Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) back issues from September 2007:
Housing industry reacts to Bush plan.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Barbara E. Hernandez Sep. 1--While President Bush outlined ways the federal government can help troubled borrowers keep their homes Friday, many expressed doubt at what they felt was a token effort to address rising foreclosures fueled by the mortgage crisis. ...
East County schools make testing gains.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Laurie Phillips Sep. 1--East County school districts saw major gains, some dips and several standout results, according to the newest federal and state testing report cards. Statewide, nearly two-thirds of California schools met national requirements in math ...
Overall, schools in Tri-Valley pass federal muster.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Eric Louie Sep. 1--Overall, Tri-Valley school standardized test scores from 2006-07 remained high, though there were significant ups and downs at specific schools, according to state Academic Performance Index rankings released Friday. Meanwhile, a handful of ...
West County schools hit targets.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Kimberly S. Wetzel Sep. 1--It was back-to-school business Friday for students at Point Richmond's Washington Elementary. Few, if any, likely sensed the undercurrent of excitement felt by teachers and administrators, who found out this week that the school is ...
Slapstick of 'Hysteria' has some real slap to it.(Theater review)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Pat Craig Sep. 1--At first, it rolls hilariously along like a Woody Allen-esque daydream -- fraught with Freud and brimming with sly, offhanded psychoanalytic allusions. But the dream quickly becomes a nightmare in Terry Johnson's "Hysteria," which opened ...
Police misconduct hearings to resume.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Doug Oakley Sep. 1--The Berkeley Police Review Commission hopes to soon resume questioning police officers in as many as 30 misconduct cases after a yearlong shutdown. "I'm hoping (closed) hearings will resume in October," commission review officer Victoria ...
Community says goodbye to retiring mail carrier: PLEASANTON: 63-year-old, who served the country club route for 15 years, is greeted with balloons, gifts, giant card.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Kelly Gust Sep. 1--By Kelly Gust STAFF WRITER Friday was Irene Marquez's last day on the job. As she rounded the corner and rode into Castlewood Country Club for the final time, the postal carrier couldn't believe here eyes. Along the ...
Coffee revolutionary, Peet's founder dies at 87: Netherlands native brought specially roasted beans to Bay Area.(Obituary)(Company overview)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Blanca Torres Sep. 1--There was a time when most people were content drinking mediocre coffee. Cup by cup, Alfred Peet helped change that. Peet, who founded Peet's Coffee and Tea Inc. and is considered a forefather of specialty coffee, died Wednesday at his ...
District, city in snyc on superintendent hunt: BYRON: Both agree on qualities new schools leader should possess.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Paula King Sep. 1--BYRON -- The Byron school board and the community it serves share common goals in the selection of the next schools superintendent. When the school board and residents of the Byron Union School District were asked to come up with a list of ...
Area holds its breath as Bay Bridge closes: Caltrans begins countdown to reopen span by Tuesday.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Erik N. Nelson Sep. 1--For the first time since being damaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, Bay Area motorists were prohibited Friday night from using the entire Bay Bridge for the next 31/2 days to allow Caltrans to replace a 350-foot section on Yerba Buena ...
Protest's tragic turn remembered: 20 years later, man hit by train at Concord weapons station is still speaking out against wars.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Ryan Huff Sep. 1--CLYDE -- S. Brian Willson's shin bone sits in a medicine bag hanging on his living room wall. It's next to the boots and St. Louis Cardinals cap he wore during a protest when a military train ran over his legs Sept. 1, 1987, on tracks at the Concord ...
El Cerrito Democratic Club makes its influence felt.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Justin Hill Sep. 1--Two years ago, in the midst of a special statewide election, the El Cerrito Democratic Club delivered its ballot recommendations to residences in the city and Kensington. Among the club's endorsements was Measure J, a $400 million capital ...
Houses of worship are answering the green call: Online store offers a variety of energy-efficient products that could result in big savings for churches.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum Sep. 1--Motivated by an EPA challenge to cut energy use by 10 percent, an interfaith organization has launched an online store to shop energy-efficientproducts to houses of worship. California Interfaith Power and Light developed ...
