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

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

Bay Point residents oppose waste storage.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Laurie Phillips, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--A handful of Bay Point residents and leaders are asking the state not to renew a 10-year permit General Chemical Corp. is seeking to store hazardous waste at its...

Cash puts Richmond trail on right track.
December 31, 2005... Byline: John Geluardi, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--The Bay Trail in Richmond will get another infusion of cash next year that will go toward completing a one-mile gap that runs between a sanitary landfill and a...

Davis nails Warriors' game-winner: His shot with .5 seconds left gives Golden State a thrilling victory in Dallas.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--DALLAS -- The Warriors backcourt was just that good Friday night. It was good enough to combined for 59.5 percent of its team's points. It was good enough...

Debris damages relations between island neighbors.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Bruce Gerstman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--A Bradford Island landowner is suing a marine salvage operator to remove old vehicles, boats and other debris from his property. Paul Sosnowski has asked a...

East Bay, Bay Area indices differ.
December 31, 2005... Byline: George Avalos, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--Stock traders like what they see with Bay Area stocks, but they don't seem quite as certain about the largest East Bay public companies. Investors during the...

Emerging leaders speak up: Asomugha, Schweigert voice their opinions about the Raiders' struggles.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Steve Corkran, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--ALAMEDA -- Last year about this time, Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and free safety Stuart Schweigert still were consumed by their new-found roles as starters....

Fire preparation pays off in escape.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Sophia Kazmi, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--For years, the Sheehan family has talked about how to evacuate their Pleasanton home in case of an emergency. Peter "Rob" Sheehan held practice fire drills. The...

Interim chief Hudson departs after stabilizing department.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Karl Fischer, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--RICHMOND -- A year ago, Terry Hudsonsaid he only planned to keep the police chief's seat warm for whomever succeeded him. He wound up installing nearly all of his...

Krathwohl leaves San Pablo after 15 years, a county record.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Karl Fischer, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--SAN PABLO -- Doug Krathwohl still tells a good cop story. As the career of Contra Costa County's longest-tenured police chief dwindled to days, the former beat...

Man, 102, lives his life as he urged others to do.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Laurie Phillips, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--The year Joseph Love was born, Jack London was a man, not a square; the Wright brothers made their historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C.; and Teddy Roosevelt...

PG&E hike to ring in 2006.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Rick Jurgens, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--Residential customers of PG&E will ring in the New Year with a double-barreled bang: an 11 percent jump in average electricity rates and an 18 percent hike in natural...

Taste for anything American.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Sarah Jane Tribble, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--The Statue of Liberty greets you at the door of Antioch's newest restaurant: American Diner. Pictures of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Elvis...

Transit agencies plan to boost prices.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--Bay Area mass transit riders will dig deeper to ride trains and buses in 2006, as major transit agencies plan to boost fares for the second year in a row. AC...

Upset of banged-up Bruins would give Bears L.A. sweep.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--LOS ANGELES -- Cal departed for Los Angeles looking like a team that could easily return home 0-2 in the Pac-10. But after winning their first road Pac-10...

Water-skier persists despite blindness, age.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Andrew Becker, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--When blind water-skier Harry Cordellos jumps into the chilly Delta waters for the 26th annual Frozen Bun Run on New Year's Day, he'll experience the same thrill he...

Young love turned into a nightmare.
December 31, 2005... Byline: Eric Louie, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 31--Things were happening fast for Jenna Nannetti in June 2002. The 17-year-old Livermore girl graduated a year early from continuation high school, went on a European...

Levees put California Delta in danger.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Call it Earthquake Katrina: a hypothetical temblor that blows out the California Delta with the same devastating consequences as the August natural disaster whose storm surge overpowered two...

A struggle to quench California's thirst for water.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ California's thirst for Delta water is increasing at a time when the Delta's health is failing. Two out of every three Californians get at least some drinking water from the Delta. In a...

Retiring not an easy audible for Favre.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson Brett Favre stood at a lectern a couple days ago and raised some important questions. Should I retire? Should I come back? Am I still wanted? As the nice folks at Cartier like to say, "If you have to ask, you...

The heat is on: No real front-runners for Oscar.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Randy Myers The only sure thing about next month's Oscar nominations is that there are very few sure things. You can be certain the name George Clooney will be blurted out more than once come Jan. 31, when contenders for the...

Arrest made in series of East Bay robberies.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Eric Kurhi, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--Blurry photos and the description of a muscular, imposing man led to the Wednesday arrest of a parolee suspected of committing as many as 16 robberies in Oakland and...

Cal, Stanford on different wavelengths: Bears play horribly but hold on to defeat the Trojans in Pac-10 opener.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--LOS ANGELES -- In the days leading up to the start of Pac-10 play, much of the talk surrounded the resurgence of USC. That was in addition to the focus on...

