Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) articles from August 2000

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) archives from August 2000

California Legislature Scrambles to Finish Business by Deadline.
August 31, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 31--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--State lawmakers worked feverishly Wednesday to pass scores of bills as they raced to finish business by tonight's deadline, but they left some of the most controversial issues for their...

Sacramento County, Calif., Housing Agency to Buy Chinese Town of Locke, Calif.
August 31, 2000... Byline: Sarah Rohrs Aug. 31--LOCKE, Calif.--After years of watching the old Chinese theater and former boarding houses decay, residents of this historic riverside town hope to save it from the wrecking ball while also righting an...

HEADLINE HERE.
August 31, 2000... Byline: Peter Felsenfeld DUBLIN_Computer giant Sybase, the city's most notable corporate coup, held a groundbreaking extravaganza Thursday for its new $100 million corporate headquarters in east Dublin. Company officials say the...

Bonds and Ortiz each have a blast in Giants' win.
August 31, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick PITTSBURGH _ Somewhere inside Barry Bonds, hidden from view of the media and fans, this is precisely how he would have envisioned playing what likely will be his last game at soon-to-be-blown-up Three Rivers Stadium....

Raiders deal would keep team in Oakland until 2025.
August 31, 2000... Byline: David Holbrook OAKLAND - Alameda County and Oakland made a peace overture Wednesday to the Oakland Raiders intended to keep the team in town until 2025 and attract more fans for games at the Network Associates Coliseum. The...

Giants fall to Pirates.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick PITTSBURGH_Strange night indeed. In a development that may have stunned more than a few, it was Livan Hernandez who trudged off the mound in the third inning, having been pulverized by the Pittsburgh Pirates. ...

Pirates' Sveum staying on as coach.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick PITTSBURGH_Dale Sveum still has a locker where the players dress at Three Rivers Stadium, but the infielder's playing career ended during spring training. Sveum was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates before the...

Hitters subscribe to theory of the media's power.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Gary Peterson Here I sit holding the key to Todd Helton's chances of hitting .400 this season. I'm not sure what to do with it. Heck, I only discovered I had it a couple days ago. That's when I saw an ESPN report that...

Bitter foods mellow when paired with right ingredients.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Nicholas Boer To Bill Briwa, bitterness is all in your head. The chef/instructor says that how you perceive it all depends on what else you've got in your mouth. Picture, he says, a big, bitter woman and her husband. If he's...

Raiders may have leg up for playoffs.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Neil Hayes Raiders receiver and resident optimist Tim Brown summed up the NFL's new era perfectly when he said the St. Louis Rams' startling success last season allows mediocre teams to dream of Super Bowl glory. Three of...

NFL teams could be one step from disaster or one step from winning it all.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Eric Gilmore New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi wouldn't call it Super Bowl fever. But after watching St. Louis go from a 4-12 laughingstock in 1998 to a Super Bowl champion last year, Accorsi said the Giants...

Dr. Pigskin answers questions about NFL season.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Gary Peterson YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS about the upcoming NFL season? Doc Pigskin has answers. Question: Will the Rams repeat? Doc Pigskin: The Rams will repeat what they did in the mid-1940s_when they won the championship...

Lighter Strawberry Spinach Salad.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Elaine Magee Q. I've eaten a strawberry spinach salad at an elegant restaurant in our area and absolutely love it. Do you have a version I can make quickly at home? A. I found a couple recipes in cookbooks for a strawberry...

California Interstate Project Site Becomes Illegal Construction Dumping Ground.
August 30, 2000... Byline: Bonita Brewer Aug. 30--The Interstate 680/580 interchange project site has become an illegal dumping ground for some construction trades, and taxpayers are footing much of the cleanup bill. An estimated 200 tons of debris,...

California Passes Tougher Air Pollution Measure.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 29--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Legislation boosting fines and criminal penalties for air pollution -- a measure prompted by a 1999 incident at a Richmond oil refinery -- passed the Assembly on Monday. The bill must...

Walnut Creek, Calif.-Area Entrepreneur Creates Natural Baby Products.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Chris Metinko Aug. 29--WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--Like most new parents, Deborah Osburn wanted to do everything right when she gave birth to her son five years ago. She insisted on natural childbirth, she would breast feed, and she...

California Senate Approves Internet Sales Tax; Governor Promises Veto.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 29--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--The state Senate on Tuesday adopted legislation forcing retailers to apply sales taxes to their Internet sales, but the bill awaits the veto pen of Gov. Gray Davis. The measure,...