Oakland synagogue celebrates 100 years: Rabbi says unique programs, such as Rock 'N' Roll Shabbat, have encouraged many to join Temple Beth Abraham.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Angela Hill Sep. 1--OAKLAND -- At 100 years old, Temple Beth Abraham is a conservative synagogue of rich tradition and somber rites -- although sometimes the conservative and somber parts take a little vacation when the rabbi whips out his electric guitar, and leads the ...
Bears need to play better on both sides of ball to beat Vols.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Jonathan Okanes Sep. 1--BERKELEY -- One of football's golden rules is that victory starts at the line of scrimmage. So is that why Tennessee beat Cal so badly last season? It depends on whom you ask. Of course, the Vols say yes. The Bears aren't so sure. ...
Accusations against coach rejected: LAFAYETTE: Parents say coach used abusive language.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Katherine Tam Sep. 1--Acalanes school officials have rejected two parents' claims against boys basketball coach Russ Scheibley, who they say uses demeaning language and threatened to throw a ball at a student. The school board declined to discuss the decision ...
UC's fence around trees is legal, judge decides.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: William Brand Sep. 1--BERKELEY -- The 8-foot chain link fence surrounding a UC Berkeley grove of oak trees occupied by a band of protesters can stay in place, an Alameda County Superior Court judge has ruled. In a decision released late Thursday, Judge Barbara ...
Delta water supply slashed: Environmentalists still hoped for more as judge orders cutbacks to protect fish; rationing may be considered next year.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Mike Taugher Sep. 1--FRESNO -- California's water supply suffered a historic blow Friday when a federal judge ordered a series of cutbacks and other measures meant to protect a tiny Delta fish from going extinct. The order is expected to force water agencies ...
Residents chime in with suggestions for parks' names: DUBLIN: After Community Services Department seeks public's help, 92 proposals roll in.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Sophia Kazmi Sep. 1--"Green Acres" could be the place to be if the Dublin City Council so chooses. Or perhaps the council will go nuts over "Squirrel Park," or hit a pot of gold with "Leprechaun Isle." Those were three of the 92 names suggested last month for ...
'Kentucky' a grand saga brought to life.(Theater review)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Pat Craig Sep. 1--There is less here than meets the eye -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing. "The Kentucky Cycle," based on its title alone, sounds like homework. But if Robert Schenkkan had called the epic, six-hour, two-part saga something ...
Kiffin in no rush to name QB: Coach could wait until the day before the opener to announce Culpepper or McCown as the starter.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Steve Corkran Sep. 1--Raiders coach Lane Kiffin is prepared to inform Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown who the starting quarterback is going to be for the regular-season opener Sept. 9. Others are going to have to wait longer. Perhaps as long as the day ...
Clayton Valley stumbles in opener.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Ben Enos Sep. 1--When Luther Burbank-Sacramento High School kick returner Lucky Dozier fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half Friday with his team leading 14-6, it appeared he had given host Clayton Valley the opportunity it needed to get back in the game. ...
Fashion draped with hints of retro.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Dino-Ray Ramos Sep. 1--As we reflect on the fourth annual San Francisco Fashion Week, it is apparent that this year's designers teleported to various style eras for their inspiration. The eclectic aesthetic of the Bay Area was reflected in the collections shown from Aug ....
Oh how her garden grows.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Lucinda Ryan Sep. 1--You get the idea right away. Just outside the front door, a large built-in wooden planter box hosts a very supple crop of fat-petaled impatiens. They are so healthy they nearly spring out of the planter; some are so large their weight ...
Teen convicted in deaths of Tongan royals back in jail: Judge stays two-year sentence, increases bail for 19-year-old to $100,000.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Michael Manekin Sep. 1--REDWOOD CITY -- There was good and bad news Friday for Edith Delgado, the 19-year-old Redwood City woman convicted of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in connection with the deaths of a Tongan royal couple and their driver in a vehicle collision ...
Chavez, two others done for the season: Third baseman is expected to have shoulder surgery in the coming days.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Joe Stiglich Sep. 1--OAKLAND -- The A's are trying to make sure the 2008 season unfolds in a healthier fashion than 2007. The team announced Friday that third baseman Eric Chavez and outfielders Travis Buck and Mark Kotsay, all on the disabled list, will sit ...
