Oakland Tribune back issues from August 2007:
McNerney faces backlash from left
Aug 01, 2007; ... Some activists and bloggers are disappointed with Rep. JerryMcNerney, whom they had supported ardently in last year's electionbut who now doesn't seem to live up to all of their progressiveexpectations. McNerney, D-Pleasanton, last week opposed an amendment to forbidthe Justice ...
State board honors three with award for contributions to clean air effort
Aug 01, 2007 ... The state's clean air cops honored a NASA scientist, a formerlawmaker and a former regulator Monday for "outstanding, cutting-edge work" to improve air quality in the state and beyond. James Hansen, Fran Pavley and Alan Lloyd each received the Haagen-Smit Award from the California ...
Driving to San Jose airport? Be patient
Aug 01, 2007; ... Driving to Mineta International Airport during the next fewmonths? Have patience. Lots of it. Beginning next month, navigating the roads around the airportwill be a lot tougher, with the next phase of a multiyear renovationproject -- a phase slated to cost $1.3 billion -- kicks ...
Internet poker jokester deals stir
Aug 01, 2007; ... SACRAMENTO -- The state could be in the Internet poker businessnext year, if a petition drive catches on. A proposed initiative to create a state-owned Internet poker gamedrew attention Tuesday from the existing gambling community --including Indian casino tribes -- and support ...
Grand Prix will return to San Jose, officials vow
Aug 01, 2007; ... The popular but controversial San Jose Grand Prix will returnnext year, race officials said, despite the loss of a $4 million city subsidy, sponsorship difficulties and attendancethat has fallen short of expectations. Organizers said preliminary estimates for this year's ...
State grant to fund research into contaminated beaches
Aug 01, 2007 ... PRINCETON-BY-THE-SEA -- Everyone has a theory about what causeddangerously high levels of E. coli to multiply on the beaches withinPillar Point Harbor. Some say it's the seagulls, which roost and feed on the beachesand surrounding rivers that flow into the harbor. Others blame ...
AC Transit Bus fire closes 2 lanes of Interstate 880
Aug 01, 2007; ... SAN LEANDRO -- A Tuesday morning bus fire snarled the commute onsouthbound Interstate 880. About 7:15 a.m., the California Highway Patrol responded to areport of an AC Transit bus on fire on the right side of the roadnear Washington Avenue. "Flames were seen coming from ...
In Brief
Aug 01, 2007 ... Whole Foods earnings Whole Foods Market Inc. said Tuesday that its profit slipped inthe most recent quarter despite higher sales, as the natural andorganic retailer doubled spending on new stores. The Austin, Texas-based grocer, which is also fighting this week to save its ...
Juvaris flu vaccine push wins grant
Aug 01, 2007; ... Pleasanton-based Juvaris BioTherapeutics Inc. on Tuesdayannounced another big shot in the arm from the federal government --a $9 million grant over five years to develop a way to boost theeffectiveness of flu vaccines. Juvaris will split an as-yet-undetermined portion of the ...
West Nile virus kills San Joaquin County man
Aug 01, 2007; ... An 86-year-old San Joaquin County man recently died aftercontracting West Nile virus, according to public health officials. He lives in the central part of the county, but health officialswould not say exactly where he lived and when he died. The man became infected with the ...
Fast-growing SolarCity bright on future
Aug 01, 2007; ... Reflecting the ongoing boom in alternative-energy-relatedbusinesses, solar installation company SolarCity has tripled in sizein the last five months and moved into new 10,000-square-footheadquarters in Foster City. Founded in 2006, SolarCity now has some 160 employees and ...
Auctions of home foreclosures on rise
Aug 01, 2007; ... OAKLAND - JUST ABOUT every day they gather on the courthousesteps, waiting for an auctioneer to read off a list of foreclosedhomes. Some -- those with the cell phones adhered to an ear -- are theseasoned professionals. Others are curious newbies. Either way, most are men ...
U.S. House OKs Rep.Lee's Darfur divestment bill
Aug 01, 2007; ... The House voted 418-1 Tuesday to pass Rep. Barbara Lee's bill tostrengthen states' rights to divest from international companieswhose business in Sudan supports genocide in Darfur, and to bar suchcompanies from getting federal contracts. "No one should have to worry that they are ...
