Oakland Tribune back issues from November 2007:
HBO to feature Californian who died in Jerusalem
Nov 01, 2007; ... In another world, Rachel Levy and Ayat Al-Akhras could have beenfriends. They were both young, dark-haired and pretty. Ayat wanted to be ajournalist, Rachel liked photography. They lived close to oneanother and both enjoyed pop music. But Rachel, who grew up in Northridge ...
Contra Costa suit targets fake legal organizations
Nov 01, 2007; ... Albert Leonard called directory assistance asking for "Legal Aid"after his landlord sent him an eviction notice earlier this year. The operator connected the 72-year-old Richmond man, completelyblind and living on a monthly income of less than $1,000, to an 800-number for the ...
Man shot, killed in West Oakland
Nov 01, 2007 ... OAKLAND -- Police are seeking information in the fatal shootingWednesday night of a West Oakland man in the 1100 block of 8thStreet. The man, who police have not identified, was found shot about 9p.m. outside an apartment complex at 8th and Adeline streets, Lt.Kenny Whitman ...
Schwarzenegger aide gets grilled on health care plan
Nov 01, 2007; ... SACRAMENTO -- With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's health careproposal stalled in negotiations and hopes of a breakthroughdimming, Democrats grilled a top administration aide for nearly twohours Wednesday, claiming that the governor's reforms would sockmiddle class families with insurance ...
Richmond school gets mini-makeover
Nov 01, 2007; ... The buildings at Grant Elementary School are drooping,rectangular blocks of chipped baby blue and beige paint. Faded, forgotten graffiti lurks in the corners of the play yard;at night, thieves chronically ravage the school for anything theycan get their hands on, including broken ...
Investors cheer as Clorox purchases Burt's Bees
Nov 01, 2007; ... Oakland-based The Clorox Co. is waxing green with its $925million acquisition of eco-friendly personal care company Burt'sBees, a move that sent Clorox stock up Wednesday despite a declinein quarterly profit. "This is part of the trend of corporate America moving into ...
Area firefighters back from battle
Nov 01, 2007; ... John Walsh has spent more than 22 years battling fires. The Alameda County Fire Department battalion chief holds a resumethat includes responding to the Oakland hills fire in 1991 and theterrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But he's never done as muchfirefighting as he did last ...
Man critical after hit-and-run Tuesday
Nov 01, 2007 ... OAKLAND -- An unidentified man was in extremely criticalcondition Wednesday after being hit in a crosswalk Tuesday night bya motorist who fled, police said. The man suffered severe head and other injuries. He had noidentification with him and authorities were trying to learn ...
Poll finds college fee hikes worry Californians
Nov 01, 2007; ... Californians are more worried than ever about rising collegecosts, according to a statewide survey. Released Wednesday, the poll by the Public Policy Institute ofCalifornia revealed widespread concern that the state's higher-education prices could hurt the economy. More than 80 ...
Program gives youth confidence to find careers
Nov 01, 2007; ... SAN LEANDRO -- Six weeks ago, 18-year-old Heleine Kaufusi wasnervous about getting a job but knew exactly where she wanted to endup: the airline industry. "But first, I thought I'd better work as a cashier at Ross andgraduate from high school," the San Lorenzo senior said ....
State Web site locates unclaimed property
Nov 01, 2007; ... HAVING MONEY is a good thing. Coming across money that you haveforgotten is an even better thing. Just ask Berkeley resident Barry Rosen, who recently received a$3,200 check thanks to ...
Drive-by wounds girl, 13 Girl shot in apparent gang-related incident
Nov 01, 2007 ... OAKLAND -- A 13-year-old girl was shot in the leg Wednesdayafternoon in what police said was a gang-related attack. The name of the girl, an Oakland resident, was not released. Shewas in stable condition at a local hospital Wednesday. The shooting happened about 12:40 p.m. on ...
Ultra Clean to move headquarters
Nov 01, 2007; ... THE EAST BAY has landed a new tech company. Ultra Clean HoldingsInc. confirmed Wednesday that it has decided to depart Menlo Parkand move its headquarters and hundreds of employees to Hayward. About 300 to 350 Ultra Clean workers are expected to move to thecompany's new offices ...
