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

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

Blanton's fire still burns as A's win.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick SEATTLE _ The first impression can be deceiving when meeting A's pitcher Joe Blanton. He comes across as an "aw-shucks" good old boy from Nashville, Tenn., sort of a grown-up version of Opie Taylor. Don't be...

Cal flexes its muscles, gets shutout over Arizona.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Jay Heater BERKELEY, Calif. _ This one was about muscle. Cal coach Jeff Tedford, obviously aware of Arizona's inability to stop the run, turned over the game to his offensive line and his defense on Saturday at Memorial...

Same NFL games, but in a different world.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Neil Hayes MEXICO CITY _ Ride down the Paseo de la Reforma, past the "Angel" monument, where a young bride poses for pictures under a pale blue sky, amidst all the bleating horns and shrill police whistles, and American sports,...

Raiders hoping 0-3 mark is an anomaly.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Steve Corkran ALAMEDA, Calif. _ The Raiders will be facing more than the Dallas Cowboys when they take the field for Sunday's game. Staring them in the face is the daunting prospect of overcoming the kind of start that has doomed...

A's notebook.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick Oct. 1--SEATTLE -- Although his breaking ball still needs fine-tuning, Rich Harden appears to have recovered from the strained muscle below his right shoulder that knocked him out of an Aug 19 game and limited him to...

East County leaders meet to ponder area growth.
October 1, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Oct. 1--ANTIOCH -- East County held its coming-out party on Friday. Business and government leaders from eastern Contra Costa County gathered in Antioch on Friday to craft strategies to capitalize on and manage...

Hospital chain Sutter's practices probed by DOJ.
October 1, 2005... Byline: James Temple Oct. 1--Sacramento-based hospital chain Sutter Health acknowledged Friday it is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over contracting issues. "We are cooperating fully with the Department of Justice...

Diablo Valley College pulls plug on machinists program.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Matt Krupnick Oct. 1--Diablo Valley College plans to eliminate its 30-year-old machine-technology program, saying it has outlived its usefulness. The program will end after the spring semester, forcing the 40 or so students to...

PG&E gas price jolt in forecast.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Rick Jurgens Oct. 1--Rising natural gas costs will push the hourly rate on PG&E customers' October home heating bills up 40 percent from September and 70 percent from a year ago, the utility said Friday. PG&E spokesman Jason...

Pardee makes solar power promise.
October 1, 2005... Byline: Sophia Kazmi Oct. 1--LIVERMORE -- Pardee Homes, in the midst of a contentious election to win approval for a North Livermore housing development, announced Friday that all 2,450 homes would be solar powered. Pacific Gas &...

Energy stock performance surges.
October 1, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Oct. 1--Soaring energy prices and fears about hurricanes helped lubricate the way to huge gains in oil industry stocks, but they also produced a slippery path for the broad stock market during the third quarter. ...

After 50 years of operating in Richmond, ...
October 1, 2005... Byline: John Geluardi Oct. 1--After 50 years of operating in Richmond, a small tool sharpening and repair business was forced to close its doors two weeks ago largely because the city has been so slow in paying its bills, a co-owner said....

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., business bulletin column.
October 2, 2005... Oct. 2--MONDAY, OCT. 3 --Richmond Works Career Center holds an orientation on its free employment, training, and services available, 9-10 a.m. at the center, 33 25th St., Richmond. Call 510-307-8014. --EastBay Works West County Career...

Agency in need of fire crews.
October 2, 2005... Byline: Sarah Jane Tribble Oct. 2--East Contra Costa's fledgling fire protection district needs more firefighters and a bigger budget to better serve the area's booming population, officials said as they prepare to release results of a...

A's go out with a win . . . and questions about manager's future.
October 2, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick SEATTLE_When Oakland A's reliever Justin Duchscherer struck out Richie Sexson looking to wrap up an 8- 3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on the final day of the season, players exchanged hand shakes and high fives as...

Raiders hold off Cowboys, 19-13.
October 2, 2005... Byline: Steve Corkran OAKLAND, Calif. _ Oakland Raiders wide receiver Randy Moss stood at the goal line with 1 minute, 28 seconds left in his team's game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. He strutted around the end zone, danced to...

