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

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

California camp a wonder for children with rare skin conditions.
July 1, 2005... Byline: Sandy Kleffman LIVERMORE, Calif. _ Natasha Starkey and Lizie Fernandez, best buddies at camp, prepare to launch into a song they composed. "One, two, three, let's hit it," they chant, breaking into "Olivia, the Black-Nosed...

A's win streak reaches eight.
July 1, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick OAKLAND, Calif. _ You can never satisfy the critics. Despite the A's terrific run, there were those who doubted the legitimacy of the A's because the wins were piled up against the likes of the Giants and Seattle...

It figures: White Sox' Garland halts A's winning streak.
July 2, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich OAKLAND, Calif. _ The joyride was bound to end at some point for the A's. That it came at the hands of Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jon Garland was no shock, either. The right-hander limited the A's to...

Ex-Bear Tamir waits for his chance.
July 3, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Former Cal center Amit Tamir has been back in Berkeley the past couple of weeks, getting reacquainted with his old stamping grounds and attempting to find out if there is any hope left of his...

Cal's Powe rebounding from injury.
July 3, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Okanes SAN FRANCISCO _ When Cal forward Leon Powe finally heard the words _ the words he had waited more than a year to hear _ he could think of only one thing. "I thought about the first game I was going to play in,"...

A's, Zito cool off Buehrle.
July 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick OAKLAND, Calif. _ About 1 { hours before Sunday's game, as Oakland A's players were stretching in the outfield, the sprinklers mysteriously turned on. Manager Ken Macha, who comes across as uptight to those who...

Alameda County, Calif., amnesty program draws few fireworks.
July 3, 2005... Byline: Sophia Kazmi Jul. 3--SAN LEANDRO -- Alameda County Sheriff deputies were offering amnesty Saturday, but apparently not many people wanted it. Members of the bomb squad spent a beautiful day in the parking lot of the Sheriff's...

Agency seeks funds for homeless shelter in Contra Costa County, Calif.
July 3, 2005... Byline: Kiley Russell Jul. 3--Erica Dreyer lost almost everything to her drug addiction. Homeless for more than five years, Dreyer, 41, bounced from shelter to shelter and lived on the streets, lost to crank. Still, she was somehow...

OPINION: Property rights dealt major impediment.
July 3, 2005... Jul. 3--Private property rights suffered a serious setback with last month's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly and dangerously advanced the scope of government eminent domain powers. In a 5-4 decision, the court majority ruled that...

Future of longtime Berkeley, Calif., soda fountain in doubt.
July 3, 2005... Byline: Martin Snapp Jul. 3--BERKELEY -- Is this the end of Ozzie's? That's what Elmwood residents are asking themselves after Ozzie's Soda Fountain, a neighborhood landmark since 1921, closed Wednesday. Whether it will ever...

A's Blanton learns his lesson well.
July 4, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick TORONTO _ The game could have devastated some rookies, rendered them ineffective for games and sometimes months to come. It wasn't like that for the A's Joe Blanton after a May 25 nightmare in Tampa Bay in which he...

Blanton looks to build on strong June.
July 4, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick TORONTO _ The game could have devastated some rookies, rendered them ineffective for games and sometimes months to come. It wasn't like that for the Oakland A's Joe Blanton after a May 25 nightmare in Tampa Bay in...

OPINION: Combat court decision on land rights.
July 4, 2005... Jul. 4--The U.S. Supreme Court's egregious 5-4 ruling diluting private property rights need not result in a diminution of our basic liberties. But Americans cannot look to the judicial system for relief, they can, however, retrieve what they...

New look popular at El Cerrito, Calif., swim center.
July 4, 2005... Byline: Alan Lopez Jul. 4--Although it was an overcast day, Berkeley resident Debbie Woods sat in a lounge chair reading while her 9-year-old daughter, Caroline Woods-Mejia, and a friend jumped in and splashed around the recreation pool at...

Plans for an Alameda, Calif., wildlife refuge stall.
July 4, 2005... Byline: Susan Fuller Jul. 4--After years of work by bird fanciers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the proposed Alameda Wildlife Refuge may be taking a turn south. Some of the 525 acres at the southwest corner of Alameda Point...

How to handle husband's relationship with ex-wife.
July 5, 2005... Byline: Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe Q: My husband's daughter's birthday is this weekend. The daughter has decided to go to a movie with girlfriends. She will be 9. My husband and his ex-wife are taking them. Is this appropriate?...