Feds, LAPD freeze Berkeley pot club's assets
Aug 01, 2007; ... BERKELEY -- A city-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensary hadits assets frozen this week, prompting some city council members tocall for new city laws protecting such businesses. The Berkeley Patient Group was notified Monday that its bankaccount was frozen by the Los Angeles ...
DA office looks into Berkeley official
Aug 01, 2007; ... For the second time in four years, a Berkeley rent board memberis facing allegations he committed fraud by telling voters he livesin Berkeley when his actual home is in Oakland. City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque said Tuesday she notified theAlameda County district attorney's ...
Experts: Cal sports center site not on quake fault
Aug 01, 2007; ... BERKELEY -- The United States Geological Survey and theCalifornia Geological Survey have confirmed earlier conclusions thatthe proposed athletic center at the University of California,Berkeley, would not be constructed on top of the Hayward fault,according to letters from the agencies ...
Lower gas prices state's prize for green habits?
Aug 01, 2007; ... It's the peak of the summer driving season, crude oil hit an all-time high Tuesday of $78 a barrel and still, somehow, gas prices inCalifornia have been steadily sliding. In fact, at $3.07 a gallon, the average cost of gas in the stateisn't much more -- and in a few cases it's ...
Over $12M for social programs
Aug 01, 2007; ... OAKLAND -- Mayor Ron Dellums was joined by top state officialsTuesday in announcing that Oakland has received more than $12million in state bond money to provide housing and recreationopportunities for the city's elderly, youth and homelesspopulations. The $12 million -- a ...
Budget deadlock stalls billion-plus in key payments
Aug 01, 2007; ... SACRAMENTO -- Senate leader Don Perata will call the upper houseinto session today to deal with the deadlocked state budget as thefiscal and human toll began to emerge, with the state controllerannouncing he withheld more than $1 billion from essential servicesin a "dangerous" but ...
Recall targets tainted ginger from China
Aug 01, 2007; ... A Gilroy company's recall of Chinese fresh ginger contaminatedwith a toxic pesticide is the latest scare involving imported gingerand other food products from China. No illnesses were reported as of Monday, a day after Californiaofficials first issued a public warning to advise ...
Silence descends on shuttered school
Aug 01, 2007; ... OAKLAND -- Teachers sat in stunned silence Tuesday morning afterthe governing board of University Preparatory Charter Academy votedto close the troubled high school immediately rather than fight tokeep it open. The decision to dissolve Uprep and displace some 400 ...
Caltrans: Be afraid of Bay Bridge shutdown
Aug 01, 2007; ... Forget that Caltrans rebuilt the melted MacArthur Maze ahead ofschedule. Wipe from your memory the fact that motorists coped withthat feared traffic nightmare by taking BART in record numbers.Never mind that when half the Bay Bridge was shut down over lastyear's Labor Day Weekend, ...
Activists call PUC plan an unwise water grab
Aug 01, 2007; ... A San Francisco Public Utilities Commission proposal to draw morewater from Yosemite's famed Tuolumne River is as unwise as it isunnecessary, two environmental groups asserted Tuesday. Mostirksome: The bulk of the crystal-clear water is destined forsuburban lawns and landscaping ....
Neighborhood, city file lawsuit over school lights
Aug 01, 2007; ... EL CERRITO -- The city of El Cerrito and a neighborhood grouphave filed separate lawsuits against the Albany school districtclaiming the district violated state environmental law when itapproved plans to renovate and upgrade Cougar Field. Both suits -- filed in Contra Costa ...
Activists call PUC plan an unwise water grab
Aug 01, 2007; ... A San Francisco Public Utilities Commission proposal to draw morewater from Yosemite's famed Tuolumne River is as unwise as it isunnecessary, two environmental groups asserted Tuesday. Mostirksome: The bulk of the crystal-clear water is destined forsuburban lawns and landscaping ....
Recall targets toxin-laced fresh ginger from China
Aug 01, 2007; ... A Gilroy company's recall of Chinese fresh ginger contaminatedwith a toxic pesticide is the latest scare involving imported gingerand other food products from China. No illnesses were reported as of Monday, a day after Californiaofficials first issued a public warning to advise ...