Santa Clara County, Calif., May Buy Into San Francisco Bay Area Transit.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 29--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--A bill to force Santa Clara County to pay a "buy-in" fee to join BART cleared a crucial legislative hurdle on Tuesday and was sent to the Senate floor, where a vote on the measure is...

HEADLINE HERE.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar SACRAMENTO, Calif._A bill to force Santa Clara County to pay a "buy-in" fee to join BART cleared a crucial legislative hurdle on Tuesday and was sent to the Senate floor, where a vote on the measure is expected...

MIA Giambi undergoes MRI.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Gary Washburn OAKLAND_Jason Giambi continues to miss time with a sore left shoulder, but the A's received some good news when a precautionary MRI showed nothing but residual soreness. Giambi, who didn't play Sunday against...

Davis makes most of chance, lifts Giants.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick PITTSBURGH _ An inning before Russ Davis hit his game-winning homer against Pittsburgh, he was sitting in the dugout collecting his thoughts, pretty much minding his own business. As Davis tells the story,...

Komodos chow down in made-for-vid feature.
August 29, 2000... Byline: Randy Myers I've tried to rationalize it. I've attempted to find some sort of logical reason for it. Alas, truth be told, there's really no justifiable reason why I loved the made-for-tape flick "Komodo." Except maybe that...

Pac-10 Conference looking for respect.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Jay Heater Just for a moment, forget about the Rose Bowl. At the start of the 2000 season, it's the Pac-10 vs. the world. The 1999 season was a disaster for the conference. At one point, none of the 10 teams were ranked among...

Playoff loss par for course.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Eric Gilmore RENO_Once again, all John Van de Velde could do was smile and be a good loser, just as he was 13 months ago at the British Open. No, he didn't take a three-shot lead into the 72nd hole Sunday of the Reno-Tahoe...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., 401(k) Queries.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Steve Butler Aug. 28--If you run a business, you've probably received solicitations from a national payroll service, such as ADP, Paychex, ProBusiness or Ceridian, regarding their retirement products. This is particularly true if...

California's Castro Valley Serves as Site of Several New Developments.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Brian Anderson Aug. 28--CASTRO VALLEY, Calif.--After two decades of blueprints, site plans and environmental reports, a jigsaw puzzle of housing developments carved into the sandstone and clay shale hills overlooking Castro...

California Legislators Locked in Debate over Restoration of Delta.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 28--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--As the federal government issues a "record of decision" today that will detail a seven-year, $8.6 billion plan for restoring the Delta, state lawmakers are locked in a pitched battle over...

City-Based Californians Migrate to Rural Areas, Other States.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 28--Clovice Lewis lounges beside a computer in the book-lined study of his home marveling about his new life in this lakeside community of 4,600 people. "Do you hear that?" Lewis asks, pausing for a moment....

Neighbors of Orinda, Calif., Woman Support Conversion of Land to Open Space.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Andy Jokelson Aug. 28--ORINDA, Calif.--Slaying victim Margaret Bodfish's desire to have her seven-acre Miner Road property become public open space has won support from neighbors. A trust she left states her goal of turning the...

Insect Trappers Help Keep Pest Damage to California Farms at Minimum.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Denis Cuff Aug. 28--Let no pest cross the wide path of Kathy "KC" Canario unless it wants to feel the sticky arm of government on its back. Or wings. Or thorax. She drives thousands of miles a month, leaps over...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Retirement Planner Column.
August 28, 2000... Byline: Steve Butler Aug. 28--BEWARE THE PAYROLL FIRM'S SIREN SONG: If you run a business, you've probably received solicitations from a national payroll service, such as ADP, Paychex, ProBusiness or Ceridian, regarding their retirement...

Tour Guide Offers View of Richmond, Calif.'s "Hidden History".
August 28, 2000... Byline: Tom Lochner Aug. 28--RICHMOND, Calif.--Growing up in Berkeley, Shelby Sampson knew Richmond as a place you drove through, with good thrift stores and a few attractions like the Gull Bookshop, a "pre-Beatnik, Bohemian kind of...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Bankruptcies Column.
August 27, 2000... Aug. 27--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 Bulletin Column.
August 27, 2000... Aug. 27--MONDAY: Forty Plus of Northern California, a nationally recognized, career transition organization for managers, professionals, and executives, presents "Taking The Chill our of Cold Calls," 9 a.m. at Alameda Point, Bldg. 90, 101...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Business Listing Column.
August 27, 2000... Aug. 27--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...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., People in Motion Column.
August 27, 2000... Aug. 27--Walnut Creek-based Pegasus Group has appointed Michael St. Clair as West coast regional manager. San Francisco-based PG&E Corporation has appointed David S. Gee as vice president for strategic planning. GoDigital Networks...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Computer Column.
August 27, 2000... Byline: Yael Li-Ron Aug. 27--WORLDWIDE FREE-FOR-ALL A CLICK AWAY: Now that you've recovered from your Survivors habit, it's time to pay some attention to your Web browser. Just in case you've forgotten already what got you hooked on the...

