This is the archive for March 2008
By Shashank Bengali
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
HARARE, Zimbabwe — On a typical workday, Lovemore Vambe will make dozens of clandestine phone calls that lead to a handful of illegal transactions. He'll conspire with colleagues, sidestep police or bribe them if necessary, and come home in the evening with a few dollars in his pocket.
That's enough to make the rent and keep his eldest child in boarding school. In Zimbabwe's free-falling economy, the slight, mustachioed 31-year-old holds a rare steady job: He's a money dealer on Harare's thriving black market, helping Zimbabweans trade foreign currency for their increasingly worthless local cash.
Posted by courier at 09:56 AM. Filed under: News
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Painting by California Institute of Technology/MCT
WASHINGTON — Most people think of fruit flies as annoying little pests zipping around bananas or grapes on the kitchen counter. But to biologists, they're diamonds on the wing.
These miniature aerial acrobats have been a basic tool of biomedical research for nearly a century. They've unlocked many secrets of animal and human genetics, development and evolution, and they continue to provide valuable insights into cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and neurological disorders.
Fruit fly researchers have won two Nobel Prizes, in 1933 and 1995.
Posted by courier at 09:36 AM. Filed under: News
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By Wade Rawlins
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
RALEIGH, N.C. — One word: Bisphenol-A.
The plastic additive is leaching from your water bottles, soda cans, baby bottles, microwaveable dishes — just about anything made of certain lightweight clear plastics.
And it mimics the hormone estrogen, which some research indicates could harm human health, particularly the development of fetuses and newborn babies.
Known as BPA, bisphenol-A has been used in commercial production of lightweight plastics and epoxy resins since the 1950s. Billions of pounds are produced annually, and traces of it are found in almost everyone — including the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies.
Posted by courier at 11:43 AM. Filed under: News
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Obama at a rally in South
Carolina in 2007
wikipedia photo
RALEIGH, N.C. — During a speech in Philadelphia's National Constitution Center, Barack Obama altered — at least for the past week — the dialogue about race in America.
The Democratic presidential candidate spoke of the anger of a generation of black leaders whose views were forged amid segregation. But he also acknowledged that whites might rightly resent what they've been asked to give up to offset past prejudice.
The speech, compelled by controversy over Obama's outspoken former minister, explored nuances and blunt feelings. Now events and time will determine whether the speech he delivered in a historic setting will become historic itself.
Posted by courier at 03:29 PM. Filed under: News
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U.S. Government map
NAIROBI, Kenya — A leading human rights group said Monday that Kenyan political and business leaders plotted much of the country's recent ethnic violence, and it urged the new coalition government to bring the organizers to justice.
New York-based Human Rights Watch found evidence that hundreds of people were killed in planned ethnic attacks following the disputed presidential election in December. In many cases, the group said, the attacks were planned and financed by prominent civic leaders, although the group didn't directly implicate any top national politicians.
In a report titled "Ballots to Bullets," the group also charged that Kenyan police used excessive force to break up demonstrations in opposition strongholds, fatally shooting hundreds of people, including children.
Posted by courier at 09:07 AM. Filed under: News
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Protesters turned out in San Francisco
to oppose the war. Jessica Rosales/
Courier Photo
Wednesday was the fifth anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Rallies, walkouts, teach-ins, and marches were conducted throughout the country to support the anti-war movement.
In San Francisco, the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Not to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition encouraged others to join their March and Rally to End the War Now. People ranging from the age of young children to high schoolers to adults gathered at the Civic Center (Polk and Grove) at 5:00 p.m.
Posted by courier at 11:24 AM. Filed under: News
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Courier Staff Report
Today marks the beginning of the Courier's third year as a daily, year-round high school news source, perhaps the only one in the world.
The Courier began its unbroken string of stories posted every day on March 20, 2006.
Posted by courier at 04:06 PM. Filed under: News
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By Krystal Henderson, Courier News Editor
James Logan Principal Don Montoya will take over as principal of the Cabello Community Day School next school, leaving his job as principal of Logan as his retirement date approaches.