Activists call PUC plan an unwise water grab
Aug 01, 2007; ... A San Francisco Public Utilities Commission proposal to draw morewater from Yosemite's famed Tuolumne River is as unwise as it isunnecessary, two environmental groups said Tuesday. Most irksome:The bulk of the crystal-clear water is destined for suburban lawnsand landscaping ....
Review board deems judge unqualified
Aug 01, 2007 ... EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a sampling of political reporter JoshRichman's The Political Blotter blog, covering politics and eventsthroughout the Bay Area. Read more and post comments at http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics. The Capricious Commuter blog will returnnext week. July 23 ...
State honors trio for improving air quality
Aug 01, 2007 ... The state's clean air cops honored a NASA scientist, a formerlawmaker and a former regulator Monday for "outstanding, cutting-edge work" to improve air quality in the state and beyond. James Hansen, Fran Pavley and Alan Lloyd each received the Haagen-Smit Award from the California ...
House passes Lee's Darfur bill
Aug 01, 2007; ... The House voted 418 to 1 Tuesday to pass Rep. Barbara Lee's billto strengthen states' rights to divest from international companieswhose business in Sudan supports genocide in Darfur, and to bar suchcompanies from getting federal contracts. "No one should have to worry that they ...
Californians blow hot air on warming
Aug 01, 2007; ... SACRAMENTO -- Many Californians' alarmed talk about globalwarming amounts to a lot of hot air. Experts say residents are growing more opinionated on the issue -- and hypocritical. A survey by the Public Policy Institute of California shows mostresidents think dirty air from ...
Play to depict utopia of escaped slaves in Brazil
Aug 01, 2007; ... She's not exactly sure why. But four months ago, Kim McMillon, aBay Area playwright and publicist, started reading everything shecould find about the 1984 movie "Quilombo" by internationally knownBrazilian filmmaker Carlos Diegues. The film is based on the truestory of a community of ...
Grand Prix will return to San Jose, officials vow
Aug 01, 2007; ... The popular but controversial San Jose Grand Prix will returnnext year, race officials said, despite the loss of a $4 millioncity subsidy, sponsorship difficulties and attendance that hasfallen short of expectations. Organizers said preliminary estimates for this year's ...
McNerney faces liberal backlash
Aug 01, 2007; ... Some activists and bloggers are disappointed with Rep. JerryMcNerney, who'd they'd supported ardently in last year's electionbut who now doesn't seem to live up to all of their progressiveexpectations. McNerney, D-Pleasanton, last week opposed an amendment to forbidthe Justice ...
Man hurt in drive-by shooting
Aug 01, 2007 ... HAYWARD -- A young man received non-life-threatening injurieswhen shot while walking down Oliver Drive about 3:44 p.m. Monday,police said. He was walking near the strip mall near West Tennyson Road, whenshot at by two people in a gray four-door sedan. Six small-caliberrounds ...
3 held in Hayward armed robbery
Aug 01, 2007; ... HAYWARD -- Police are looking for a man in connection with aMonday night armed robbery at a convenience store at IndustrialParkway and Mission Boulevard. About 10:20 p.m. police responded to a call from a witnessinforming them of a possible robbery at 7 Star Food, 29633 ...
Bus fire closes two lanes of I-880
Aug 01, 2007; ... SAN LEANDRO -- A Tuesday morning bus fire snarled the commute onsouthbound Interstate 880. About 7:15 a.m., the California Highway Patrol responded to areport of an AC Transit bus on fire on the right side of the roadnear Washington Avenue. "Flames were seen coming from ...
Flood control tax may rise for parts of Alameda County
Aug 01, 2007; ... Do you live or pay property taxes in Castro Valley, San Lorenzo,Ashland, Cherryland or central San Leandro? If so, there's a likelihood that a vote will be taken forincreased flood control taxes. These areas, known as Zone 2 of the Alameda County Flood Controldistrict, are ...
C.V. waste collection resumes
Aug 01, 2007; ... CASTRO VALLEY -- Things are mostly back to normal in CastroValley when it comes to trash, recycling and yard waste collections. Castro Valley Sanitary District workers checked Monday'scollections by Waste Management of Alameda County's regular drivers,back on the job after a ...