Quake insurance costs shake consumers
Nov 01, 2007; ... The moderate temblor that shook up the Bay Area Tuesday night nodoubt has a lot of people wondering about earthquake insurance.Should they get it or just take their chances and hope the Big Onenever destroys their home.? While many people may even make a call in the next few days ...
Olympian turns the down, out into chefs
Nov 01, 2007; ... MICHAEL STAMM has contrasting tattoos on his forearms. On his right arm is rushing water, on his left arm flickeringfire. From Olympic swimming champion to Kitchen of Champions, thosetattoos represent his life's journey. "They're personal to me, kind of my yin-yang," he said ...
Cal goes to the people for advice on iconic park's future
Nov 01, 2007 ... BERKELEY -- The University of California, Berkeley, wants yourcomments on the current state of People's Park and what can be doneto make it safer and more accessible for everyone. After a nine-month study of the UC-owned site south of thecampus, MKThink, a consulting firm hired by ...
Journalism class looks at violence
Nov 01, 2007 ... BERKELEY -- A journalism class at University of California,Berkeley is reporting on violence in Oakland and Alameda County, andblogging for the Oakland Tribune along the way. The Reporting on Violence project consists of six students andone professor at the UC Berkeley Graduate ...
Parcel tax now up to voters
Nov 01, 2007; ... OAKLAND -- Oakland voters will decide in February whether torenew a parcel tax that funnels nearly $20 million a year into thecity's public schools. On Wednesday night the school district's state-appointedadministrator moved to place the measure on the Feb. 5 presidentialprimary ...
Will you be ready when the Big One strikes us?
Nov 01, 2007; ... Question: Who did the right thing when the 30-second earthquakehit Tuesday night? A) Beatrice and Xavier Casanova grabbed their toddler and ranoutside. B) Charlene Marquez stood under the door frame in her hallway. C) Mark Mohnhaupt, a 13-year-old at back-to-school ...
Women coping with loss of 'angelitos' turn to group
Nov 01, 2007; ... OAKLAND -- Carmen Mendoza showed a visitor around the altar shehelped set up for the traditional Latin American holiday, Day of theDead. "These are the memories of our children," Mendoza explained inSpanish. "'Camisetitas' (little shirts). Photos. Flowers. Little ...
Baghdad violence, U.S. deaths hit lows
Nov 01, 2007; ... BAGHDAD -- Violence hit a yearly low in Baghdad during October,according to end-of-the-month statistics compiled Wednesday, even askillings elsewhere raised worrisome questions about whether securityimprovements will hold if the United States begins drawing down itsforces next spring ....
Baghdad violence and U.S. troop deaths reach lows
Nov 01, 2007; ... BAGHDAD -- Violence hit a yearly low in Baghdad during October,according to end-of-the-month statistics compiled Wednesday, even askillings elsewhere raised worrisome questions about whether securityimprovements will hold if the U.S. begins drawing down its forcesnext spring ....
More shaking possible but unlikely now
Nov 01, 2007; ... The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck the Calaveras fault nearAlum Rock Tuesday night was the Bay Area's largest quake since themagnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta quake in 1989 and has seismologiststalking about the next big one. "When you get an earthquake of this size or larger, it ...
Contra Costa lawsuit targets fake legal aid organizations
Nov 01, 2007; ... Albert Leonard called directory assistance asking for Legal Aidafter his landlord sent him an eviction notice earlier this year. The operator connected the 72-year-old Richmond man, completelyblind and living on a monthly income of less than $1,000, to an 800-number for the Legal ...
Filipino society comes to Fremont to share stories
Nov 01, 2007; ... It began as a salon-like gathering 10 years ago, to share oneanother's experiences and compare them to the history of Filipinosin this country taught in Asian-American history classes. In 2002, members of the East Bay Filipino American HistoricalSociety turned their personal ...
Bid for Benicias old span in cheap
Nov 01, 2007; ... So the sleek new concrete span of the Benicia Bridge is open,shooting motorists through its newfangled open-road FasTrak and intoBenicia on four lanes. Now motorists going the other way wonder whats happening with theold span, which continues carrying southbound Interstate 680 ...
