Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) articles from February 2006

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) archives from February 2006

Danville student charged with giving child pot-laced cookie.
February 28, 2006... Byline: Sophia Kazmi Feb. 28--DANVILLE -- A 17-year-old Monte Vista High student was charged last week with furnishing marijuana, after he allegedly fed a 4-year-old boy a cookie laced with the drug during a day care class held on...

Skies clearing; outages fade in storm's wake.
February 28, 2006... Byline: George Kelly Feb. 28--East Bay residents will see scattered thunderstorms, but nothing approaching the energy of the last two days' rain and wind -- at least, not for one more day, the National Weather Service said today. ...

Lafayette to wait on police tax.
February 28, 2006... Byline: Meera Pal Feb. 28--Despite being urged by residents to place a tax measure to fund more police officers on a June ballot, the Lafayette City Council decided Monday night to wait until November, allowing for more campaigning. ...

Walnut Creek revises library plan.
February 28, 2006... Byline: Theresa Harrington Feb. 28--The Walnut Creek City Council on Monday night voted 4-1 to move ahead with a revised plan for a downtown library. Councilman Gary Skrel voted against the motion, although he agreed with the...

Cash-strapped San Pablo hospital's burn unit shut down.
February 28, 2006... Byline: Tom Lochner Feb. 28--Doctors Medical Center San Pablo has closed its highly-regarded burn unit -- for now, CEO Irwin Hansen told the hospital's governing board Tuesday. The burn unit's patient volume is insufficient to...

The first sign that Randy Johnson someda ...
February 27, 2006... Byline: Rick Hurd Feb. 27--Top 25 athletes: Randy Johnson The first sign that Randy Johnson someday might carry an aura bordering on mystical came long ago, way before the five Cy Young awards, the 263 career victories and the 4,372...

EDITORIAL: Deluge of faux secrets.
February 24, 2006... Feb. 24--According to some U.S. intelligence official, we're not sure who because that is top secret, the following information is of a highly sensitive nature. In 1948, the Central Intelligence Agency planned to float balloons over...

Safeway sees results from revamped image.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Blanca Torres Feb. 24--Safeway Inc.'s sales are growing, but profits have not caught up -- a situation the company has faced for the past two quarters. The nation's third-largest grocer, based in Pleasanton, on Thursday...

Cutting America's reliance on oil: WALNUT CREEK: Speakers agree resource will evaporate, but differ on best way to ease toward other resources.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Rick Jurgens Feb. 24--WALNUT CREEK -- After a century of rapid, petroleum-fueled growth of industry and motor vehicle travel, the world drinks from an oil cup that will soon be half-empty. Some say it already it is. That...

Siemens to cut 170 Concord positions: The Oncology Care Systems Group will keep its headquarters in the East Bay city, despite cutting about half its staff.
February 24, 2006... Byline: George Avalos Feb. 24--A Siemens Medical Solutions unit will slash 170 jobs in Concord as part of a quest to consolidate some of the company's East Bay operations with its activities in Germany, Siemens disclosed Thursday. ...

Event marks black history.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Laurie Phillips Feb. 24--Kimberly Lea was living in a van in Pittsburg and dressed in baggy jeans and a T-shirt the December day she ran into Ralph Brewer in his Sunday best. He saw a woman who needed help, and he told her she...

Jury convicts man of attempted sex with girl.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Bruce Gerstman Feb. 24--CONCORD -- Roger Hyder told a jury he had sexually explicit role-playing sessions in an Internet chat room with a woman who pretended to be a 13-year-old girl. Hyder never believed she was a minor, he...

Yacht Club between levee, hard place.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Rowena Coetsee Feb. 24--Allegations of bias have thwarted local officials' attempts to decide the future of a dilapidated house on the island. Directors of the Bethel Island Municipal Improvement District recently revisited the...

Enrollment drop may cost district funds.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Matt Krupnick Feb. 24--Contra Costa County's community colleges stand to lose millions in funding under a proposed change in state policies. The Contra Costa Community College District could receive as much as $5 million less...

Two tax measures closer to June ballot after vote.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Alan Lopez Feb. 24--Albany voters may be asked this June to pay more for library services in addition to a parcel tax that would go toward street and storm drain repairs. On Tuesday night, the council voted unanimously to...

56 prepare for life as cadets.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Danielle McNamara Feb. 24--They have to be taught to stand, dress, walk and talk. A mess-up could get them on the floor sounding off 20. And those push-ups had better be bookmarked with ma'am or sir. Fifty-six men and women...