Sarah Jessica Parker is absolutely fabulous.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Jessica Yadegaran SAN FRANCISCO _ You've heard she's warm and humble. You've heard her good nature and humility make her one of the most genuine people in Hollywood. Everything you've heard is right. Sarah Jessica Parker...

Tradition makes room for variety with new kosher wines.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Jessica Yadegaran Jews have a love-hate relationship with wine. We raise a glass at every holiday and family occasion, from weddings and funerals to births and bat mitzvahs. We say the Kiddush, or blessing, and gulp down the...

'Creative' housing official to retire.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum Oct. 3--For the past seven years, Bob McEwan has pushed reluctant federal housing officials to finance shelter for the county's neediest residents. Now, at 61, the Contra Costa Housing Authority director is...

Kohl's, anchor store for center in Pleasant Hill, opens this week.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Oct. 3--PLEASANT HILL -- "Coming Soon" signs on the new Kohl's department store no longer taunt passersby as the store gears up for an Oct. 6 opening. Construction crews continue to hammer out final touches...

Owner stays grounded in skateboard business.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Oct. 3--PLEASANT HILL -- On a recent Saturday evening, yellow caution tape encloses ramps and rails of a makeshift skateboard arena while sounds of wheels whir throughout DVC Shopping Plaza. The buzz is...

Grandmother's influence made difference in Davis.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II Lela Nicholson's residence in South Central Los Angeles doesn't seem like the home of a millionaire's mother figure. It's loud and cluttered, and there's a strong aroma. But it all makes sense if you know the...

Crossover star: Davis defies convention, follows his own path.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Marcus Thompson II The clout of Golden State Warriors point guard Baron Davis was on display last week. He threw a fancy shindig in San Francisco to introduce the Baron Davis Foundation to the Bay Area. The guests included...

Military bereavement counselors ease pain of war deaths.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Dogen Hannah Karen Meredith was distraught and outraged. Months after the San Franciso Bay-area resident's only child, 26-year-old Lt. Ken Ballard, was killed in Iraq, the Army's "patronizing arrogance" and continued...

It's never too late to meet the ex.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe Q: I've been married for a year to a man who has a son from a previous marriage. The boy is 7 years old and my husband and his ex share custody. We see the boy every weekend, starting on Friday...

Adequate supply of flu shots expected.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Oct. 4--Health officials believe there will be adequate supplies of flu vaccine this winter to avoid the chaos that occurred last year when the frail and elderly waited in line for hours for coveted shots. ...

Millions spent to back housing plan.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Bonita Brewer Oct. 4--LIVERMORE -- Pardee Homes has spent more than $2 million campaigning for its 2,450-unit North Livermore housing project proposed on November's ballot -- more than 20 times what the project's foes have...

Work at school called dangerous.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Shirley Dang Oct. 4--Bulldozers and ABCs don't mix, according to teachers and parents at Harding Elementary School in El Cerrito. Swirls of dust have made children ill, they say, and construction crews regularly endanger the...

Woods is taking aim at another WGC win.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich SAN FRANCISCO _ Tiger Woods' game has arrived in the Bay Area. His game face has not. No sooner had he stroked the final putt of his practice round that Woods was swarmed by autograph seekers Tuesday at Harding...

Clorox to raise praises on 40 percent of products.
October 5, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Oct. 5--In a reminder that the soaring price of energy has hopped from the gas pump to grocery aisle, Clorox Co. on Tuesday warned that profits will erode and prices will jump on more than a dozen of its products. ...

Provider of home coverage probed.
October 5, 2005... Byline: James Temple Oct. 5--A state agency is investigating whether divisions of Farmers Insurance Group, the state's second largest provider of homeowner policies, is illegally overcharging its customers. The California Department of...

What it takes to be Esquire's best-dressed man.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Jessica Yadegaran WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Every night, Joseph Pineda lays out his outfit before he goes to bed. His silk ascot is pressed, his chino blazer whiter than snow. His socks are more stylish than most men's wardrobes. ...

Doors closing at Good Guys stores.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Blanca Torres Oct. 5--In an attempt to sharpen its strategy, CompUSA decided Tuesday to shed all 46 remaining Good Guys stores and combine consumer electronics and personal technology into one store format. All Good Guys...