Group helps grieving moms cope
Nov 01, 2007; ... OAKLAND -- Carmen Mendoza showed a visitor around the altar shehelped set up for the traditional Latin American holiday, Day of theDead. "These are the memories of our children," Mendoza explained inSpanish. "'Camisetitas' (little shirts). Photos. Flowers. Little ...
Irvington shooting suspect to face murder charges
Nov 01, 2007; ... FREMONT -- A 17-year-old boy was formally charged Wednesday withmurder, more than a week after a 24-year-old man was shot at anIrvington shopping center, apparently during a dispute over stolenproperty. Dressed in a blue Alameda County Juvenile Hall sweat shirt andgray sweat ...
Police ID man found dead at bus stop in Hayward
Nov 01, 2007 ... HAYWARD -- A man found dead on a bus stop bench Sunday has beenidentified as 47-year-old William Hicks. Hicks was described as homeless and a heavy drinker, according toSgt. Justin McComas at the Alameda County Coroner's Office. "He has several Oakland addresses, which he ...
BETA graduates its first class
Nov 01, 2007; ... SAN LEANDRO -- Six weeks ago, 18-year-old Heleine Kaufusi wasnervous about getting a job but knew exactly where she wanted to endup: the airline industry. "But first, I thought I'd better work as a cashier at Ross andgraduate from high school," the San Lorenzo senior said ....
Recreation district hires new manager
Nov 01, 2007 ... HAYWARD -- Rita Bedoya Shue will become the Hayward AreaRecreation and Park District's new general manager on Dec. 1. Shue, a San Ramon resident and 28-year district employee, willsucceed Eric Willyerd of Union City, who retires Nov. 30. Shue also is the first woman to head ...
Firefighters back from SoCal
Nov 01, 2007; ... John Walsh has spent more than 22 years battling fires. The Alameda County Fire Department battalion chief holds a resumethat includes responding to the Oakland hills fire in 1991 and theterrorist attacks of Sept. 11. But he's never done as much firefighting as he did last ...
Chamber president quits after 14 years
Nov 01, 2007; ... HAYWARD -- The president of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce,Scott Raty, announced this week that he will step down after 14years at the helm of the influential business association. Raty, who turns 54 this week, will be taking a job closer to homeand one he has held before ....
Region shaken, but worst likely over
Nov 01, 2007; ... The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck the Calaveras fault nearAlum Rock Tuesday night was the Bay Area's largest quake since themagnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta quake in 1989 and has seismologiststalking about the next Big One. "When you get an earthquake of this size or larger, it ...
Ag plan may be added to farm bill
Nov 01, 2007; ... WASHINGTON -- Farmers, immigrants and their Capitol Hill alliesare hoping to graft an agricultural guest-worker plan onto themultibillion-dollar farm bill. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-San Francisco, hasn't yet decidedwhether to push the controversial guest-worker measure when ...
Quake precedes showers in ACT's fine 'Rainmaker'
Nov 01, 2007; ... PA CURRY fiddles around the stove, banging pots and pans, like hewas auditioning to be a one-man band. Smoke pours from the burnersas he starts breakfast for his two boys, Noah and Jim. Then the whole place starts shaking. For a split second, you figure the American ...
Class gets demonstration of fault's power
Nov 01, 2007; ... Geophysicist Mitchell Craig was discussing the Calaveras andHayward faults with his class at California State University, EastBay, on Tuesday night when the lecture hall in Hayward began toshake. "Students began to edge toward the door," Craig said, "but theshaking stopped after ...
'Pushing Daisies' creator opens the gates to fantastic show
Nov 01, 2007; ... SOMETIMES YOU NEED to escape into a cotton candy world whereeverything looks just a little bit brighter and cheerier than inreal life. You wouldn't think a series about a guy who brings murder victimsback to life, just to put them back into their eternal slumber afteruncovering ...
Pipettes provide a slice of girl-group heaven
Nov 01, 2007; ... THE PIPETTES are a marketing dream come to life. The band consists of three spunky and gorgeous young ladies, whogo solely by cutesy first names -- Rosay, RiotBecki and Gwenno. Itdoesn't matter if a gentleman prefers blondes, brunettes orredheads, since there is one of each in the ...