Report calls college funding plan misguided.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Matt Krupnick Feb. 24--Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is too optimistic about enrollment trends at the California State University and community college systems, the state's legislative analyst said Thursday. The nonpartisan...

Gunfire claims life of 24-year-old football player: It is the second Berkeley homicide this year and the most recent episode of gun violence to claim the life of a Berkeley High graduate.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Shirley Dang Feb. 24--The last day Rosie Washington saw her great-nephew Keith Stephens, he sat in the front pew of the 11 o'clock service at Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley. When the pastor asked who was...

Dream of racial harmony still alive, pastor says.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Sam Richards Feb. 24--Thanks to a misunderstanding over when dinner was being served, the Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles found himself spending an unexpected extra hour with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. It was April 4, 1968....

Walnut Creek, activists work on rally logistics.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Theresa Harrington Feb. 24--A local peace group that plans to host the only East Bay rally marking the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq next month is negotiating with Walnut Creek officials about where the event can be...

Hospital workers strike as contract talks stall.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Feb. 24--The labor dispute at the Concord campus of John Muir Medical Center intensified Thursday as more than 400 employees walked off the job to begin a two-day strike. Patients arriving at the hospital,...

2 homeless shelters may be forced to close.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Sara Steffens Feb. 24--Unless someone steps forward to pay the bills, two nonprofit Contra Costa shelters for homeless families will close in June, their operator said Thursday. Thirteen families stay at the North Concord...

Barely a win, but Bears will take it: Sluggish Cal holds off WSU to remain tied for first place in Pac-10.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Okanes Feb. 24--PULLMAN, Wash. -- Sometimes when a team absolutely has to win, it can tighten up. It doesn't help when the game is against Washington State. Not only did Cal play under the pressure of its quest for a...

El Cerrito mountain bikers paving the way.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Mike Gale Feb. 24--Recreation There's something happening at El Cerrito High School. Actually, the El Cerrito Mountain Biking Club is getting bigger. "This is our fourth season," said Michael Mejia, director of the...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Gary Peterson column: Woodson leaves as changed man.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Gary Peterson Feb. 24--CHARLES WOODSON CUT quite a figure the first day he walked into the Raiders training complex, all spiffy and confident and touted and loved. He looked like a mountain climber ascending the summit, certain...

Zito focuses on season, not cash: But Beane sounds pessimistic about the A's ability to re-sign their ace.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Joe Roderick Feb. 24--PHOENIX -- One by one, they have come and gone. Jason Giambi. Miguel Tejada. Tim Hudson. Mark Mulder. They were the mortar in a foundation that nearly crumbled last season. Other players of lesser note...

Warriors not enticed to deal: With no intriguing offers, Mullin lets deadline pass, looks to offseason.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Marcus Thompson II Feb. 24--HOUSTON -- Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin put in his share of calls and listened to a host of offers. In the end, he wasn't impressed enough to pull the...

Essentials of Camping 101.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Mike Gale Feb. 24--Recreation The warmer weather is teasing the outdoor enthusiasts to get outside. It may be a few months until we can safely rely on good weather, but it might be a good time to take stock of camping ideas....

Warmth, sun to fade over weekend.
February 24, 2006... Byline: George Kelly Feb. 24--Those springlike conditions East Bay residents have been soaking up will start to shift by as soon as Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Forecaster Suzanne Anderson said not only would...

Defective signal slows Hwy. 4.
February 24, 2006... Byline: George Kelly Feb. 24--Drivers on eastbound Highway 4 at Railroad Avenue were staying there slightly longer than planned this morning due to a broken signal, the Highway Patrol says. First reports came in at 8:27 a.m. of...

El Cerrito cops make large meth bust.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Karl Fischer Feb. 24--Police working on a regional auto theft sweep arrested three people in Richmond Thursday night after finding about 100 grams of methamphetamine during a traffic stop. The car was not reported stolen. It...

Richmond's 'most dangerous' suspect indicted.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Karl Fischer Feb. 24--A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted the 20-year-old man whom police once declared Richmond's most dangerous criminal suspect. Vincent "V.I." Jones will face a charge of being a felon in...

Livermore reports catalytic converter thefts.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Sophia Kazmi Feb. 24--LIVERMORE -- Catalytic converters -- and only the catalytic converters-- were stolen in a single night, removed from six cars parked on city streets and private driveways, police said this morning. ...