Citizen groups fight over shoreline.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Alan Lopez, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--ALBANY -- Brian Parker expected no more than 50 people to show up for the presentation on development at Golden Gate Fields. But about double that number came to...

DMV puts brakes on bad service reputation.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Kiley Russell, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--The California Department of Motor Vehicles just wants to be loved. Is that so wrong? The agency that brought you such heart-warming titles as "The Line That...

Housen is much more than an equipment manager.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--There's no question who holds the title as the hardest working member of the Warriors organization. Second-year post Andris Biedrins is a regular in the...

Last call for predictions before postseason party begins.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Cam Inman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--There'll be nobody crooning, "Turn out the lights, the party's over," or any timely renditions of "Auld Lang Syne." Bagpipes? They'd be a nice touch, but no. The...

Marsupial tooth find bolsters land bridge.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Jackie Burrell, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--MORAGA -- The recent discovery of a 66-million-year-old marsupial tooth in the Netherlands provides fresh proof that a land bridge connected the North American and...

Scientists say Delta usage will have to change.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--Fixing the Delta won't be easy. But it's vital. For the agencies that deliver water to California's farms and cities, the Delta is the single most critical link in...

Second mercury spill discovered in Livermore.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Sophia Kazmi, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--LIVERMORE -- Investigators are puzzled by the source of two mercury spills in the same Livermore neighborhood since November. The latest toxic spill was reported...

This Ute movement is unstoppable: LaTendresse ties NCAA bowl record with four TD catches in Emerald.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--SAN FRANCISCO -- If this is what Travis Latendresse is like on a bum ankle, who knows what he could have done to Georgia Tech's defense at full strength. The...

Walnut Creek soldier anxious to get to Iraq.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Danielle Samaniego, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--Marine Lance Cpl. Damian Musante refused to wait for a tour of duty in Iraq. When the Walnut Creek resident found out his unit wouldn't be deployed anytime...

Water district lays pipe to cool endangered frog.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Denis Cuff, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--BRENTWOOD -- Kermit the frog would find life easy with such help. A Contra Costa County water supplier has laid 8 miles of pipe across rural grasslands to prevent...

Watershed moment for CalFed.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 30--"It is not too late for the Delta, or for CalFed." That was the conclusion last month of the Little Hoover Commission, a respected state watchdog group, in a...

Davis nails Warriors' game-winner.
December 30, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II DALLAS _ The Golden State Warriors' backcourt was just that good Friday night. It was good enough to combined for 59.5 percent of its team's points. It was good enough carry its team to victory, over the...

Around the remote: Television picks for the week of Jan. 1-7.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Chuck Barney DON'T MISS: The 92nd Rose Bowl _ As venerable play-by-play man Keith Jackson like to say, this one "should be a dandy." The No. 1-ranked Southern Cal Trojans are gunning for their third straight national...

Cracking the dress code: School style moving toward subtle over revealing.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Jana Sullivan Miniskirts, crop tops and low-rise jeans. Most girls have worn them at one time or another. But along with a significant portion of the fashion industry, many girls are starting to lean toward a more...

A struggle to quench state's thirst for water.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--California's thirst for Delta water is increasing at a time when the Delta's health is failing. Two out of every three Californians get at least some drinking...

Agencies implore state to build dams.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--California hasn't built a major reservoir in decades, and its most important reservoir by far -- the Sierra Nevada snowpack -- is in danger of shrinking because of...

Air quality district reaches settlement with Pacific Steel.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Alan Lopez, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--BERKELEY -- Pacific Steel Casting of Berkeley has reached a settlement with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District over odorous emissions that have long been a...

Delta smelt index hints at population plunge.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--The Delta smelt population, already sliding toward extinction, plunged to yet another record low this year. The figures, made public Wednesday by the California...

Doctors aid hurricane victims.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Scott Marshall, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--Although they worked in a makeshift clinic tucked beside a hurricane-ruined market, two doctors from Pleasanton and Danville have returned from the South still...

Drunk driver isn't paroled to hometown.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Bonita Brewer, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--Nicole LaFreniere, the convicted drunken driver responsible for the deaths of three young Livermore men in 2002, was released on parole Christmas Eve -- but not to...

Eatery still popular after five decades.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Sarah Krupp, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--ANTIOCH -- The Riverview Lodge has withstood the tests of time. When a fire burned it to the ground in 1961, the restaurant was reincarnated to look as it did when...