County building squabble gets ugly.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum Oct. 5--Contra Costa County supervisors tried Tuesday to calm a squabble between Martinez and the District Attorney's Office over a proposed building one supervisor called so ugly that it would generate ridicule...

A personal acquisition.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Lisa Vorderbrueggen Oct. 5--PeopleSoft founder David Duffield has a new dream: He wants to build a home in Alamo bigger than the Hearst Castle, the White House or Microsoft guru Bill Gates' palatial Washington state digs. The...

If housing cools, jobs may freeze.
October 5, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Oct. 5--The long-expected slowdown in the skyrocketing residential real estate market could flatten the East Bay economy, according to a top official with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. That's because the...

County studies plan for housing.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum Oct. 5--Contra Costa County supervisors Tuesday took the first steps toward raising millions of dollars for affordable housing. Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond and a coalition of housing advocates have been...

A's, Macha part ways.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Joe Roderick Before what would be his final game as Oakland A's manager on Sunday, Ken Macha expressed doubt whether he would be back with the club. He said he wanted to talk to general manager Billy Beane on Monday and ask some...

Economist predicts slow home sales, high prices.
October 6, 2005... Byline: James Temple Oct. 6--There is a bubble, a bubble in the number of articles about the housing bubble, according to the chief economist for the California Association of Realtors. In a presentation before the Contra Costa...

Bubble talk overblown, according to top Realtor.
October 6, 2005... Byline: James Temple Oct. 6--The long-booming housing market is moderating, but fears of a bubble are overblown, according to the chief economist for the California Association of Realtors. In a presentation in San Ramon before the...

Developer brings new life to Lafayette, Calif., theater.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Meera Pal Oct. 6--When Greg Woehrle heard that someone intended to buy the Lafayette Park Theater, tear it down and build condos, he just couldn't see it. "What a great opportunity to preserve a building with a great history,"...

Macha's leaving doesn't leave a yawning chasm.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Rick Hurd WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ And thus departs another free agent, shedding the green colors of the A's organization for the promise of greener financial pastures elsewhere. Speaking of which, please pass the caffeine. ...

Electronics recycled for free in city.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Ryan Huff Oct. 6--Maybe you're trying to dump that old Apple IIe collecting dust in the garage. Perhaps you're tired of that dead VCR that sits under your spiffy DVD player. Well you can give those electronic relics a proper...

Segway bridges gap between home, BART.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Oct. 6--A low, early light breaks over Mount Diablo and hangs over the Pleasant Hill BART station, as the harried clomp, clomp, shuffle, shuffle of the morning commute permeates the bulwark of concrete and steel. ...

Hookah lounge plan is snuffed.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Sophia Kazmi Oct. 6--A place for people to smoke cigars or flavored tobacco in Dublin is now merely a pipe dream. The Dublin City Council approved, on a 4-0 vote, an emergency ordinance that bans cigarette retailers and...

Around the remote: TV picks for Oct. 9-15.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Chuck Barney DON'T MISS: "EINSTEIN'S BIG IDEA" _ When narrator John Lithgow takes on a professorial tone and starts off this new Nova documentary about the most famous equation in the world _ E=mc2 _ by saying, "A deceptively...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., business briefs column.
October 7, 2005... Oct. 7--CHEVRON PUSHES REFINERY'S RESTART: San Ramon-based Chevron Corp. (CVX), a gas and oil company, expects to resume operations at its refinery in Pascagoula, Miss., by the end of the month, slightly sooner than previously predicted. The...

Health professionals dabble in 'Flu Prediction Market'.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Oct. 7--SAN FRANCISCO -- Forget corn and soybean futures. The market to watch may soon become flu futures. Several dozen health professionals have been wheeling and dealing, predicting when the annual influenza...

PUC approves extra $2 on gas bills.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Rick Jurgens Oct. 7--A divided California Public Utilities Commission approved PG&E's emergency bid to tack an extra $2 onto natural gas customers' monthly bills to pay for options contracts that the company says will temper...

Building of offices predicted to expand.
October 7, 2005... Byline: James Temple Oct. 7--SAN FRANCISCO -- Job growth will accelerate the Bay Area's commercial real estate recovery in 2006, pushing rents up as much as 20 percent in some markets and raising the prospect of the first significant new...