Governor orders state of emergency for levee system.
February 24, 2006... Byline: Mike Taugher Feb. 24--Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for fragile Sacramento River and Delta levees, freeing up at least $75 million and suspending state environmental and contracting laws to speed repair...

Appel earns an area first: Stanford-bound Carondelet star selected to play in McDonald's All-American game.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Robert Jordan Feb. 23--Forget the 6-foot, 4-inch frame and the 84-inch wingspan. What has been helping Carondelet High School girls basketball player Jayne Appel stand out from the rest of the field are her hands. Those...

Tesoro urged to cover pile of petroleum coke dust.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Laurie Phillips Feb. 23--PITTSBURG -- Justine Macaluso remembers last March 14 -- it was the day she arrived home to find her car, back yard and living room tiles dusted with a fine, dark layer of material she couldn't identify....

Call to bring Guard troops home fails.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Tom Lochner Feb. 23--PINOLE -- David Cole vowed to speak out and write letters against the war in Iraq. Peter Murray called the "Iraq mess" a "big, big mistake." Mary Horton hailed the Pinole City Council as "a podium"...

Students called to order.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Meera Pal Feb. 23--Government students at Acalanes High School in Lafayette put away their textbooks Wednesday morning and watched the judicial process unfold in their high school's theater. More than 300 students watched as...

Simonsen announces Assembly bid.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Lisa Vorderbrueggen Feb. 23--Antioch City Councilman Arne Simonsen, a Republican, announced Wednesday that he will seek the Assembly seat held by Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, D-Pittsburg, who cannot run again. It is a long...

Polk prosecutor quits as trial nears.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Bruce Gerstman Feb. 23--Murder defendant Susan Polk, acting as her own attorney, will see a new opponent in the courtroom when her trial begins Monday. The prosecutor in her case, Tom O'Connor, quit the Contra Costa District...

Traffic still region's top complaint.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Kiley Russell Feb. 23--Transportation woes once again top the list of problems vexing the Bay Area, according to an annual poll of 600 residents conducted by a regional business advocacy group. In the Bay Area Council's poll,...

Plan is a sign of the times.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Mike Adamick Feb. 23--Anyone standing on a BART platform knows how convenient real-time technology can make commuting. Simply glance at a digital screen, and the arrival time for the next train flashes before your eyes. "It's...

Plummer's retirement comes as a surprise.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Guy Ashley Feb. 23--Alameda County Sheriff Charles Plummer announced Wednesday that he will retire next January, ending a 54-year career in law enforcement. "I love my work with a passion and I really don't want to...

City moves ahead on park despite lack of funding.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Chris Metinko Feb. 23--With construction costs rising the longer work is delayed, the Pleasanton City Council finally moved Tuesday night to build one of the area's more unusual parks. With at least a glimmer of hope for some...

Students getting comfortable in the saddle.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Rowena Coetsee Feb. 23--BRENTWOOD -- Nugget waited patiently as the tiny girl passed a brush tentatively across the chestnut quarter horse's furry winter coat, the girl's helmeted head barely reaching its lower shoulder. ...

Man accused of posing as officer to rob motorists.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Kelli Phillips and George Kelly Feb. 23--A 24-year-old Richmond man is wanted for posing as a police officer, using flashing lights on his SUV to stop motorists and rob them on two East Bay highways, the California Highway Patrol...

Town Council overrides decision to cut down tree.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Linda Davis Feb. 23--Saying heritage trees are important and worth extra effort to preserve, the Danville Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to save a century-old oak from the chainsaw. The oak sits by the corner of...

Security camera upgrade is costly.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Tom Lochner Feb. 23--Pinole's surveillance camera network is much creakier than officials first thought and will cost between $800,000 and $900,000 to fix, a consultant says. That estimate nears what the city paid for the...

Zinfandel proposal has mixed responses.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Bonita Brewer Feb. 23--Proposals to name zinfandel the official state wine have some East Bay vintners seeing red, but others are raising a toast to it. Calling zinfandel "the quintessential California wine" with widespread...

Cal looks to rebound from disaster: Bears visit lowly Washington State on the heels of a double-OT loss to Arizona State.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Okanes Feb. 23--BERKELEY -- With one potentially damaging loss, Cal went from sitting pretty to standing on shaky ground. Saturday's surprising double-overtime home loss to Arizona State substantially changed the...

Commitment to Woodson is cut short by the Raiders: Oakland decides not to use the franchise tag on the veteran cornerback.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Steve Corkran Feb. 23--Raiders managing general partner Al Davis has a long history of stockpiling Heisman Trophy winners. On Wednesday, he severed ties with one when he opted against using the franchise tag on cornerback Charles...