Emerald has local gems in Utes' Casteel, Ganther: Bowl lacks a Pac-10 anchor but has two stars who played high school ball in the East Bay.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Jay Heater, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--SAN FRANCISCO -- Utah freshman wide receiver/kick returner Brent Casteel isn't complaining about a trip to San Francisco during bowl season. The Utes' game against...

Farmers question payment for land.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Tanya Rose, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--Local fruit growers are not necessarily upset about a new highway that will slice through their orchards along Marsh Creek Road in Brentwood. They understand the need...

Flu season kicks into high gear.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Sandy Kleffman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--It's official: The flu has arrived in California and other western states, bringing plenty of aches and pains, fevers and congested noses. California now has...

Gaels' rally comes up short: SMC can't overcome a 13-point halftime deficit against Saint Joseph's.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Starks, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--MORAGA -- The St. Mary's College men's basketball team knew it was in for a tough challenge before Wednesday night's game against Saint Joseph's even began. ...

KB leader addresses housing challenges.
December 29, 2005... Byline: James Temple, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--Los Angeles-based KB Home is one of the nation's largest home builders and one of the East Bay's busiest. The company's South Bay division in Pleasanton is on...

Protection for rainbow trout revoked.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Bonita Brewer, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--Rainbow trout landlocked above the Calaveras and San Antonio dams near Sunol Regional Wilderness remain without special federal protection. Last week, the...

Raiders go wrong after right moves: Addition of veterans and emergence of young players have gone for naught.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Steve Corkran, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--ALAMEDA -- The Raiders traded for the league's most explosive wide receiver. They landed the most productive free agent. They found a starting running back who has...

Seniors dance and romance at center.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Tanya Rose, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--ANTIOCH -- Cathy Howell met her husband, Rick, at the Antioch Senior Center on Second Street. He was standing at the pool table holding a cue when he asked for her...

Suspect in teen's rape arrested in Oklahoma.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Karl Fischer, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--RICHMOND -- Oklahoma authorities on Wednesday arrested a porn actress accused of plying a 15-year-old De Anza High School student with sex and drugs last summer. ...

Warriors upend Celtics: Foyle's an unlikely hero as Golden State snaps its five-game losing streak.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 29--OAKLAND -- Some contributions were expected by Warriors fans Wednesday night at the Arena. Namely, 36 points from Jason Richardson. Others couldn't be...

This Ute Movement is unstoppable in Emerald Bowl.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich SAN FRANCISCO _ If this is what Travis LaTendresse is like on a bum ankle, who knows what he could have done to Georgia Tech's defense at full strength. The senior enjoyed the best receiving day in Utah's...

Cam's Crystal Ball: Last call for predictions before postseason.
December 29, 2005... Byline: Cam Inman There'll be nobody crooning, "Turn out the lights, the party's over," or any timely renditions of "Auld Lang Syne." Bagpipes? They'd be a nice touch, but no. The final week of the NFL regular season begs for...

After T.O.-Rosenhaus fiasco, sports agents fight image problem.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Rick Hurd WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ It's a typical midweek morning in the Axelrod home, and amid the activity, somebody has turned the television to ESPN. "Next question!" Barry Axelrod, a baseball agent for nearly three...

Returning for more.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Victoria Manley Remember Black Friday? Welcome to a whole week of mania. Just like the day after Thanksgiving is a big day for buying gifts, this week is also big _ for taking them back. Every year, consumers still...

Radio wave of the future: Satellite programming is a new way to listen, with no commercials, tons of options _ and a price tag.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Tony Hicks WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ The day Howard Stern announced he was moving to Sirius satellite radio, George White got on the horn and bought 300 shares of Sirius stock. "I did it for two things," says White, a graphic...

Collins has revenge on his mind.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Steve Corkran, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--ALAMEDA -- Kerry Collins just wanted a shot. No promises, just a shot. He figured he deserved that much for all he had done for the New York Giants. In the end,...

Decision on power plants coming in '06.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Sarah Jane Tribble, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--SAN JOSE -- With an uncertain future, Calpine Corp. says this week it hopes for the best for its area employees. The San Jose-based power generator, which...

Designer casts broad net for success.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Danielle McNamara, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--PITTSBURG -- Courtney Triggs wants to retire before he turns 40. And with his endeavors in music, clothing and movies, he's confident he'll make his...

Diogu tips off starting career: The Warriors rookie will man the center spot and Foyle will take a seat.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--OAKLAND -- Heading rapidly in the wrong direction, the Warriors are a team in need of a spark right now. Coach Mike Montgomery hopes Ike Diogu can provide it. ...

Fish crash remains a mystery.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--The giant bucket rises from two stories beneath the concrete floor. Like a huge colander, water spills from its sides to reveal hundreds of silvery, flopping...