All-around A-Rod better fit for MVP than Ortiz.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Gary Peterson At some point on Friday afternoon, David Ortiz will stride to home plate at Fenway Park, and Boston Red Sox fans will begin to chant: "M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!" It will be a wholly viable sentiment for two...

From old Vinny to young Alex, it's a week for No. 1 QBs.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Cam Inman Attention, attention, calling all quarterbacks who were No. 1 overall draft picks. Please report to the field. Yeah, even you Vinny Testaverde, Class of 1987. You, too, Alex Smith, Class of 2005. Seven...

Conway is Salesforce's board pick.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Oct. 7--Craig Conway, who led PeopleSoft Inc.'s bitter hostile takeover battle against rival Oracle Corp. before being ousted last year, was appointed Thursday to the board of San Francisco's Salesforce.com. Conway...

Dublin firm's software aids hurricane recovery.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Oct. 7--DUBLIN -- Two years ago, the city of New Orleans purchased software from an East Bay company to help move along the construction, permitting and inspection process. It might have been just another piece of...

A lot at stake for Cal, Ayoob vs. UCLA.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Jay Heater WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob was recruited for moments like this one. In case Ayoob hasn't noticed, here is the situation: No. 10 Cal (5-0, 2-0 Pac-10) will face No. 20 UCLA (4-0, 1-0) in a packed...

Montgomerie clings to lead in American Express Championship.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Joe Stiglich SAN FRANCISCO _ Despite finishing atop the leader board for the second straight day at the American Express Championship, Colin Montgomerie said he doesn't get caught up in scoreboard watching until late in a...

Retailers satisfy consumers' hunger for gourmet cookware.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Blanca Torres Oct. 7--Walking through the well-lit aisles of a specialty cookware store, customers stop and pick up items as they "ooh" and "aah" about the colors, the design, and eventually, the price tag. Then someone pipes...

Scientist honored for climate studies.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Betsy Mason Oct. 7--Lawrence Livermore Laboratory scientist Ben Santer has dedicated his career to studying climate change, and the Department of Energy has rewarded his efforts with a $1.25 million fellowship. This is the...

Tech is key to future of commuting.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Oct. 7--The future of California's freeway system rests hidden under three inches of asphalt. It's mounted above your rear-view mirror or on the roof of your car. It's perched 20 feet above the fast lane. The...

Magnetic technology may be the future of California buses.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Oct. 7--The future of California's freeway system rests hidden under three inches of asphalt. It's mounted above your rear-view mirror or on the roof of your car. It's perched 20 feet above the fast lane. The...

Firefighter-in-training sentenced for drunk driving accident.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Bruce Gerstman Oct. 7--MARTINEZ -- Katherine McCain was enrolled in school to become a firefighter when she was driving drunk and crashed into an oncoming car, killing both people in the other vehicle. The emergency...

Highway patrol supplements Richmond police.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Karl Fischer Oct. 7--Highway Patrol officers returned to Richmond on Friday to supplement city police in crime hot spots. A contingent of eight officers and two sergeants will enforce traffic laws and stop suspicious cars,...

Vicious deer worries neighbors.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Denis Cuff Oct. 7--ORINDA -- A scar-faced rogue deer is attacking dogs and unnerving some residents in this woodsy town. He's Bambi gone ballistic. The black-tailed buck deer gored a dog to death in its yard a short...

Group files suit against Concord for banning medicinal marijuana.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Ryan Huff Oct. 7--SAN FRANCISCO -- A local patient advocacy group filed suit Thursday against the city of Concord, alleging that its recent ban on medical marijuana facilities is unconstitutional and violates state law. The...

Local scientist receives fellowship.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Betsy Mason Oct. 7--Lawrence Livermore Laboratory scientist Ben Santer has dedicated his career to studying climate change, and the Department of Energy has rewarded his efforts with a $1.25-million fellowship. This is the...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., business briefs column.
October 8, 2005... Oct. 8--BROADCOM BUYS FREMONT FIRM: Irvine-based Broadcom Corp., a chip maker, bought Fremont-based Athena Semiconductors Inc. for $26.1 million in cash. Athena specializes in the design and development of mobile digital television tuner and...

PG&E, plaintiffs reportedly in talks.
October 8, 2005... Byline: Rick Jurgens Oct. 8--PG&E Corp., after suffering a potentially costly setback in its long court battle with 1,200 people who say they were poisoned by the company's chromium 6 discharges, has entered into voluntary mediation with...

