve a dispute with owner Angelica Textile...

SBC tops diversity ranking.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Apr. 8--SBC Communications Inc. spent $449 million in contracts with minority businesses in California last year, giving it the top score among California utilities in a diversity report released Thursday. PG&E...

Athletics fall to Devil Rays in 10th.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Joe Blanton kept fiddling with a cut above his lip, courtesy of a postgame shaving mishap. Blanton's aim with a razor was about as good as it was with the baseball, but the rookie, making his...

Warriors cool off Suns as winning streak reaches eight.
April 8, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II OAKLAND, Calif. _ If you closed your eyes and just listened, you would've thought you were at the NBA Finals. A crowd of 20,043 fans showered the Warriors with ovation after ovation Friday, including one...

ADP blunder places 7,000 in ID danger.
April 9, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 9--Consumers are told by numerous experts and agencies to guard their Social Security numbers like the government watches over the gold at Fort Knox. Imagine the reaction of Michael Shipp when he found out...

Chevron was hot, tech firms not.
April 9, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 9--Oil profits helped the market value and stock price of ChevronTexaco Corp. to gush over the past year, but the high-tech industry in the Bay Area and the East Bay encountered a dry well last year. San...

Pharmacists' morals pitted against customers' rights.
April 9, 2005... Byline: James Temple Apr. 9--Two bills advancing in the state Legislature would require pharmacists to fill or assist customers with orders for the "morning after" pill and other legal treatments, even if the druggist has moral qualms. ...

For A's Zito, it's never been this bad.
April 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ As the regular season dawned last week, the biggest question for the A's was how the kids _ Danny Haren, Joe Blanton and Kirk Saarloos _ would fare in the rotation. No one was worried about...

Fans sending wrong message when cheering Barry Bonds.
April 10, 2005... Byline: Neil Hayes WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ They gave Barry Bonds a thunderous ovation. It wasn't totally unexpected. This was San Francisco, after all. This was Opening Day at SBC Park. The sellout crowd was most likely cheering for his...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., bankruptcies column.
April 10, 2005... Apr. 10--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., people in motion column.
April 10, 2005... Apr. 10--Tim B. Clancey has joined Bank of Walnut Creek as senior vice president and relationship manager at the bank's Walnut Creek Regional Commercial Banking Office. Ronald J. Banducci has been appointed chair of John Muir/Mt. Diablo...

A's bats come alive vs. Devil Rays.
April 10, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Oakland A's made a little early-season statement about their intestinal fortitude when facing the grim prospects of being swept by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and finishing 2-4 on their initial...

Parker, Spurs end Warriors' eight-game win streak.
April 10, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II OAKLAND, Calif. _ Golden State Warriors point guard Baron Davis loves going up against the league's top point guards, among which San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker is counted. The two certainly put on a show...

Times East Bay 50 undergoes makeover.
April 11, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 11--Several familiar faces are missing from the annual reunion of the Times East Bay 50. Mergers, acquisitions, a relocation and a delisting banished eight companies that probably would have generated...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., money makeover column.
April 11, 2005... Apr. 11--QUESTION: We are a retired couple with a first grandchild. We are thinking of some kind of college savings plan for her as a gift. We can give about $100 a month toward it. Do you have any suggestions? -- Doug and Pat Dea, El Cerrito...

Zhone survives lows of tech slump.
April 11, 2005... Byline: Dan Laidman Apr. 11--OAKLAND -- A laboratory at Zhone Technologies Inc.'s headquarters runs 24 hours a day, with row upon row of equipment simulating a communications network large enough to support a city of 350,000 people. ...

College basketball is the best sports product going.
April 11, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ The lights go down. Spotlights whisk around the arena. Dancers do their thing. The public address announcer tries to whip the crowd into a frenzy. It's a scene commonplace around the NBA....

Leaf it alone: Laissez-faire attitude best with fresh herbs.
April 11, 2005... Byline: Nicholas Boer WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Manhandled herbs will turn as bitter as a bushed bartender. So even he will take time on a busy night to extract sweet perfume from what are essentially astringent leaves. Watch as he pauses...

For good taste and value, try wines from Chile and Argentina.
April 11, 2005... Byline: Janice Fuhrman Chile's carmenet grape can smell and taste like chocolate. Wine is made throughout South America _ and drunk there at a much higher per capita rate than in the United States. Neighbors Chile and Argentina are the...

A's stomped by Blue Jays.
April 11, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick OAKLAND, Calif. _ It was all there for the home opener. The fans came out to pack the place. Well, sort of. The traditional bunting was in place. The field was impeccably manicured, before it's destroyed by those...