Earlier this month, Superintendent Pat Jaurequi announced several administrative changes, one of them the exit of Montoya as Logan principal, without specifics as to what job he would be taking as part of his reassignment.
Posted by courier at 12:45 PM. Filed under: News
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By Christina La,
Courier Editor-in-Chief
Beginning the Monday they return from Spring break, James Logan's staff and students will be undergoing a security up-grade requiring ID cards to be shown upon entry of the campus through only four gates.
In a speech to the school carried on the public address system Wednesday morning, Logan Principal Don Montoya said, "We believe these changes will help us to maintain a more secure campus for all of us."
Student reaction has been mixed, but largely negative. Some opponents cited expected inconveniences.
Posted by courier at 08:28 AM. Filed under: News
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By Rick LaPlante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer
The Board of Education on Tuesday night heard a report from Grade 9 House Principal Matt Smith and a team of teachers from James Logan High School about Professional Learning Communities and the four critical questions that make up the Cycle of Inquiry: 1) What do we want students to learn? 2) How will we know when they’ve learned it? 3) What do we do when they haven’t learned it? 4) What do we do when they already know it?
Posted by courier at 05:46 AM. Filed under: News
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By Rick LaPlante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer
Glynn Thompson, who in 18 months with the New Haven Unified School District has instilled a focus on literacy as the primary means for improving student achievement, has been named Chief Academic Officer, Superintendent Dr. Pat Jaurequi announced today, after the Board of Education approved the appointment Tuesday night.
Posted by courier at 05:42 AM. Filed under: News
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Lifetouch technicians set up
ID producing equipment.
Courier Photo
Technicians from the Lifetouch photography company scrambled this morning to set up equipment to make identification cards for hundreds of James Logan High School students who lack them, in preparation for the rapidly approaching day when they'll need ID to get on the campus and attend classes.
As part of a push to improve security in the wake of community violence that claimed a student's life in December, the school on March 31 will start requiring students to wear school-issued photo ID to get through guarded gates at four entrances to the campus.
Posted by courier at 08:41 AM. Filed under: News
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By Rick LaPlante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer
Building on a reputation for environmental awareness and energy conservation, and continuing its efforts to redirect every dollar possible to the classroom, the New Haven Unified School District is adopting an aggressive program of energy management and conservation, Superintendent Dr. Pat Jaurequi announced today.
“Even before we knew of the financial challenges facing us (the District will receive $7 million less under Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to slash state funding for education) we had identified energy management as a way we could reduce operational costs and redirect more dollars to teaching and learning,” Dr. Jaurequi said in a message to employees. “It is one of the reasons we incorporated solar energy into the design and construction of Conley-Caraballo High School, and one of the reasons we have begun the process of installing solar systems at Kitayama Elementary and James Logan High.”
Posted by courier at 11:45 AM. Filed under: News
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You'll need ID to get through this
gate after Spring recess.
Courier photo
Students and staff returning from next week's Spring recess will find tighter security and new identification badges awaiting them.
James Logan Principal Don Montoya outlined the new security measures at a staff meeting Monday afternoon.
Students returning to campus after the holiday will have to enter campus through only four entrances, rather than the 32 they can use until Friday.
Posted by courier at 07:58 AM. Filed under: News
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By Mike Dorning and Christi Parsons
Chicago Tribune (MCT)
WASHINGTON — Despite the celebration of Barack Obama's electoral successes as evidence that the nation has moved beyond racial divisions, signs are emerging of a small but unmistakable race-based resistance to his historic White House bid.
Beneath Obama's easy win in Mississippi on Tuesday, exit poll data shows a state that is polarized along racial lines, with white Democrats there rejecting his candidacy 70 percent to 26 percent, while 9 of 10 blacks voted for him. It's a dramatic reflection of a recurrent pattern, most pronounced in the South.
Posted by courier at 08:13 AM. Filed under: News
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By Rick LaPlante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer
Reducing the number of access points at James Logan High School and using video technology to enhance security on the campus – two areas that the New Haven Unified School District had previously identified and started to address – are among the recommendations brought to the District in a professional security assessment conducted at the high school.
While continuing to work on those initiatives, the District also will adopt GE Security Consultants’ recommendation to require students to display identification badges on campus. Staff members already are required to wear identification badges.