Players vs. media a two-way street.
July 5, 2005... Byline: Neil Hayes OAKLAND, Calif. _ Carl Everett usually doesn't talk to reporters before a game. The Chicago White Sox outfielder was eager to address this subject, however. You couldn't shut him up, in fact. Then again, this...

`Mule' a backstop to baseball history.
July 5, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Dick Dietz died last week. And if you were a JFK/LBJ/Nixon/Ford/Carter/ Reagan-era Giants fan, you felt a pang when you heard the news. Those were amazing days to be a fan of Giants...

Parents urged to check out teens' blogs.
July 5, 2005... Byline: Brooke Bryant FROM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT'S BLOG "OK listen up this is the deal with my website. this is where i come to bitch and whine so none of my poor friends have to put with me. please feel free to say anything you want,...

Kotsay, A's pull fast one on Blue Jays.
July 5, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick TORONTO _ Jason Kendall was dressing in the back of the clubhouse, and the music was blaring _ a mood befitting the Oakland A's and what had just transpired at Rogers Centre for 3 hours, 41 minutes. Kendall looked...

El Cerrito views plan for path's extension.
July 5, 2005... Byline: Alan Lopez Jul. 5--EL CERRITO - About 30 years after the Ohlone Greenway was built, resident Steve Price rides his bike to his Berkeley office every morning on the landscaped pedestrian and bike path running through the center of...

OPINION: RIDES comes to end.
July 5, 2005... Jul. 5--Twenty-eight years ago no one else was doing it and an innovative little program came along in the energy crisis to begin what would become an urban trend -- providing transportation alternatives. In 1978 RIDES for Bay Area Commuters...

OPINION: Pay up for the vets.
July 5, 2005... Jul. 5--When President Bush addressed the nation in an effort to bolster sinking public support for the Iraq war, he chose Fort Bragg, a North Carolina military base, as a backdrop -- a move undoubtedly designed to pull at America's patriotic...

Blue Jays shut out the A's.
July 6, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick TORONTO _ It wasn't supposed to have gone this way for manager Ken Macha and the Oakland A's. He had devised a plan to keep the players away from the park until 4 p.m. (EDT), allowing them to catch up on their rest...

A's finally swing to a .500 beat.
July 6, 2005... Byline: Neil Hayes WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Bang those drums. Wave those flags. There's finally something to get excited about, A's fans. Your team reached .500 before Wednesday's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and could hit the break-even...

Apartment plans adjusted.
July 6, 2005... Byline: Tom Lochner Jul. 6--A 14-unit apartment house at Appian Way and San Pablo Avenue would have some adverse environmental impacts, notably light and glare, but those will be mitigated as part of the project, according to a report by...

Government scrutinizes gas blends.
July 6, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher Jul. 6--The Environmental Protection Agency should take the price of gasoline into account when deciding whether specialty fuel blends are needed to cut air pollution, according to a new report. The Government...

San Pablo puts massage parlors on hold.
July 6, 2005... Byline: Tom Lochner Jul. 6--The San Pablo City Council has blocked massage establishments and escort services from setting up shop -- at least legally -- until August. The City Council took the action on an urgency basis in late June...

Pleasant Hill's Sept. 11 garden may be in trouble.
July 6, 2005... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Jul. 6--PLEASANT HILL -- The creator of a Sept. 11 memorial garden could find his project in jeopardy if neighbors decide to cut off his water supply. Since the memorial went up in April 2002, about 160...

OPINION: Stop scams on elderly.
July 6, 2005... Jul. 6--There are a frightening number of scams targeting elderly people. This week, the California Assembly began hearings on a bill that would help protect some of our state's most vulnerable residents. SB 1018, sponsored by Sen. Joe...

Longs to build new distribution plant.
July 7, 2005... Byline: James Temple Jul. 7--Longs Drug Stores Corp. plans to build a giant new distribution facility in Patterson. The 800,000-square-foot facility, which will cost between $50 million and $55 million, will allow the Walnut...

Diogu's game begins with character _ and education.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Ike Diogu is special. His parents, Edward and Jane, knew it the day he was born on Sept. 11, 1983. They stared at him lying in his hospital bed. So vibrant. So dark. So huge. "He...

Buildings' rebirth heartens residents of North Richmond.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Chris Treadway Jul. 7--The rehabilitation of a long-neglected apartment complex has brought new life to a block of Third Street in North Richmond that backers hope is a step to bringing new life to the surrounding community. ...