Union City breaks ground on high-rises
Aug 01, 2007; ... UNION CITY -- Call it Union City development 2.0. With little land left for sprawling subdivisions, the city isstarting to build skyward -- part of a plan to develop a high-density urban core around the BART station. Step One took place Tuesday with the groundbreaking of ...
No sugarcoating Bay Bridge shutdown
Aug 01, 2007; ... Forget that Caltrans rebuilt the melted MacArthur Maze ahead ofschedule. Wipe from your memory of the fact that motorists copedwith that feared traffic nightmare by taking BART in record numbers.Nevermind that when half the Bay Bridge was shut down over lastyear's Labor Day weekend, ...
Anchor was in ER night before surgery
Aug 01, 2007; ... During Pete Wilson's last broadcast on KGO-AM, he spoke openly ofhis apprehension over his hip replacement surgery, scheduled thefollowing morning. Even though 13 years earlier he went through the same procedurefor the other hip, the left, he was unaccountably distressed ...
California looking at Internet poker initiative
Aug 01, 2007; ... SACRAMENTO -- The state could be in the Internet poker businessnext year, if a petition drive catches on. A proposed initiative to create a state-owned Internet poker gamedrew attention Tuesday from the existing gambling community --including Indian casino tribes -- and support ...
Grant to fund study of contaminated sites
Aug 01, 2007; ... PRINCETON-BY-THE-SEA -- Everyone has a theory about what causeddangerously high levels of E. coli to multiply on the beaches withinPillar Point Harbor. Some say it's the seagulls, which roost and feed on the beachesand surrounding rivers that flow into the harbor. Others blame ...
'Mastermind' Walsh dies
Aug 01, 2007; ... Bill Walsh, who lifted the San Francisco 49ers to greatness andhis stagnant coaching career into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,died Monday morning at his Woodside home from the effects ofleukemia. He was 75. "He was the finest coach who ever coached football," said BillRing, who ...
Lower gas prices state's reward for new habits?
Aug 01, 2007; ... It's the peak of the summer driving season, crude oil hit an all-time high Tuesday of $78 a barrel, and, still, somehow, gas pricesin California have been steadily sliding. In fact, at $3.07 a gallon, the average cost of gas in the stateisn't much more -- and in a few cases it's ...
Do increased alcohol percentages ruin or enhance wines?
Aug 01, 2007 ... WHEN I started writing about wine back in my green youth, one ofthe very first things I did was to visit with the industry leadersof the day to introduce myself and also to press them on their goalsand beliefs. I was making the transition from knowledgeable consumer ...
Balance salmon dish with Groth sauvignon blanc
Aug 01, 2007 ... Groth 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, $17.50 -- with -- KingSalmon with Cauliflower-Leek Puree, Roasted Tomatoes, and Tapenade BALANCED wine, says Chef Kimball Jones, demands balanced food.That's why Jones loves to serve this medium-bodied, palate-cleansing Groth sauvignon blanc ...
Wine Events
Aug 01, 2007 ... East Bay - Summer-Fete Open House is from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 11 and 12.It's a celebration of the best Rosenblum Cellars has to offer,including hors d'oeuvres, futures and a Riedel glass to take home.Cost is $40 at door or $30 in advance at http://www.rosenblumcellars.com. 2900 ...
Grenadine may be made from corn syrup
Aug 01, 2007 ... Q. Where can I find grenadine? A. Grenadine is a sweet red syrup used mostly in drinks, from theTequila Sunrise and the Shirley Temple to the Jack Rose andPlanter's Punch. While the old-fashioned version is made frompomegranates (aside: both "grenadine" and "pomegranate" get ...
Chill out with cold soup on hot summer days
Aug 01, 2007 ... Cold soups, from gazpacho to pureed melon, are a fantastic summerappetizer. When you make them, be sure to check their seasoning, assalt comes through less in cold food than in room temperature food.If you're serving the soups outside on a hot summer day, make themslightly thicker than ...
For American beer palate, taste may come once in a Blue Moon
Aug 01, 2007 ... EXACTLY what is a craft beer? How about a Belgian-style ale, made with pale malted barley,wheat and oats, and mildly spicy American Hallertau hops, spicedwith a bit of orange peel and coriander? Sound right down youralley? What if this particular beer wasn't made in a tiny ...