Cal can't stop Drew, UCLA.
October 8, 2005... Byline: Jay Heater PASADENA, Calif. _ Trampled in the wake of Maurice Jones-Drew's five-touchdown day, the Cal football team left Southern California searching for answers. How could a team that rushed for 330 yards on Saturday at the...

No. 10 Cal Bears not so special as UCLA triumphs.
October 8, 2005... Byline: Jay Heater PASADENA, Calif. _ For the second time in two seasons, Cal left Southern California with heartbreak and a loss due to poor special teams play. While UCLA's dynamic tailback, Maurice Jones-Drew, was the story of the...

Dellums announces run for mayor.
October 8, 2005... Byline: Guy Ashley Oct. 8--OAKLAND -- Former U.S. Rep. Ron Dellums spent more than three months considering calls to return home to be mayor of his native city. On Friday, he answered with a resounding "Yes." But it wasn't easy, a...

Ponderosa has plan for Livermore.
October 8, 2005

Richmond surprises rental owners with fee.
October 8, 2005... Byline: John Geluardi Oct. 8--Richmond's finance department was overwhelmed with calls this week from confused rental property owners who were shocked to discover the city is now charging them a business license fee. City Attorney...

Katrina job losses less than feared.
October 8, 2005... Byline: George Avalos Oct. 8--Hurricane Katrina huffed and puffed but failed to blow down the nation's economy in September, according to a government report released Friday that disclosed a loss of only 35,000 jobs last month. The...

Recycling drive gives gadgets a second life.
October 8, 2005... Byline: Ryan Huff Oct. 8--CONCORD - The event didn't have an official title, but it might as well have been called the Electronic Break-up Convention. That's exactly what the thousands who flowed through the Chronicle Pavilion did...

Violent images for adults only.
October 8, 2005... Byline: Ellen Lee Oct. 8--Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- who made millions of dollars starring in bloody action movies and video games based on them -- signed a bill Friday that bans selling violent video games to minors. The new law...

Catering to a niche market.
October 9, 2005... Byline: Blanca Torres Oct. 9--Walking through the well-lit aisles of a specialty cookware store, customers stop and pick up items as they "ooh" and "aah" about the colors, the design, and eventually, the price tag. Then someone pipes...

A Capote reader.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Randy Myers The following is a partial list of books and short-story collections by Truman Capote. Details about each publication come from Gerald Clarke's biography "Capote." _"Other Voices, Other Rooms" (1948): Capote's first...

Film focuses on pivotal period in `In Cold Blood' author's life.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Randy Myers SAN FRANCISCO _ Truman Capote's spectacular rise and terrible fall would have made one terrific "nonfiction novel," as he would have called it. And no one could have written it better. The curious-looking fellow...

Agents advise air travelers to book early for holidays.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Blanca Torres Oct. 10--Traveling by plane during the holidays is traditionally expensive, but consumers may end up paying more this year if they don't book soon. Experts warn that rising fuel costs and diminishing supplies of...

East County housing construction leads pack.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Sarah Jane Tribble Oct. 10--As pundits debate whether the region's housing market is softening, new home construction continues at a bullish pace and East County leads the way, industry experts said. The cities of Antioch,...

Chargers' beef bigger than Raiders'.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Steve Corkran ALAMEDA, Calif. _The Oakland Raiders from the outset voiced their displeasure with the setup of their schedule, from managing general partner Al Davis and coach Norv Turner on down. They weren't thrilled about the...

Benicia looks to redevelop Arsenal.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Oct. 10--BENICIA -- At first glance, the Arsenal district is a hodgepodge of businesses and historic landmarks weathered by time. At the top of the hill the clock tower stands firm as a gothic stone fortress...

Port of Oakland, Calif., plans party to 'dispense' cleaner fuel.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick Oct. 11--One million here. One billion there. Pretty soon, you're talking real savings. Alternative fuel and transportation advocates announced they have saved more than a billion gallons of gasoline over the past...

Want to save gas? Segway's an answer.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Mike Adamick WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ A low, early light breaks over Mount Diablo, Calif., and hangs over the Pleasant Hill BART station, as the harried clomp, clomp, shuffle, shuffle of the morning commute permeates the bulwark of...