School still short of federal standards: Concord's Ygnacio Valley Elementary faces possible sanctions, but it's on track to meet state achievement guidelines.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Shirley Dang Sep. 1--On Friday, his fifth day of fourth grade, Manuel Zaragoza ventured to Alaska to see the Iditarod dog race. Through a reading lesson at school, the 9-year-old traveled to the snowy tundra. Along with main character Akiak, a sled dog, Manuel ...
Teachers OK deal to end strike threat: Two-year deal gives educators a 4 percent raise that is retroactive to 2006 and one-time 3.5 percent bonus.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Kimberly S. Wetzel Sep. 1--Teachers' ratification this week of a tentative salary agreement between their union and the West Contra Costa Unified School District eliminates the threat of a strike that loomed over summer break. More than 780 of the ...
A's fall to Tigers.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Chace Bryson OAKLAND, Calif. _ When the Detroit Tigers leave town Sunday night, few people will be happier than Dan Haren. And as long as Justin Verlander is on the plane, the A's offense isn't likely to shed any tears either. Squaring off for the third time ...
Cal gains a measure of revenge against Tennessee.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Jonathan Okanes BERKELEY, Calif. _ Cal may not have delivered the same message it received from Tennessee last season, but it proved it has the playmakers to compete with the best teams in the nation. The Bears exacted revenge on last year's whipping in ...
Cal's payback vs. Tennessee is a Golden Bear.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Jonathan Okanes BERKELEY, Calif. _ Cal may not have delivered the same message it received from Tennessee last season, but it proved it has the playmakers to compete with the best teams in the nation. The Bears exacted revenge on last season's whipping in ...
Protesters gather to remember 20 years ago at Concord Naval Weapons Station.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Ryan Huff Sep. 1--CLYDE -- Their hair was a little grayer and they had no trains to block this time, but that didn't stop dozens of protesters from gathering Saturday near the Concord Naval Weapons Station to commemorate a turning point in the peace movement exactly 20 ...
BRIEF: Fire guts tire store in Benicia.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Nargis Norristani Sep. 1--An internal fire gutted a retail tire store in Benicia early Saturday morning. Big O Tires in the 400 block of Military East was reported engulfed in flames at 6:01 a.m., said Gene Gantt, deputy fire chief for the Benicia Fire ...
BRIEF: Motorcyclist dies in Pleasant Hill.
Sep 01, 2007 ... Byline: Nargis Nooristani Sep. 1--Pleasant Hill police say alcohol may have been involved in a fatal motorcycle collision near the city's downtown early Saturday morning. The solo crash occurred sometime between 1 and 2 a.m. in the 2300 block of Monument Boulevard, ...
Exhibit marks art college's centennial.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Robert Taylor Sep. 2--When the California College of Arts and Crafts dropped its mellifluous-sounding name in 2003 and became California College of the Arts, it seemed that the school had lost a piece of its heritage. Now the Oakland institution was "CCA." What's that -- ...
Care for a slice of 'Sweeney' pie, anyone?
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Pat Craig Sep. 2--The first of fall's changing colors will be red, as in blood, when American Conservatory Theater opens its season with John Doyle's chillingly re-imagined version of "Sweeney Todd," the musical tale of a barber-done-wrong, who exacts his revenge by ...
These clever travelers are quite the hunters.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Anne Chalfant Sep. 2--All we can say is-- WOW! An astounding 301 teams played the Times' Great Road Trip Scavenger Hunt this summer. We've received thousands of photos from contestants who sought the 20 oddball items on our list. What we learned ...
Plans for new school still alive: Liberty Union officials proceed, even though bond measure failed.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Rowena Coetsee Sep. 2--BRENTWOOD -- With all three of its comprehensive high schools expected to exceed capacity in four years, Liberty Union High School District is pushing ahead with plans to build a fourth, even though it doesn't yet have the money. ...
Students see red over dress code: Teens protest high school's ban on gang-associated colors, intend to take fight to trustees.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Todd R. Brown Sep. 2--NEWARK -- Yury Serrano wore her red tracksuit jacket Friday to Newark Memorial High School. The 12th-grader has sported the garment for years but said she got an unusual reaction to it earlier this week. Serrano, 17, said an administrator ...
Healing 'Reigning Woman' icon coming to San Francisco: The Russian Orthodox relic is named because it pictures the mother of Jesus, holding a scepter.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum Sep. 2--A Russian Orthodox icon unearthed from a sooty hiding place in 1917 and said to possess miraculous healing powers comes to San Francisco this month with revived Sretensky Monastery Choir. The "goodwill tour" fetes the healing of a ...