High school struck again by vandals.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Jackie Burrell, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--CONCORD -- Vandals struck Clayton Valley High School over the holiday weekend, cutting down and removing a $2,000 baseball batting cage net less than two weeks...

Patrons must pick up mail or lose it.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Alan Lopez, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--ALBANY -- Customers of Albany Mail Service and More have until next Tuesday to retrieve mail from the Albany Post Office that they were unable to pick up when the...

Richmond biotech firm works to prove its worth.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--RICHMOND -- No matter how good an idea, converting a scientific concept into a practical technology is never easy. But that hasn't stopped Sangamo BioSciences from...

'Sausage King' dies in prison after efforts to revive him fail.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Guy Ashley, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--SAN LEANDRO -- Stuart Alexander, the self-proclaimed "Sausage King" who was sentenced to death for gunning down three meat inspectors at his San Leandro sausage factory...

Sikhs say police unresponsive to cab safety.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Tom Lochner, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--RICHMOND -- In the wake of the fatal shooting of a taxi driver in Richmond on July 2, 2003, law enforcement and elected officials proposed security measures to protect...

They can't get the top pick, but the 49ers still have a ... Bush(el) of possibilities.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Cam Inman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--INSIDE THE NFL SANTA CLARA -- The scenarios have been scripted inside 4949 Centennial Blvd. No matter how you add, divide and hypothesize it, the 49ers won't enter a...

Trader Joe's brings customers, and a parking crunch, to plaza.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Meera Pal, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--LAFAYETTE -- When Trader Joe's opened its sliding glass doors in Lafayette almost six years ago, residents and city officials were thrilled with the retail addition. ...

Two theories prevail in ecological downturn.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--The baffling decline of fish populations in the open waters of the Delta triggered a $1.7 million scientific investigation this year that was never expected to...

Wastewater may be taken to sand plant for recylcling.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Tanya Rose, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--Local leaders say there may be a way to transport Byron's treated wastewater to the nearby Unimin Corp. sand plant, where it would be used and recycled, thus solving...

Woman, 65, accused of elder abuse.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Bruce Gerstman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--DANVILLE -- A 65-year-old woman with grand-theft convictions dating back more than 20 years must stand trial on charges of impersonating a registered nurse and...

Youths won't bury capsule this time.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Sam Richards, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 28--There's a sure-fire way to avoid the kind of problems encountered the last time Livermore residents dealt with a time capsule: close it, and keep it where people can...

Organizers hope fans will travel to San Francisco for Emerald Bowl.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Jay Heater SAN FRANCISCO _ Utah freshman wide receiver Brent Casteel isn't complaining about a trip to San Francisco during bowl season. The Utes' game against Georgia Tech Thursday at SBC Park in the Emerald Bowl serves as a...

Warriors end 5-game losing streak.
December 28, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich OAKLAND, Calif. _ They didn't make it easy on themselves but the Warriors finally got back in the win column. Derek Fisher swooped in for the game-winning layup with 6.2 seconds left and that provided the...

Christmas card a sign of amends.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe Q: My ex sent me a Christmas card this year, just as he did last year _ we broke up about a month before Christmas. Am I required to send one back? I do miss him, but I'm still pretty angry...

Agents fight PR problem: T.O.-Rosenhaus fiasco gives industry black eye.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Rick Hurd, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 27--It's a typical midweek morning in the Axelrod home, and amid the activity, somebody has turned the television to ESPN. "Next question!" Barry Axelrod, a baseball...

Book recounts Italian immigrant story.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Chris Treadway, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 27--The newest book from the Richmond Museum of History recounts an important chapter in the city's early development. "La Nostra Storia: Italian Americans in Richmond...

Charities worry Calpine grants will dry up.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Sarah Jane Tribble, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 27--As Calpine Corp. copes with Chapter 11 bankruptcy, East County charitable efforts are keeping a wary watch. The struggling power generator is known as a...

Development will play role in safety of Delta.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 27--Driving down the East Cypress Corridor in Oakley, John Cain waves a hand at the new subdivisions and construction sites out the driver's side window. "As recently...

District eyes bond measure once more.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Paula King, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 27--BYRON -- Even after four failed attempts, the Byron Union School District is contemplating another bond measure next year. The last bond campaign barely missed the...

Needy families flock to Monument center.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Ryan Huff, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 27--CONCORD -- For more than a half-hour last week, Sergio Franco stood in a line that snaked through the cold night air to get free food for his family. Times are tough...

No defense for slumping Warriors: A fifth consecutive defeat puts Golden State's record at 14-14.
December 27, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Dec. 27--OAKLAND -- Denver Nuggets guard Earl Boykins, a former Warrior, dribbled the ball on the right wing. He used a sick crossover to get to the basket and took his...