Bay Area blood banks hit seasonal drought.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Amber Ellis Jul. 7--A few years ago, Angela Keane didn't know if her baby girl would make it. Doctors gave Morgan, who fit in one of Keane's hands, a 20 percent chance of survival. The infant was born with half of a heart, no...

Mexican women crossing border for safer abortions.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Nathaniel Hoffman Jul. 7--BERKELEY -- Echoes of a generation-old abortion debate are rippling along the border as Mexican women head to San Diego for safe and legal abortions, researchers have found. Middle-class Mexican women...

Court interpreters acquire allies.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Bruce Gerstman Jul. 7--MARTINEZ -- Demonstrating support for striking court interpreters, many rank-and-file public defenders stayed out of courtrooms Wednesday. "There's no question that competent court interpreters are...

Danville gives trial run to 2nd farmer's market.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Linda Davis Jul. 7--DANVILLE - With the approval Tuesday night of a trial month-long fall farmer's market downtown, town leaders hope shoppers tempted to buy fruits and veggies Thursday nights may also stay to pick up shoes or...

Hope renewed after New York flop.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Ann Tatko-Peterson Jul. 7--London's gain could be the Bay Area's as well. London was awarded the 2012 Olympics during a special election Wednesday that sent New York packing in the early rounds of voting. The U.S. Olympic...

OPINION: Fair BART contract.
July 7, 2005... Jul. 7--In sharp contrast to four years ago, BART negotiators have agreed on a tentative contract that will lower projected deficits, does not place new burdens on riders and offers a fair deal to transit workers. Moreover, the deal was made...

Kinder Morgan fined: Maximum punishment levied after deadly blast.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Mike Taugher Jul. 7--The owner of the Walnut Creek pipeline that exploded in November, killing five men, was hit Wednesday with a $500,000 fine, the maximum punishment possible from state pipeline regulators. The state fire...

Restoration eyed for historic parcel.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Tom Lochner Jul. 7--FRANKLIN CANYON -- Roughly midway between the downtowns of Hercules and Martinez lies a 700-acre tract of wooded hills and grassy meadows virtually unchanged since the 19th century, all that's left of a rancho...

Expelled students to return.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Martin Snapp Jul. 7--African-American and Latino students who were expelled from Berkeley High School and the middle schools last year will be allowed to return to classes, thanks to the settlement of their class-action suit...

New agreement easy on BART passengers in California.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Jul. 7--Like trying to configure a 10-car train for the morning commute, BART and union leaders forged a new contract early Wednesday that barely averted a strike. Some pieces fit. Others clanked. Eventually, one...

Harden wild as A's lose to Blue Jays.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick TORONTO _ Rich Harden was on the mound, clearly agitated, talking to catcher Jason Kendall, or to no one in particular. Harden couldn't get out of the sixth inning after walking the first two batters, an inning...

Bombs can't stop the way we live.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ The price of freedom went up with every explosion that tore through London on Thursday morning. As is so often the case with any inflationary model, it sent related costs spiraling as well. ...

Around the remote: TV picks for July 10-16.
July 7, 2005... Byline: Chuck Barney DON'T MISS : "MANTLE" _ In the same week Major League Baseball holds its annual All-Star Game comes this engaging, thorough and beautifully photographed documentary about one of the sports world's greatest icons....

A's have White Sox's number again.
July 8, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick CHICAGO _ Despite getting a very nice start from pitcher Kirk Saarloos, two doubles and one fantastic play apiece from right fielder Nick Swisher and shortstop Bobby Crosby, the A's still had to finish off the Chicago...

Bay Bridge agreement is not yet a done deal.
July 8, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Jul. 8--Two weeks after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senate leader Don Perata hammered out a deal to pay for overruns on the new Bay Bridge, the Senate overwhelmingly sanctioned the compact Thursday and set the stage...

Hospital's condition stabilizes.
July 8, 2005... Byline: Tom Lochner Jul. 8--Doctors Medical Center San Pablo took a sharp fiscal downturn in May, posting a loss of almost $1 million for the month. But June figures look better, the hospital's chief executive and financial officers said...

OPINION: Laudable budget deal.
July 8, 2005... Jul. 8--The budget compromise reached by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders is late, fails to eliminate future deficits, sidesteps structural reforms and does not make good on the governor's promise on education spending. Still,...