Posted by courier at 03:40 PM. Filed under: News
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Lisa Childers
Christina Karma/Courier Photo,
Courier Editor-in-Chief
After a James Logan science teacher Lisa Childers won a $60,000 California Bay Watershed Education and Training (BWET) grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, every James Logan freshman will have the opportunity to take two field trips to local watersheds next year.
“Last summer I went to a teacher workshop in Monterey and I met someone from the NOAA. He was from a Federal Government organization for the ocean,” Childers said.
Posted by courier at 12:15 PM. Filed under: News
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By Sarena Bains, Courier Copy Editor
Students have found a way to have their Cell phones ring in class and get away with it sometimes by using a special ringtone inaudible by aging teachers.
The trick is using a downloaded ringtone employing a high pitched buzzing easily mistaken for a mosquito noise, but closer to the ringing in peoples' ears. According to
Fortune Magazine this ringtone emits ultrasonic tones that are inaudible to most people after the age of 40, but annoyingly audible to younger people. As they age, people tend to lose their ability to hear higher frequencies.
Apparently, it works.
Posted by courier at 08:55 AM. Filed under: News
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By Sarena Bains,
Courier Staff Writer
A murder at Kennedy Park Feb. 29, directly behind James Logan High School's baseball field, prompted school officials to urge students and others to call a police tip line with information on that crime and other recent murders in the community.
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy in the case last week.
Posted by courier at 12:23 PM. Filed under: News
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By Krystal Henderson, Courier News Editor
Notice anything different today as you sauntered around campus? Did you noticed how easy it was to walk in the hallways, and howquiet it was in the Spot?
Well, today is Senior Cut Day, an unofficial "holiday" and tradition at James Logan High School
"Today was one of the worst days all year," said House 12's attendance secretary, Michele Bazzel. "Every twelfth grader called in sick today!"
Posted by courier at 01:50 PM. Filed under: News
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By William Douglas
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio ⏼ Sen. Hillary Clinton celebrated her victories in Tuesday's Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island presidential primaries as she jetted back to Washington.
Clinton and her campaign aides basked in their triumph of halting Sen. Barack Obama's primary-caucus winning streak at 12 victories and slowing his momentum toward capturing the Democratic presidential nomination.
Posted by courier at 10:00 AM. Filed under: News
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U.S. Gov. image
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A common fear is sweeping through the Midwest's drug-enforcement community: that methamphetamine, the narcotic scourge that has wounded middle America as no drug ever before, is about to surge again because of extreme federal slashes in police funding.
In Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Nebraska, the story is the same. Just as statistics show that anti-meth task forces may be beginning to gain an upper hand on those who manufacture, deal and use the highly addictive and destructive drug, the source of the majority of these states' drug-enforcement funding is slated to disappear overnight.
Posted by courier at 09:47 AM. Filed under: News
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By Rick LaPlante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer
The Board of Education on Tuesday night approved the elimination of five District-level management positions as part of the District’s efforts to deal with Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal for a massive cut to the state’s K-12 education budget.
The Board also approved a recommendation that 24 other management employees, at both site and District levels, be notified that their assignments may be changed for 2008-09. Also, as part of the process of closing Barnard-White Middle School, the Board approved a reduction in the classified workforce, including seven full-time and 25 part-time positions.
Posted by courier at 10:37 AM. Filed under: News
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By Christina La, Courier Editor-in-Chief
The San Francisco Chronicle has announced that they will no longer be providing schools with free paper editions, ending the availability of free paper copies in the James Logan Media Center and some classrooms.
“The Chronicle won’t give the school free newspaper anymore. We use to get 20 copied for free and they no longer provide that for us,” said Media Center staffer Christine Smith.
As an alternative, the Chronicle is offering free access to online facsimiles of the daily paper.
In an announcement of the end of the free newspapers for schools, the San Francisco Chronicle said that the school could continue to receive newspapers, but that the cost of print editions will be 50 cents per copy which also means that it will now cost $90 to get one copy a day for one school year. A class set of 33 for a year would now cost the school $2970.
Posted by courier at 09:27 AM. Filed under: News
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