Atheist pursues political mission: Angry at what he sees as government support of religion, businessman holds protest rallies.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Julia Scott Sep. 2--PACIFICA -- Jim Heldberg became an atheist sitting in church. Raised by religious Methodist parents in Kansas, Heldberg spent every weekend in church as a child. He grew into a teenager with an interest in science who, while seeking ...
Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Gary Bogue column: A donation to Lindsay is a gift to the animals.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Gary Bogue Sep. 2--It's OK to care. That's what life is all about. Dear Gary: I know that your readers believe that wildlife needs protecting; each year thousands of local residents go out of their way to bring injured or orphaned animals to the ...
Warriors, Nelson yet to agree on contract: With training camp a month away, talks remain stalled between the coach and the team.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Geoff Lepper Sep. 2--OAKLAND -- Barely a month remains until the Warriors' 2007-08 training camp is scheduled to begin, and negotiations between the team and coach Don Nelson remain as they have for weeks: stalled out. The two sides are scheduled to talk in ...
Four-star hotels not always all they're cracked up to be.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: S. Michele Fry Sep. 2--Wrap me in luxury. It sounds fantastic, an added bonus to a travel experience. So when I find a deal on a four-star hotel, I snap it up. Four stars are obviously better than the two stars in my price range. Right? It's turning out not ...
SCOTS HAVE DAY IN THE SUN: PLEASANTON: Plenty of dancing and caber tossing -- and, of course, no shortage of kilts.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Lea Blevins Sep. 2--Everyone may be honorarily Irish on St. Patrick's Day, but everyone at the Alameda County Fairgrounds this weekend was an honorary Scot. The Caledonian Club of San Francisco presented its 142nd annual Scottish Highland Gathering and Games ...
Protesters remember maiming: Dozens gather on 20th anniversary of day peace activist run over by train.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Ryan Huff Sep. 2--CLYDE -- Their hair was a little grayer, and they had no trains to block this time, but that didn't stop dozens of protesters from gathering Saturday near the Concord Naval Weapons Station to commemorate a turning point in the peace movement exactly 20 ...
Crockett doesn't make cut: Darius, Boothe and Moses are among the players released by Oakland.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Steve Corkran Sep. 2--New coach Lane Kiffin tweaked, massaged and manipulated his roster all day Friday and the first half of Saturday until he arrived at the 53-player combination he thinks gives the Raiders their best shot at success this season. As ...
Bay Bridge project right on schedule Drivers heed warnings, find other ways to get around.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Erik N. Nelson Sep. 2--Considering the blockage in the Bay Area's main artery, the prognosis Saturday was not bad. The first full closure of the Bay Bridge since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake may have been the cause of some backups on roads and streets ...
Soccer games unite area Afghans.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Tanya Rose Sep. 2--LIVERMORE -- Ebad Mobaligh of Union City remembers playing soccer as a kid in the dusty streets of Afghanistan with a ball made of plastic and cloth. Soccer, he said, was the one joy, the one hobby, that the Taliban allowed in the 1990s-- ...
Cal avenges loss to Tennessee with impressive showing.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Jonathan Okanes Sep. 2--BERKELEY -- Cal may not have delivered the same message it received from Tennessee last season, but it proved it has the playmakers to compete with the best teams in the nation. The 12th-ranked Bears exacted revenge on last year's ...
Haren has rough outing: A's ace gives up a season-high 11 hits during a 6-1 loss to Detroit.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Chace Bryson Sep. 2--OAKLAND -- When the Detroit Tigers leave town tonight, few people will be happier than Dan Haren. And as long as Justin Verlander is on the plane, the A's offense isn't likely to shed any tears either. Squaring off for the third time in ...
Hospital charity gets a checkupCan hospitals justify big tax breaks?
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Sep. 2--The East Bay's nonprofit hospitals receive millions of dollars more in tax breaks each year than they dole out in charity care to the poor and uninsured. The hospitals benefited from at least $81 million in tax breaks in 2005, while ...