Martinez tables vote for agency downtown.
July 8, 2005... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Jul. 8--MARTINEZ -- The City Council has backed away from plans to put a redevelopment agency to a vote in November because its downtown plan will not be completed in time. At a council meeting Wednesday,...

Bay Area boosts transit security.
July 8, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Jul. 8--Just 15 minutes after a series of bombs tore through London's transit system and killed at least 40 people Thursday morning, BART bolstered security for the rush-hour commute, while bus, airline and ferry...

Insurance broker faces prison, fine.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Jul. 9--An Antioch insurance broker received a three-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay $1.3 million for selling bogus insurance bonds, the California Department of Insurance announced Friday. Contra Costa...

Rumors put to rest: Kotsay re-signs with A's.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick CHICAGO _ It wasn't simply the fact that Oakland A's center fielder Mark Kotsay is $15 million richer that made Saturday memorable for him. Kotsay signed a three-year contract extension on a day his wife, Jamie,...

A's ride Zito's pitching, Kotsay's home run past White Sox.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick CHICAGO _ On a quick glance, if would be safe to deduce that this was Mark Kotsay's day. After all, he signed a contract extension on his wife Jamie's 26th birthday and later hit a three-run homer that ended the...

Antioch, Calif., insurance broker faces prison, fine.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Jul. 9--An Antioch insurance broker received a three-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay $1.3 million for selling bogus insurance bonds, the California Department of Insurance announced Friday. Contra Costa...

Danville, Calif., budget cover police, upgrades.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Linda Davis Jul. 9--DANVILLE -- With state raids continuing to keep municipal budgeteers scrambling to preserve services, the Town Council has approved a $20.1 million 2005-06 budget -- a slight increase from last year. ...

California teachers group publishes labor history material.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Jackie Burrell Jul. 9--Cesar Chavez, the 8-hour work day... and a henhouse uprising? Few parents realize that the struggles of longshoremen, farmworkers and Teamsters are woven into California's classroom curriculum from...

Costly fair concerts are sound investment.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Chris Metinko Jul. 9--PLEASANTON -- You may never have heard of some, and you may snicker at the mere mention of others. You even may have thought some had died. But during most of the 17-day Alameda County Fair, a couple of...

U.S. jobless rate dips to 9/11 levels.
July 9, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Jul. 9--The nation's jobless rate in June improved to its best levels since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in a government report that depicts a solid employment market, although one not completely free of soft...

Soldiers, families moving into homes on Dublin, Calif., base.
July 9, 2005... Byline: Sophia Kazmi Jul. 9--DUBLIN -- In the next few weeks, Sgt. Eric Russell and his wife Sylvia will leave the commute from Mountain View behind them. They both already work at Camp Parks, and they will soon live there, as well. ...

A's hold off White Sox in 11 innings.
July 10, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick CHICAGO _ It was an unfitting end to a game that was both wonderful and impossible to watch. A's third baseman Eric Chavez, the man who made the terrific play to end a meat grinder day on the last game before the...

Put your baggage on a diet to avoid airlines' heavy fees.
July 10, 2005... Byline: Anne Chalfant Jul. 10--You've really got to watch your weight. Luggage weight, I mean. Several airlines have revised luggage weight requirements, and lots of people are racking up extra charges at check-in. The night...

Animals at the heart of Contra Costa County, Calif., youth fair.
July 10, 2005... Byline: Rachel Luna Jul. 10--Old MacDonald had a farm, but his wasn't as big as the one coming to the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds next week for the annual Youth Fair. Local youths from Contra Costa's 4-H, Future Farmers of America...

Anti-blight efforts, jobs, patrols transform Tacoma, Wash.
July 10, 2005... Byline: Shirley Dang Jul. 10--Once as well-known for crime as for the stench of the local paper mills, Tacoma, Wash., now ranks among America's most livable cities, according to one nonprofit group. In the 1980s, gang violence pushed...

OPINION: Local initiatives contest regional growth limit.
July 10, 2005... Jul. 10--Are East Contra Costa County voters ready to pass city initiatives that could allow an additional 5,200 homes to be built along clogged Highway 4? Will voters in Pittsburg, Antioch and Brentwood place the interests of developers above...

Richmond, Calif., park fees low.
July 10, 2005... Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum Jul. 10--Faced with a pocket park but no play structure, mothers in Richmond's El Sobrante Hills area have been piling their preschoolers in the car and driving to parks in Martinez, Benicia and Emeryville. ...