National Election Issues Affect Silicon Valley Small Businesses.
August 27, 2000... Byline: Teena Massingill Aug. 27--Taxes, the economy, the need for skilled and technological labor, government regulations, the minimum wage and education. More than any other issues oiling the political gears of Election 2000, these...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Real Jobs Column.
August 27, 2000... Byline: Jessica Guynn Aug. 27--SAN FRANCISCO -- Little more than one year ago, relations between Washington and Beijing were at their lowest ebb in two decades. China had broken off talks with the United States on human rights, arms...

These A's can play_and they'll keep you guessing.
August 27, 2000... Byline: Gary Peterson OAKLAND_Welcome to the pennant race, Oakland A's style. A solid win. A quick-death defeat. A two-fisted comeback. A young player learning hard lessons in real time. Flaws overcome. Flaws exposed. Great baseball....

Mulder is bombed again by Yankees.
August 27, 2000... Byline: Gary Washburn OAKLAND_The A's organization is in a predicament. It is caught between growth and execution; a chance to win now measured against development for the future. Mark Mulder has endured his growing pains, and then...

Banana Republic Recharges San Francisco Customers' Cell Phones.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Janet Adamy Aug. 26--SAN FRANCISCO--After being bashed by Mayor Willie Brown and banned from restaurants like Moose's, this city's cell phone gabbers finally have found an establishment that likes them. At its newly expanded...

California College Students Start DSL Installation Company on Summer Break.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Chris Metinko Aug. 26--ORINDA, Calif.-- Every May, thousands of college students leave school looking for a chance to relax and a decent summer job. Most end up in part-time jobs like busing tables or working a cash register,...

Home Prices Up While Supply Down in San Francisco Area.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Kelly Smolen Aug. 26--Too few homes for sale and escalating prices continue to be the bane of Bay Area home buyers, a real estate trade group reported Friday. The California Association of Realtors reported the median value...

California Legislators Expect to Pass Bill for Uninsured.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 26--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--In an attempt to remove 600,000 low-income parents from the ranks of California's 7 million residents without health insurance, legislative leaders said Friday they expect to pass three...

Safeway Names New CFO.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Chris Metinko Aug. 26--PLEASANTON, Calif.--Safeway Inc., the third-largest U.S. supermarket chain, has named former McGraw-Hill executive Vasant Prabhu chief financial officer, executive vice president and president of the...

Appier has ace up his sleeve.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Cam Inman OAKLAND_Kevin Appier took another impressive step Friday night in regaining his role as "ace" of the A's pitching staff. Appier, who's had an up-and-down season after serving as the Opening Night starter, continued...

Bonds to bid farewell to Three Rivers.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick PHILADELPHIA_Although Barry Bonds is nearly eight seasons removed from his Pittsburgh Pirates career, he'll always have a soft spot in his heart for the Steel City. Bonds was drafted by the Pirates in 1985 and...

Giants spank Philly big time.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick PHILADELPHIA_It was one of those laugh-a-minute games, ones that come along every so often. And it was particularly soothing for the Giants coming in the heat of the pennant race. While they were putting a hurt...

Baseball notebook: Bobby Bonds' record is threatened.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick Florida Marlins outfielder Preston Wilson came through San Francisco for three games last week and added four strikeouts to his season total, which stood at 161 entering Saturday night's game against the Reds. ...

Healthy Rice shows he still has it in loss.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Matt Maiocco SAN FRANCISCO_As the 49ers closed out their interminable exhibition season Friday night, receiver Jerry Rice did not necessarily look to be in midseason form. How `bout mid-career form? Rice, who turns 38 in...

Mirer is ready when 49ers need him, and they will.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Gary Peterson SAN FRANCISCO_Rick Mirer looked sharp Friday night. Jeff Garcia did not. And stop right now_we know what you're thinking. Garcia is the 49ers' starting quarterback. That's was expressed_again_by coach Steve...