Kitaoka photo exhibit explores everyday life and emotions
Nov 01, 2007; ... 'MOMENTS OF Humanity," a show of photography by Mark Kitaoka,opens Monday at ARTshare 25 in San Mateo. The images capture peoplecaught "in moments of pure unselfconscious living." Kitaoka captures a range of human feelings, from loneliness todespair to utter joy. In his ...
Book explores what becomes of offspring of '60s 'Jesus Freaks'
Nov 01, 2007; ... DAVID BERG was a small-time circuit preacher whose flocks ranthin until the late 1960s, when the sexual revolution and the Jesusmovement bloomed at once. The sex-obsessed Berg wove the two into a double helix, drawingfrom the remnants of hippie life -- people with nothing to ...
Delicious short stories to savor on a cozy afternoon
Nov 01, 2007; ... BREVITY IS one key to a successful short story, but only in termsof word count. In setting, heart, characterization and wow factor, a short storymust hold readers as pleasantly captive as the most suspensefulnovel or eloquent poem. Discipline is required -- and no ...
Are you prepared for the big one?
Nov 01, 2007; ... Question: Who did the right thing when the 30-second earthquakehit Tuesday night? A) Beatrice and Xavier Casanova grabbed their toddler and ranoutside. B) Charlene Marquez stood under the door frame in her hallway. C) Mark Mohnhaupt, a 13-year-old at back-to-school ...
To 'Bee' or not to 'Bee'
Nov 01, 2007; ... JERRY SEINFELD is a guy who knows how to generate buzz -- notthat there's anything wrong with that. The comedian has been busy the past four years writing, producingand starring in the animated film "Bee Movie," which is aboutdiscontented honey bee Barry Benson, who goes looking ...
Animals may be quake sensors
Nov 01, 2007; ... Monica Richards' dog, Shadow, refused to go for a walk in SanJose 15 minutes before Tuesday night's quake. Betty Klanda's cat,Jordi, "was literally stomping" around her Santa Clara home 20minutes before the earth moved. And a truck driver was so sure the quake was coming -- ...
Day of the Dead a time for offerings to ancestors
Nov 01, 2007; ... REDWOOD CITY -- Even though two years have passed, MelissaMaldonado still remembers her grandmother's last words: "Even thoughI'm going to be in heaven with God, where I belong, I'll still behere for you guys like a guardian angel." Maldonado, a 20-year-old Redwood City resident, ...
Light quake damage the rule around South Bay
Nov 01, 2007; ... SAN JOSE -- The top three floors of San Jose's Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. main library remained closed Wednesday as employees workedto reshelve an estimated 300,000 research books and academic theseshurled to the floor by Tuesday's 5.6 magnitude earthquake. With only isolated ...
Sequoia high school district seeks $165 million bond
Nov 01, 2007; ... REDWOOD CITY -- This February, the Sequoia Union High SchoolDistrict will be asking voters to dig into their wallets for thesecond time in four years. The district's board on Wednesday night unanimously approvedputting a $165 million bond measure on the February ...
County seeks health plan funds
Nov 01, 2007; ... San Mateo County's ambitious plan to provide health care coveragefor its uninsured adults could be funded in part by localbusinesses, an expert told officials Wednesday. A system like San Francisco's, requiring employers to spend aminimum amount per employee on health care, could ...
Cleared officers return to force
Nov 01, 2007; ... EAST PALO ALTO -- After remaining on paid suspension almost threeyears and being acquitted in a criminal jury trial last year, twoofficers have returned to the East Palo Alto Police Department andare set to resume duty following a thorough review period, Chief RonDavis said Wednesday ....
Phone calls overload systems
Nov 01, 2007; ... Many cell phone calls failed to get through, while some landlines were briefly spotty. And in the wake of Tuesday's quake, manypeople were left trying to determine how they should communicatewhen the next one hits. Cell phone providers acknowledged brief disruptions in ...