Employment does not mean enough food, new study finds.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Sara Steffens Feb. 23--Thousands of working families across the East Bay struggle simply to buy groceries, a new report shows. From 38 to 43 percent of the households that rely on local food pantries or soup kitchens include...

EDITORIAL: County errs on rights.(Editorial)
February 23, 2006... Feb. 23--THE 9TH U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering a First Amendment case involving Contra Costa County and a religious organization that never should have advanced this far. In 2004, the county violated the free speech rights of a...

EDITORIAL: Haiti still in turmoil.(Editorial)
February 23, 2006... Feb. 23--The recent presidential elections in Haiti weren't pretty -- boxes of ballots found in trash dumps, a suspiciously high number of blanks. As a result, a former president, Rene Preval, who should have won handily, failed to get more...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Eric Gilmore column: Time for Mullin to pull another coup.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Eric Gilmore Feb. 23--AS THE NBA'S NOON trade deadline approaches today, there are a few troubling facts for Warriors fans to consider: -- Three years ago after 53 games of coach Eric Musselman's rookie season, the Warriors...

City approves visitors center.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Tom Lochner Feb. 23--SAN PABLO -- St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery has gotten the go-ahead from the city to build a visitors center. It will serve as a gathering place for the bereaved and will include a chapel, two visitation...

Bill stresses worker safety around pipes.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Mike Taugher Feb. 23--WALNUT CREEK -- State Sen. Tom Torlakson has introduced legislation to improve the safety of construction work around petroleum pipelines in response to a catastrophic explosion near downtown Walnut Creek 15...

Deadline may pass Warriors by: Golden State has until noon to use any of the trade bait it could deal.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Marcus Thompson II Feb. 23--OAKLAND -- Warriors forward Troy Murphy, after being pressed by a reporter, offered this response as to whether the Warriors lineup will be the same or altered come Friday's game at Houston....

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Neil Hayes column: Slugger sounding like a short-timer.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Neil Hayes Feb. 23--SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Barry Bonds' hello sounded more like goodbye. The Giants slugger reported to spring training Wednesday, worked out with his Giants teammates and held his annual State of the Barry...

Pontiff promotes Levada to cardinal.
February 23, 2006... Byline: John Simerman Feb. 23--Pope Benedict XVI named 15 new cardinals on Wednesday, including former San Francisco Archbishop William Levada, already the most powerful American in the Vatican. Last August, Levada, 69, assumed the...

Coast Guard trying to pull man from Carquinez Strait after truck crash.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Karl Fischer Feb. 23--The U.S. Coast Guard joined the California Highway Patrol this morning in attempting to retrieve from the waters of the Carquinez Strait a man who authorities believe had abandoned a crashed and burning...

Hospital workers strike.
February 23, 2006... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Feb. 23--CONCORD -- More than 400 employees at the Concord campus of John Muir Medical Center began a two-day strike today, accusing management of bargaining in bad faith. The licensed vocational nurses,...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Gary Peterson column.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Gary Peterson Feb. 22--Barry Bonds offered a great deal of wit and wisdom over the weekend, some of which rang hollow, some of which inspired wishful thinking, some of which made you consider boring holes in the right side of...

Case speaks to rising scrutiny of lethal injection procedure.
February 22, 2006... Byline: John Simerman Feb. 22--The unusual eleventh-hour legal wrangling over the execution of Michael Morales -- not whether to kill him, but how -- marks only the latest in a recent flurry of challenges to lethal injection that have...

New flood district in financial crunch.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Rowena Coetsee Feb. 22--Nearly eight months have passed since residents of this tiny East County community formed a flood control district, but it could be at least five years before they start reaping the benefits. In a February...

EDITORIAL: Gowdy was a legend.(Editorial)
February 22, 2006... Feb. 22--THE PASSING OF AN ICON is always a sad event as well as another reminder of our own mortality. Such is the case with the death Monday of legendary sports broadcaster Curt Gowdy. Anyone who was a sports fan in the '60s and '70s is...

HUNDREDS CHEER ON TOUR OF CALIFORNIA.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Feb. 22--The countdown began just 10 seconds shy of 11 a.m. By 11:10 a.m., crews were already taking signs down. So went Tuesday's leg of the Tour of California. In Martinez, crowds took the morning off and...