Food tip of the week
Aug 01, 2007 ... NEED a pick-me-up on a hot afternoon? Try Italy's favoritesummertime espresso drink, the shakerato. A cold, frothy blend ofespresso, sugar and ice, a shakerato is a little like a dairy-freeversion of the blended coffee drinks so popular at American coffeeshops. They're traditionally made ...
Guess what's cumin to dinner
Aug 01, 2007; ... MOST RECIPES for Indian curries start with a mind-boggling listof ingredients -- spices and seeds, powders and pastes that many whoare unfamiliar with Indian cuisine can barely pronounce, much lessfind at the local supermarket. "This is the main problem with Indian cooking," says ...
For cleanup, take a tip from Dad and grill
Aug 01, 2007; ... MY DAD is a master of the grill. When I say that you might picture a funny-pages version of dad-as-griller, an only-on-weekends, backyard cook who humorously andconsistently builds an unnecessarily huge fire, grills only thesimplest of steaks, chops, and burgers, and serves them ...
Philippine Cuisine
Aug 01, 2007 ... Common dishes - Adobo: A vinegar-tart stew of meat, seafood or vegetablesflavored with garlic and soy sauce. - Dinuguan: A pork stew thickened with pig's blood and flavoredwith tamarind. - Halo-halo: Meaning "mix-mix," it's the traditional icy dessertof the ...
Reinventing Filipino cooking
Aug 01, 2007; ... ONE OF THE first employee meals Kelly Degala dished up for hisstaff at Va de Vi in Walnut Creek was pork adobo, a long-braisedFilipino stew spiked with vinegar, garlic and soy. The manager liked it so much, he suggested Degala add it to Va de Vi's hipmenu of global small plates ....
A peck of trouble
Aug 01, 2007 ... THE HOUSE Democrats' farm bill did nothing to uproot harmfulsubsidies, so it's up to the Senate to dig in. If the farm bill that oozed through the House of Representativeslast week is Speaker Nancy Pelosi's idea of accomplishing Democrats'goals, we prefer the good old days of ...
Clinton presidency would represent radical innovation
Aug 01, 2007 ... I'M walking down a street in what used to be the communist partof Berlin, when my companion points to a couple of police officersstrolling in front of an otherwise ordinary-looking doorstep. Heexplains to me that this is the apartment of Angela Merkel, head ofthe German government ....
Critics are off-target with Gonzales
Aug 01, 2007 ... ATTORNEY General Alberto Gonzales is in hot water with Congressand the media. What else is new? Actually, Gonzales' critics would say there's a lot that's new inthis Beltway telenovela. That colorful crack will probably get mecensured by liberals who'll accuse me of "playing the ...
Sunset magazine publisher, protector of coast, dies at 85
Aug 01, 2007; ... ATHERTON -- Melvin B. Lane left his mark on Stanford Universityand Sunset magazine, but he did his best to make sure California's1,100 miles of coastline, as well as San Francisco Bay, remaineduntouched. The former magazine publisher and environmentalist, who also ledseveral ...
House passes Lee's Darfur divestiture bill
Aug 01, 2007; ... The House voted 418-1 Tuesday to pass Rep. Barbara Lee's bill tostrengthen states' rights to divest from international companieswhose business in Sudan supports genocide in Darfur, and to bar suchcompanies from getting federal contracts. "No one should have to worry that they are ...
McNerney struggles to satisfy his 'base'
Aug 01, 2007; ... Some activists and bloggers are disappointed with Rep. JerryMcNerney, who'd they'd supported ardently in last year's electionbut who now doesn't seem to live up to all of their progressiveexpectations. McNerney, D-Pleasanton, last week opposed an amendment to forbidthe Justice ...
Activists denounce PUC water plan
Aug 01, 2007; ... A San Francisco Public Utilities Commission proposal to draw morewater from Yosemite's famed Tuolumne River is as unwise as it isunnecessary, two environmental groups asserted Tuesday. Mostirksome: The bulk of the crystal-clear water is destined forsuburban lawns and landscaping ....
Budget deadlock stalls payments
Aug 01, 2007; ... SACRAMENTO -- Senate leader Don Perata will call the upper houseinto session today to deal with the deadlocked state budget as thefiscal and human toll began to emerge, with the state controllerannouncing he withheld more than $1 billion from essential servicesin a "dangerous" but ...