Teachers gear up for fight with governor.
April 12, 2005... Byline: Jackie Burrell Apr. 12--California's teachers are girding for a battle royal. The 335,000-member California Teachers Association began assembling a $60 million war chest last weekend to fight off Governor Arnold...

No real way to blunt impact of moving.
April 12, 2005... Byline: Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe Q: I'm getting remarried and moving with my three younger children (12, 8, 6) about two hours from their dad. My 15-year-old son is staying with his dad. He's a wonderful father and we have a...

Blue Jays' Towers continues mastery of A's.
April 12, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes OAKLAND, Calif. _ The Oakland A's are a team forced to consistently re-invent themselves, giving them a substantially new look every year. But it doesn't seem to matter who is in the A's lineup when Toronto Blue...

Safeway chief's pay doubled in 2004.
April 13, 2005... Byline: James Temple Apr. 13--Safeway Inc.'s top executive exercised $17.2 million in stock options in 2004, while his total compensation more than doubled to $2.29 million, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday. The...

`For Love and Money' by Leslie Glass; `In the Company of Cheerful Ladies' by Alexander McCall Smith; `Tool & Die' by Sarah Graves; `Dry Heat' by Jon Talton.
April 13, 2005... Byline: Roberta Alexander It's difficult these days to find a mystery book that isn't part of a series. For whatever reason, that's what publishers want, and so that's what writers deliver. Many writers become heartily sick of their...

Livin' on the wedge.
April 13, 2005... Byline: Jessica Yadegaran WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Peel away those fishnets. Retire all calf boots and stilettos to the hall closet. This spring, feet will rise and be free with the help of the wedge, that high and mighty heel that...

Pension funds threaten to sue AIG.
April 13, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 13--California's two biggest pension funds have suffered at least $400 million in paper losses linked to accounting improprieties at giant insurer American International Group, and they may sue to recover the...

Finding a suitable home.
April 13, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Apr. 13--Two Bay Area cities emerged as top contenders on Tuesday to host the organization that will dispense $3 billion in voter-approved funds for stem cell research. San Francisco and Emeryville landed on the...

Kendall lifts A's by Blue Jays.
April 13, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes OAKLAND, Calif. _ A's catcher Jason Kendall thought maybe he had provided the game-winning hit in the sixth inning Wednesday night. After A's rookie reliever Huston Street failed to hold a lead in the first...

Welds pass preliminary tests on new Bay Bridge.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Apr. 14--Federal highway inspectors said preliminary tests on five welds on the new Bay Bridge show they are structurally sound, though more thorough tests are expected to begin by Friday or early next week, according...

Governor's plan may fill nursing gap.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Apr. 14--SACRAMENTO -- Expressing appreciation for the profession he has been at odds with since the end of last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday announced a $90 million, five-year nurse education...

Former PeopleSoft space hits market.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Apr. 14--Oracle Corp., four months after its acquisition of Pleasanton-based PeopleSoft Inc., is putting four of the original PeopleSoft buildings on the market. The Silicon Valley software and database giant said it...

San Jose, Los Angeles don't make the cut for stem cell site.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Apr. 14--SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite vigorous last-ditch lobbying, San Jose and Los Angeles officials failed Wednesday to get their cities added to the list of finalists for the state's coveted stem cell research...

Workers' comp bill sets limits on rates.
April 14, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Apr. 14--A state legislative panel approved a bill Wednesday to create price controls on insurance premiums charged to cover employees for workers' compensation, an indication that the overhaul of workers' comp has...

49ers shouldn't rush to draft QB.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson Owning the first pick in the NFL draft, as rookie San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan undoubtedly has discovered by now, entitles the bearer to more than making the first pick in the NFL draft. The privilege also...

Man seeks to change Mount Diablo's name, saying it salutes Satan.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Lisa Vorderbrueggen WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ A deeply religious Oakley, Calif., man has petitioned the federal government to rename Mount Diablo, calling the current name a profane salute to Satan. In Art Mijares' application to...

A's in role of chasing Angels for a change.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes OAKLAND, Calif. _ The last time the Los Angeles Angels visited Oakland, they staged a wild celebration in the middle of the McAfee Coliseum diamond. That was the beginning of a transformation of the American League...

A's Zito a bona fide head-scratcher.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Barry Zito answered tough questions for a long time after his last start of 2004. It came on the final Saturday of the season, with the A's needing a victory to remain in playoff contention. ...

Around the remote: TV picks for April 17-23.
April 14, 2005... Byline: Chuck Barney DON'T MISS: "RING OF FIRE: THE EMILE GRIFFITH STORY": Griffith, a young prizefighter and immigrant from the Virgin Islands, unwittingly touched off a storm of controversy in 1962 when he pummeled his helpless...