Raiders achieve Gruden's goals in 3-1 preseason.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Steve Corkran The preseason publications are on the newsstands. Many of them predict the Raiders to win the AFC West for the first time since 1990 and end their six-year playoff drought. The Raiders' 20-0 victory Thursday...

67 just what doctor ordered for Garcia.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Eric Gilmore RENO_Sergio Garcia's "biggest goal" Friday at the Reno-Tahoe Open was to get back into title contention after opening with an even-par 72. Consider it done. Garcia, the second-year tournament's biggest draw,...

Henninger equals course mark of 63.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Eric Gilmore RENO_Notah Begay III did it last year during his title run at the Reno-Tahoe Open. This year, it was Brian Henninger's turn to bring Montreux to its knees. Henninger fired a 9-under-par 63 on Friday, tying...

Time, rivals can't stop Teresa Edwards.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Cam Inman OAKLAND_Game No. 200 of Teresa Edwards' illustrious U.S. women's basketball career occurs tonight at the Arena. It's a nice round number for one of roundball's most storied players. But the true milestone for...

Accept only cash or credit card from Rison.
August 26, 2000... Byline: Mike Wolcott Welcome back to Two-Minute Drill, the most Saturday morning confusion you'll find this side of an old Bobby Russell song: _ Raiders wide receiver Andre Rison was charged Thursday with four counts of passing bad...

Giambi designates his place: offense only.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Gary Washburn CLEVELAND_Jason Giambi played for the first time in nearly a week, but that wasn't the surprise. The shock occurred afterward when the All-Star first baseman said he likely won't play defense again this season. ...

Down the stretch: the pennant races heat up.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Joe Roderick PHILADELPHIA_You can dissect and examine the remaining schedules for the Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks in a variety of ways. Go ahead, put the two under a microscope. Compare them side by side. Any way you look...

Versatility could become byword of Raiders' offense.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Gary Peterson OAKLAND _ ON THE RAIDERS' first offensive play of the season's final exhibition game, 305-pound Barry Sims lined up as an eligible receiver. The Seahawks' attention sufficiently diverted, quarterback Rich Gannon...

Raiders' offense clicks in romp over Seahawks.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Steve Corkran OAKLAND_It often is said that it takes awhile for hitters to catch up to pitchers in baseball. The same can be said about football, where offenses typically take a few games before they catch up to defenses. ...

Tie in an awkward entry with the surrounding area.
August 25, 2000... Q. The setup: Husband, wife, son and daughter live in one-story 1,100-square-foot house with two small bedrooms and one bathroom built around 1950. To gain space, husband (a contractor) is building a second story. The dilemma: Architect...

Psychologist urges parents to challenge racial myths.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Sara Steffens WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Ask a preschooler about race, and you're likely to find yourself entangled in a conversation like this: "What color are you?" "You know what color. I'm red." "You're red?" ...

Cisco Systems Eyes Dublin, Calif., Plots for Office Complex.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Peter Felsenfeld Aug. 25--DUBLIN, Calif.--Computer networking behemoth Cisco Systems is looking to buy Alameda County surplus property in east Dublin to build a major office complex. County supervisors will vote Tuesday...

Contra Costa, Calif., End-Of-Life Coalition to Hold Forums Next Month.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Joan Morris Aug. 25--It's a subject nobody wants to talk about, which is precisely why a local group says people must. The End-of-Life Coalition of Contra Costa, a consortium of businesses and groups working with the dying...

San Francisco Bay Area Home Sales Take Big Slide.
August 25, 2000... Byline: Kelly Smolen Aug. 25--Bay Area home values reached a milestone high in July, according to a real estate research firm, but sales of existing single-family homes experienced their steepest annual drop since May of 1995. ...

San Mateo, Calif.-Based Online Car Dealer Makes Deal with Amazon.com.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Chris Metinko Aug. 24--Customers of Amazon.com will now be able to fit a car into their digital shopping cart. The Seattle-based online retail giant announced a two-year partnership with Greenlight.com, which also announced...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Tapan Munroe Column.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Tapan Munroe Aug. 24--Before the memories of the collapse of the great Internet bubble of last spring begin to fade and as the Nasdaq begins to climb again, it is time for us to reflect on three questions -- What happened? Why...

