(OAKLAND, Calif.) – Officials in Oakland, California, despite a trademark lawsuit from the city of San Francisco, approved changing the name of the city's airport to include “San Francisco,” while also filing their own lawsuit against the neighboring city over the dispute over the name change.

The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to rename Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The name change has now taken effect on the airport's website and social media accounts. The airport's three-letter code – OAK – and visual brand remain unchanged.

The board said the new name is part of the port's efforts to “strengthen and expand the airport.”

“Our board came to these conversations with a shared love of Oakland and a desire to see our city and airport thrive,” Port Commission President Barbara Leslie said in a statement after Thursday’s vote. “We move forward with a commitment to honoring our past while building a stronger, more inclusive future.”

After announcing the proposed name change in late March, the board voted unanimously to change the airport's name in a first reading vote on April 11. Leslie said the port subsequently met with “dozens of community leaders and stakeholders” to hear their concerns about the change .

The city of San Francisco filed a federal trademark lawsuit over the plan on April 18, arguing that the proposed name would cause confusion among travelers and infringe on the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) trademark. The city attorney's office said it filed its lawsuit after “several attempts” to work with the Port of Oakland on alternative names.

Two days before Thursday's vote that allowed the Port of Oakland to move forward with the renaming, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu “strongly” urged the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners to reconsider their plans.

In a letter to the board, he urged commissioners to “instead engage in discussions with the city and others about an alternative name that would achieve the port's goals without violating the city's branding and causing confusion and harm to the port.” consumers.”

San Francisco's lawsuit seeks an injunction to immediately stop use of the name and orders declaring that Oakland has violated the SFO sign and requiring the city to return all materials to destroy files that contain the new name. The lawsuit also seeks unspecified damages and fees.

San Francisco holds the U.S. federal trademark registration for the “San Francisco International Airport” brand, the first commercial use of which occurred in 1954, the city’s lawsuit says.

In a countersuit filed Thursday, Port of Oakland asked the court to rule that SFO's trademark does not extend to the use of “San Francisco Bay,” arguing that there are multiple airports elsewhere with names that share the same geographic location identifier, for example London, Paris, Beijing, Chicago and Dallas.

“The San Francisco Attorney General’s decision to pursue litigation is an attempt to halt consumer education, prevent expanded air travel options for Bay Area residents and visitors, and is a misuse of San Francisco taxpayer dollars,” Port Attorney Mary Richardson said in an explanation. “OAK is committed to improving its flight routes and improving competition for the benefit of all visitors and residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, including those residing in the City and County of San Francisco. We stand ready and willing to work with SFO to expand choice for travelers and invite any productive dialogue to that end.”

The Port of Oakland's lawsuit does not seek monetary compensation or damages.

In a statement to ABC News, Jen Kwart, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, said it was “disappointing that Oakland chose this path and ignored our numerous offers to cooperate on alternative names and avoid litigation.”

“We have strong federal trademark infringement claims against Oakland, and they have left us no choice but to pursue the next steps in our lawsuit,” the statement continued.

In 2023, 11.2 million passengers came through Oakland airport, while San Francisco airport had 50 million passengers last year.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The post Oakland airport identify change strikes ahead amid authorized problem from San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Oakland has also filed a counterclaim to San Francisco's trademark lawsuit.

May 10, 2024, 1:58 p.m. ET

• 6 min read

Officials in Oakland, California, approved changing the name of the city's airport to “San Francisco” despite a trademark lawsuit from the city of San Francisco, while also filing their own lawsuit against the neighboring city over the name change dispute.

The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to rename Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The name change has now taken effect on the airport's website and social media accounts. The airport's three-letter code – OAK – and visual brand remain unchanged.

Travelers walk towards Terminal 1 at Oakland International Airport on April 12, 2024 in Oakland, California.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The board said the new name is part of the port's efforts to “strengthen and expand the airport.”

“Our board came to these conversations with a shared love of Oakland and a desire to see our city and airport thrive,” Port Commission President Barbara Leslie said in a statement after Thursday’s vote. “We move forward with a commitment to honoring our past while building a stronger, more inclusive future.”

After announcing the proposed name change in late March, the board voted unanimously to change the airport's name in a first reading vote on April 11. Leslie said the port subsequently met with “dozens of community leaders and stakeholders” to hear their concerns about the change .

The city of San Francisco filed a federal trademark lawsuit over the plan on April 18, arguing that the proposed name would cause confusion among travelers and infringe on the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) trademark. The city attorney's office said it filed its lawsuit after “several attempts” to work with the Port of Oakland on alternative names.

Two days before Thursday's vote that allowed the Port of Oakland to move forward with the renaming, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu “strongly” urged the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners to reconsider their plans.

In a letter to the board, he urged commissioners to “instead begin discussions with the city and others about an alternative name that would achieve the port's goals without violating the city's trademark and causing confusion and harm to consumers.” .

San Francisco's lawsuit seeks an injunction to immediately stop use of the name and orders declaring that Oakland has violated the SFO sign and requiring the city to return all materials to destroy files that contain the new name. The lawsuit also seeks unspecified damages and fees.

A man checks flight information signs at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, on February 4, 2024. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

San Francisco holds the U.S. federal trademark registration for the “San Francisco International Airport” brand with the first date of commercial use in 1954, the city’s lawsuit says.

