Our August 16 cover story, “The Plot to Oust Randy Ward,” failed to identify the source of two assertions about bond financier Calvin Grigsby. The source of our claim that state Senate President Don Perata wanted Grigsby to sell the Oakland School District’s $300 million construction bonds was a 2004 interview with former school superintendent Dennis Chaconas. Grigsby, who did not return a telephone call seeking comments for the story, subsequently wrote that his firm never made a proposal to sell the bonds; Chaconas, however, stands by his assertion. Chaconas also was the source of our assertion that he balked at doing business with Grigsby because of the bond financier’s prior indictment on federal corruption charges. As we noted in the story, Grigsby was later acquitted of the charges.
A story about spider bites (“Arachnophobia”, Water Cooler, 8/23) mistakenly stated that a Children’s Hospital spokeswoman hadn’t returned phone calls. She had, but was unable to provide the information sought by press time.