Groups protest future salt pond development
Nov 01, 2007; ... REDWOOD CITY -- Two local environmental groups are lining upagainst a proposed development at the site of the former Cargillsalt ponds -- without waiting to see what the plans are. It's been over a year since Redwood City Industrial SaltworksLLC, the partnership handling the ...
Aftershocks abound, but more damage unlikely
Nov 01, 2007; ... The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck the Calaveras fault nearAlum Rock Tuesday night was the Bay Area's largest quake since themagnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta quake in 1989 and has seismologiststalking about the next Big One. "When you get an earthquake of this size or larger, it ...
School district admits fiscal errors
Nov 01, 2007; ... SAN MATEO -- In a draft response to a civil grand jury report,the San Mateo Union High School District admits to severalquestionable financial moves over the past several years. The district says it has taken a series of steps to fix theproblems, and that they won't happen again ....
Teen to stand trial in heist
Nov 01, 2007; ... SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- A Superior Court judge said that enoughevidence exists to try an 18-year-old man of a botched robbery thatled to a police shootout and the death of his uncle. Judge Richard Clifton Livermore ruled Wednesday that JohnnyJavier Plaza of Redwood City will face a ...
Fremont model named finalist for CBS TV series
Nov 01, 2007; ... FREMONT -- When Ashton Shane entered an online contest earlierthis year, she never imagined she would be a finalist for a walk-onrole in a television series on CBS. The 22-year-old Fremont model is one of five women still in therunning to become the "Face of Duque Rum," a ...
Fremont resident target of scams
Nov 01, 2007; ... FREMONT -- It started with a $5 transaction fee. For that small amount, the price of three cups of coffee, 72-year-old Al Killian believed he was paying the processing feefor a $280,000 grand prize he'd won in a nondescript lottery, acontest he'd never entered. But ...
Red Ribbon Week just a start in Tracy
Nov 01, 2007; ... TRACY -- For the past two weeks, district students have beenseeing red. At some sites students wore their clothes backwards in a symbolicrebuke of illegal drugs, at other schools they carried stuffedanimals declaring they will not "bear" the thought of taking drugs. What at ...
Women coping with loss turn to group
Nov 01, 2007; ... OAKLAND -- Carmen Mendoza showed a visitor around the altar shehelped set up for the traditional Latin American holiday, Day of theDead. "These are the memories of our children," Mendoza explained inSpanish. "'Camisetitas' (little shirts). Photos. Flowers. Little ...
Manteca police, council attempt to fight squatters
Nov 01, 2007; ... MANTECA -- As part of the city's crackdown on problems associatedwith vacant homes, a 26-year-old man has been arrested for living ina home where there was no water service. Joshua Lively, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday after beingdiscovered in a vacant house on North Grant ...
Dems question health care plan
Nov 01, 2007; ... SACRAMENTO -- With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's health careproposal stalled in negotiations and hopes of a breakthroughdimming, Democrats grilled a top administration aide for nearly twohours Wednesday, claiming that the governor's reforms would sockmiddle class families with insurance ...
Developer to pitch plan for Tracy college
Nov 01, 2007; ... TRACY -- An Arizona-based developer is being recommended to theTracy City Council by an ad hoc committee to plan and build acollege campus on city-owned property at the corner of 11th Streetand Chrisman Road. Officials of Concord Eastridge, which has developed projects ...
From Australia with big upside
Nov 01, 2007; ... MORAGA -- He's been called the future of Australian basketball,blessed with a face so familiar that international airports aren'talways the best place for anonymity. Yet as Patrick Mills continues to acclimate himself to life atSt. Mary's College, a world away from his home in ...
Are you prepared for the next temblor?
Nov 01, 2007; ... Question: Who did the right thing when the 30-second earthquakehit Tuesday night? A) Beatrice and Xavier Casanova grabbed their toddler and ranoutside. B) Charlene Marquez stood under the door frame in her hallway. C) Mark Mohnhaupt, a 13-year-old at back-to-school ...
Quake likely not a foreshock
Nov 01, 2007; ... The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck the Calaveras fault nearAlum Rock on Tuesday night was the Bay Area's largest quake sincethe magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta quake in 1989 and has seismologiststalking about the next Big One. "When you get an earthquake of this size or larger, it ...