Just what doc ordered: the Pharmacists.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Tony Hicks Sep. 2--The first night of my first trip to the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, in March 2002 was pretty fortuitous. And I really had no idea what I was doing. Looking at a schedule of about 1,000 bands playing in about 60 clubs ...
Targets of recall call it a vendetta: PINOLE: One councilman resigns, two others vow to keep seats.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Tom Lochner Sep. 2--The resignation of one City Council member and the filing of petitions against two others opens a new chapter in Pinole's recall follies, but the targets who remain standing are staying steadfastly on message. "The recall is politics at ...
How Times analyzed charity-care data.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Sep. 2--The charity care series was reported by Sandy Kleffman and edited by assistant metro editor Andrew McGall, under the direction of Carolyn McMillan, assistant managing editor for news. Joni Sare prepared all of the graphics. ...
BRIEF: Two hurt in Antioch parking lot shooting.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Scott Marshall Sep. 2--Two people were shot in a convenience store parking lot early Saturday, according to Antioch police. The 1:49 a.m. shootings occurred during a fight at a 7-Eleven store at 2301 Buchanan Road, according to Antioch police Sgt. Diane ...
Delivery man killed in Pittsburg robbery.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Sep. 2--Pittsburg police are looking for two men who robbed a beauty supply store and killed a 65-year-old delivery man Saturday. Pittsburg police were dispatched to L&L Beauty Supply in the 200 block of Atlantic Avenue at 7:30 p.m., police ...
BRIEF: Power outage in Oakley Sunday.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Sep. 2--An Oakley neighborhood that has been without power since 5:25 a.m. Sunday can expect it to return by around 7 p.m., a PG&E spokeswoman said. About 272 customers have been without power, one of several outages over the last few weeks ...
BRIEF: Man dies in Antioch car accident.
Sep 02, 2007 ... Byline: Scott Marshall Sep. 2--A man died Saturday night after the vehicle he was driving struck a wall in Antioch, police said. The accident occurred on Putnam Street near Monterey Drive about 6:39 p.m., according to Antioch police Sgt. Scott Freier. The ...
Katey Sagal makes a full circle back to music.
Sep 03, 2007 ... Byline: Pat Craig Sep. 3--As a young girl, Katey Sagal dreamed of being a singer/songwriter along the lines of Laura Nyro. And she did it -- Tuesday, in fact, she begins a five-day run at the Empire Plush Room in San Francisco, singing her own tunes to the cabaret ...
Young Chinese language learners sprouting up: OAKLAND: Culture camp is taking on a newer approach to teaching the Pinyin form of Mandarin.
Sep 03, 2007 ... Byline: Katy Murphy Sep. 3--OAKLAND -- As two women roll balls of dough into round, flat circles, Shudan Wang, the head teacher, takes one in the palm of her hand and holds it up. Then she spoons a dollup of stuffing in the center and folds the dough around it. "Zhe ...
Colleges upgrade emergency-response plan: For first time, district assigns one of its police officers to full-time disaster preparedness.
Sep 03, 2007 ... Byline: Matt Krupnick Sep. 3--With everything from disease to terrorism threatening large institutions, Contra Costa Community College District leaders have decided to prepare for the worst. The three-school district for the first time has assigned a college police ...
Bay Bridge work right on schedule.
Sep 03, 2007 ... Byline: Erik N. Nelson Sep. 3--The constant knocking of pneumatic hammers filled the cool evening air on Yerba Buena Island on Sunday night as they broke apart the last few big chunks of concrete from the severed end of the eastern span of the Bay Bridge, closed this Labor Day ...
Opening of new water attraction in Pleasant Hill delayed: PLEASANT HILL: 'Sprayground' was to be completed earlier this summer, but equipment was not available.
Sep 03, 2007 ... Byline: Danielle Samaniego Sep. 3--Pleasant Hill Park's newest summer attraction has yet to be unveiled even as the hot season begins to wind down. The "Sprayground" -- a 50-by-50-foot aquatic area featuring ground sprays, a water tunnel, interactive spray cannons and ...
$9,000 hospital bill weighs on couple: Debt shows up on their credit report and collection agencies call.
Sep 03, 2007 ... Byline: Sandy Kleffman Sep. 3--VALLEJO -- As a precaution, Judith Williams mentioned to her doctor during a routine checkup that she was having difficulty going up and down stairs. Little did she realize where that simple statement would take her. Two ...