EDITORIAL: Stop border tunnels.(Editorial)
February 22, 2006... Feb. 22--SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN has teamed with colleague Sen. John Kyl, a Republican from Arizona, to sponsor new legislation that should be opposed by no one. The California Democrat and Kyl want to establish harsh criminal penalties for...

Priest known for helping children dies.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Linda Davis Feb. 22--A retired Danville priest who brought joy and comfort to hundreds of needy or orphaned Central American children has died. A memorial Mass will be held for the Rev. Frank Colacicco at 7:30 p.m. today at...

Prop. 227 review produces mixed results.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Sarah Jane Tribble Feb. 22--It doesn't matter whether California students who don't know English are taught in bilingual classrooms or fully immersed in the language, according to a five-year study of California's Proposition...

Lessons leave tots fearless when facing dentist.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Brooke Bryant Feb. 22--When Janice Fournier's class of 2-year-olds from the Old Firehouse School in Lafayette took a field trip to a Walnut Creek dentist's office Tuesday morning, one little boy promptly hopped up into the chair...

Teacher refuses food to protest war in Iraq.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Eric Kurhi Feb. 22--A Richmond teacher has chained himself to a park bench in Oakland in a war protest hunger strike he plans to keep up through Friday. "I'm not spending money on food or anything all week, so I'm not...

Stray bullet strikes girl, leaving her in hospital.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Karl Fischer and Cassandra Braun Feb. 22--A drive-by shooting Tuesday left an apparent bystander in critical condition after she was caught in the crossfire, police said. A 10-year-old girl was in surgery Tuesday night at...

E-mail mistakenly welcomes 3,500 applicants to Boalt Hall.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Matt Krupnick Feb. 22--Add law-school acceptances to the Nigerian scams and mortgage offers you already disregard in your e-mail inbox. Thousands of applicants to UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall law school briefly exulted after a Friday...

Teacher's brainchild improves students' minds.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Rowena Coetsee Feb. 22--Language arts teacher Karl Meyer engages some of the approximately two dozen young people who have been swinging by Pittsburg's community center after school to get a better handle on the three R's. ...

Hincapie out of shadows: Armstrong's former support rider wins Stage 2 and grabs overall lead.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Ricardo Sanchez Jr. Feb. 22--cycling SAN JOSE -- Known for riding side-by-side with Lance Armstrong and supporting him in seven Tour de France victories, Discovery Channel's George Hincapie showed that with the right pieces...

Cohen is where she belongs.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Ann Tatko-Peterson Feb. 22--Olympics Michelle who? American Sasha Cohen turned in a brilliant performance Tuesday to open the women's figure skating at the Turin Olympics. For one night, she almost made everyone forget...

For A's catcher, father knows best: Kendall looks to his role model for advice after a sub-par 2005.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Joe Roderick Feb. 22--PHOENIX -- Give A's catcher Jason Kendall kudos for his candor. "No excuses, I (stunk) last year," he said while sitting at his locker Tuesday morning. That's a bit harsh. He did hit a career-low...

Investor's home sale tops $1 million.
February 22, 2006... Byline: George Avalos Feb. 22--An East Bay investment executive whose financial empire imploded amid allegations of fraud and money losses has sold his Danville home for more than $1 million. But it is not clear whether the...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Chuck Barney column: Take my advice -- for Olympics' sake.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Chuck Barney Feb. 22--FIRST THINGS first: Whether the ratings are in the dumper or not, the Olympics make for great TV. If you're someone who just can't possibly tear yourself away from "American Idol" for a couple of weeks, I...

Lawmaker works to give zinfandel special status.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Bonita Brewer Feb. 22--Proposals to name zinfandel the official state wine have some East Bay vintners seeing red, but others are raising their glasses for a toast. Calling it "the quintessential California wine" with...

Warriors fall into cellar: Golden State replaces the Kings in last place in the Pacific Division.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Marcus Thompson II Feb. 22--SACRAMENTO -- The Warriors have been waiting for this moment for the longest. For the last month, maybe two, they've been preparing for a post-All Star Break season. They've been positioning...

Berkeley cops show photo of knife point robbery.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Kelli Phillips Feb. 22--BERKELEY -- Police released a photo today of a man robbing a taxi driver at knife point. The robbery occurred about midnight Feb. 5 in a parking lot near San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, a police news...

Suspects sought in Richmond girl's shooting.
February 22, 2006... Byline: George Kelly Feb. 22--Richmond police are seeking three individuals for questioning about a drive-by shooting after a stray bullet struck a 10-year-old girl in her home Tuesday night. The girl was in critical but stable...