Airport monitoring funding up in air.
July 11, 2005... Byline: Bonita Brewer Jul. 11--Yet another showdown between Livermore airport pilots and neighbors is expected tonight when the City Council discusses just how extensive a noise monitoring program should be -- and who should pay for it....

Oakland revisits fight over sideshows.
July 11, 2005... Byline: Guy Ashley Jul. 11--OAKLAND - The City Council on Tuesday will consider a new law that would expand law enforcement's arsenal in combating audacious, and sometimes dangerous, vehicle exhibitions known as "sideshows." The...

Volunteer given a green thumbs up.
July 11, 2005... Byline: Alan Lopez Jul. 11--EL CERRITO -- About 10 years ago, resident Jim McKissock asked the city whether he could take care of a swampy, weedy patch along the Ohlone Greenway. McKissock complained that the city, in its effort to...

Mental health funding offers hope.
July 11, 2005... Byline: Sara Steffens Jul. 11--For the mentally ill, California's courts and jails often mark the bottom of a long downward slide. "It's really sad, because for a lot of these people, the system has failed them," said Yvonne Jones of...

Insurer strikes deal to settle lawsuit.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Judy Silber Jul. 12--The country's largest health insurer will pay $135 million to settle two class action lawsuits that alleged the company and other HMOs had deliberately manipulated their billing systems to underpay doctors. ...

Walnut Creek's laid-off getting on.
July 12, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Jul. 12--WALNUT CREEK -- Two Walnut Creek companies this month chopped a combined 134 jobs -- but in an encouraging turnaround, most of the affected employees have found jobs elsewhere with their respective firms. ...

Don't snap over premature portrait.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe Q: My ex-husband's girlfriend of two months has told our girls that she is going to have a portrait taken of the girls and her as a present for their dad. My daughter told me this and I am upset...

Brother gives Raiders' Clark a new appreciation of heroism.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Steve Corkran WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Sports figures often are called heroes and leaders for their abilities to play a game better than all but a tiny fraction of society. Raiders linebacker Danny Clark has grown accustomed to fans...

City center project continues forward.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Scott Marshall Jul. 12--SAN RAMON -- The City Council is expected to formally approve today the rezoning of three parcels that could become the site of a city center project. The Planning Commission rezoned three parcels June...

Richmond council pick no sure thing.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum Jul. 12--A largely behind-the-scenes, bare-knuckle battle for former Councilwoman Mindell Penn's seat on the Richmond City Council may or may not end tonight, all depending on whether any one contender can command...

Fair sets racing, turnout records.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Chris Metinko Jul. 12--PLEASANTON -- Corndogs, cookouts and carnies still can pack them in at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. The 2005 county fair, which ended Sunday, drew 403,082 visitors this year during its 17-day...

OPINION: Fund special election.
July 12, 2005... Jul. 12--Like it or not, California is scheduled to hold a special election on Nov. 8, the sixth of its kind in state history. What is still unclear is who is going to pay the tab, the state or California's 58 counties. The total cost was...

Testimony begins in trial of killer.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Gerstman Jul. 12--MARTINEZ - A 30-year-old man convicted 15 years ago in the stabbing death of an Antioch High School sophomore went on trial Monday on charges he shot and wounded a childhood acquaintance. Prosecutors say...

UCSF sets pace on stem cells.
July 12, 2005... Byline: Betsy Mason Jul. 12--SAN FRANCISCO -- In 1981, UC San Francisco biologist Gail Martin isolated some remarkable cells from a mouse embryo. She named them "stem cells" because nearly every type of cell seemed to stem from them. ...

Possible change in patent system could hurt universities.
July 13, 2005... Byline: Matt Krupnick Jul. 13--Congress is tinkering with new rules that could reinvent the U.S. patent system, which brings in millions of dollars per year to UC Berkeley and other research universities. Under the proposed law, a...

Sybase's ex-chief dares to dream big.
July 13, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Jul. 13--The former chief executive of Sybase Inc. and the now defunct Commerce One has been named chairman and CEO of Fremont software company Everdream Corp. Hoffman replaces Gary Griffiths, who had been Everdream's...

Hollywood must relearn stimulating, succinct filmmaking.
July 13, 2005... Byline: Mary F. Pols Last Saturday night, I went to see a frothy romantic comedy. Word of mouth must have been good, because the 222-seat house was sold out and I barely squeaked in. The heroine was a sassy beauty with just a slight trace...