Richmond, Calif., to Lose Production Studio, But May Draw Another.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Shawn Masten Aug. 24--RICHMOND, Calif.--The Point Richmond Tech Center will lose the creator of "Toy Story" come Thanksgiving but the creator of "Star Wars" could be its replacement. The planned move of Steve Jobs' Pixar...

Angry A's fall again.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Gary Washburn CLEVELAND_The importance of the A's 10th road loss in 12 games overshadowed the bench-clearing near brawl that occurred Wednesday at Jacobs Field. It was still a fresh memory in the clubhouse, and unlike Tuesday...

Burks rocks, Giants roll.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Cam Inman SAN FRANCISCO_Ellis Burks didn't take the easy route and let Derrek Lee's ninth-inning flare drop safely into shallow right field Wednesday. His arthritic knees raced toward the foul line, and as first baseman J.T. Snow...

Chefs are built to please.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Nicholas Boer A million strong. Armed with knives. Surrounded by flames. Why do our nation's cooks volunteer for such demanding work? Even in top kitchens, where countertops gleam and cooks move with military precision, disaster...

Lighter quick and savory potato salad.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Elaine Magee Q: I've made this bacon potato salad for years, and my family absolutely loves it. But it calls for pouring bacon grease over the potatoes. Just can't bring myself to do it anymore. Any suggestions? A: You...

Divine harvest: Tomato varieties cultivate good taste.
August 24, 2000... Byline: Paul Bertolli Of all summer's harvest, tomatoes best reflect the season's bounty and, as of late, its remarkable diversity. For six summers, I have celebrated the tomato in my "Best of Harvest Dinners." The menus are inspired...

Estes is crushed at home.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Cam Inman SAN FRANCISCO _ His hat off, his hair sweaty, his black jacket covering his dejected shoulders, Shawn Estes sat in the Giants dugout with a dazed look on his face. He gazed out at the diamond, stunned by what had...

Giants' pitchers bullish, not Buhlish, on hitting.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Gary Peterson SAN FRANCISCO_It's three hours before game time, and Giants pitchers are hard at work. Shawn Estes practices the Butcher Boy play. Doug Henry steers a pitch the other way. Closer Robb Nen, whose last official at-bat...

Garcia doesn't feel lucky about being in Reno.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Eric Gilmore RENO _ ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, Spain's Sergio Garcia would rather be in Akron, Ohio, this week, competing in the $5 million World Golf Championship-NEC Invitational instead of the $3 million Reno-Tahoe Open. But...

The horror at home: Soccer star recalls civil war.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Jennifer Starks He could see the concrete cutting board a few feet ahead. Just two more people to go and Alkali Conteh, uncle to San Jose Earthquakes forward Abdul Thompson Conteh, surely would be next. "Do you want a short...

Bestwick saves his best trick for last at X Games.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Sherry Mombourquette SAN FRANCISCO_Jamie Bestwick has been practicing night and day for the past couple weeks in preparation for the 2000 X Games, much to the chagrin of his wife. The long hours and hard work paid off on Tuesday...

Public Health Clinic on Wheels Starts Service in Concord, Calif., Area.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Jack Chang Aug. 23--CONCORD, Calif.--A long-awaited health van offering a range of basic medical services opened its doors Tuesday morning on Monument Boulevard and immediately drew a crowd of uninsured adults and children. ...

Emeryville, Calif.-Based Supplier of Health Care Products Acquires Rivals.
August 23, 2000... Byline: George Avalos Aug. 23--HealthCentral.com is hoping it has found a vaccine to help it ward off the dot-com plague. The primary prescription for HealthCentral appears to be to stock its corporate medicine cabinet with...

California's PurpleTie Offers Online Dry-Cleaning Services.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Janet Adamy Aug. 23--PLEASANTON, Calif.--If being able to buy your books, clothes, car, groceries, pet food, stocks, prescriptions, furniture and plane tickets online hasn't made your life easy enough, there's one more Web...

Report Sounds Alarm for Effects of Gasoline-Derived Pollutants in California.
August 23, 2000... Byline: Mike Taugher Aug. 23--Cigarette-style "biohazard" warning labels would be placed on new cars and automakers would be forced to make far more fuel-efficient vehicles under proposals environmentalists are making in a new survey...

Sonoma County, Calif., Residents Wary of Wine, Tech Industries' Development.
August 22, 2000... Byline: Mike Taugher Aug. 22--HEALDSBURG, Calif.--A new winery being built by Kendall-Jackson founder Jess Jackson interrupts the rows of vines and looms large over what has always been a quiet, agricultural valley. In front of a...