In a countersuit filed Thursday, Port of Oakland asked the court to rule that SFO's trademark does not extend to the use of “San Francisco Bay,” arguing that there are multiple airports elsewhere with names that share the same geographic location identifier, for example London, Paris, Beijing, Chicago and Dallas.

“The San Francisco Attorney General’s decision to pursue litigation is an attempt to halt consumer education, prevent expanded air travel options for Bay Area residents and visitors, and is a misdirected use of San Francisco taxpayer dollars,” Port Attorney Mary Richardson said in an explanation. “OAK is committed to improving its flight routes and increasing competition for the benefit of all visitors and residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, including those residing in the City and County of San Francisco. We are ready and willing to work with SFO to expand choice for travelers and invite any productive dialogue to do so.”

The Port of Oakland's lawsuit does not seek monetary compensation or damages.

In a statement to ABC News, Jen Kwart, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, said it was “disappointing that Oakland chose this path and ignored our numerous offers to cooperate on alternative names and avoid litigation.”

“We have strong federal trademark infringement claims against Oakland, and they have left us no choice but to take the next steps in our lawsuit,” the statement continued.

In 2023, 11.2 million passengers came through Oakland airport, while San Francisco airport had 50 million passengers last year.

The post Oakland airport identify change strikes ahead amid authorized problem from San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

During the partial government shutdown, screeners at two Silicon Valley airports, San Francisco and San Jose International, moved thousands of people through security checkpoints.

Operations at the airports, 35 miles apart, looked similar — uniformed officers reminding people to take off their shoes and put their laptops in plastic bins — but there was one major difference: Only the officers at the San Francisco airport were getting paid.

That’s because San Francisco International is one of nearly two dozen airports across the country that use private contractors instead of the Transportation Security Administration to conduct its security screening.

As the shutdown stretched from days into weeks, growing numbers of TSA workers stopped showing up. At one point, 10 percent of TSA officers failed to report for duty.

The result: scattered staffing shortages across the country and anxiety for travelers. Airports in Baltimore, Houston and Miami were forced to temporarily close checkpoints. TSA officials conceded that many officers weren’t coming into work because of the financial hardship of working without pay.

TSA: financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home

“Operations were normal,” said Doug Yakel, an airport spokesman.

There has long been a debate over whether airport screening should be provided by the federal government or by private companies. And the recent government shutdown — and the potential for a repeat if lawmakers can’t reach a deal with President Trump by Friday — has some wondering whether anxiety over staffing may prompt more airports to consider switching to private contractors.

Before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, airport security was handled by private contractors and paid for by the airlines. But after 9/11, those duties were turned over to the newly created TSA, which is responsible for security screening at the vast majority of the nation’s 440-plus airports.

But as part of that agreement, Congress also created a voluntary pilot program that allowed five airports to use private contractors for security screening. The program, launched in 2002, eventually was open to all airports. Today, 22 airports — including the original five: San Francisco, Kansas City International in Missouri, Greater Rochester Inter­national in New York, Jackson Hole in Wyoming and Tupelo Regional in Mississippi — participate.

Proponents of the system say that the TSA hasn’t made it easy for airports to make the switch. The agency has final say on whether an airport can opt to have private screeners, and although requests are rarely turned down, the process could be time-consuming. Others blame inertia, saying some airports are reluctant to tinker with an arrangement that works.

“I don’t know why, but it’s just ingrained in our mind that this is the only way it’s done,” said David Inserra, a policy analyst for homeland security at the Heritage Foundation, who has long advocated for the shift to the use of private companies for screening.

Among the considerations once an airport has applied for the program: The cost of private screeners cannot be greater than what it would be if the TSA remained at the airport. If approved, the TSA — not the airport — selects, pays and manages the contractor.

Private contractors are required to follow the same rules and procedures as their TSA counterparts but are given some leeway to determine how they staff checkpoints. The workers wear different uniforms, but their training, salary and benefits are about the same. The starting salary for a TSA officer is $37,455 but can be higher in some parts of the country depending on staffing needs and the cost of living.

Although the private screeners are contractors, they were paid during the shutdown when other government contractors were not because they were considered essential personnel, and failure to pay them would have violated their contract.

Evaluations of the two programs by outside firms hired by the TSA have found no significant differences between the two systems — either in cost or the ability to move passengers through checkpoints, TSA officials said.

However, studies by the Government Accountability Office note that in some instances private contractors’ costs were 2 percent to 19 percent lower than the TSA’s estimates of its costs for the same work. The GAO also said that the TSA’s calculations failed to include costs such as retirement benefits.

A TSA spokeswoman said the agency has adjusted its estimates based on the GAO’s recommendations.

The shutdown is stressing the nation’s aviation system

The outside evaluations did not examine customer complaints, nor did they analyze absenteeism, retention or attrition of the screeners who work for private companies.

Inserra, of the Heritage Foundation, contends that private companies are better suited to the job of managing airport security. He said they are more adept at managing and retaining employees and can react more quickly to surges in passenger traffic.

“TSA’s focus should be on policy — setting the standards, developing new technology,” added Steve Amitay, executive director of the National Association of Security Companies. “So much of TSA is devoted to managing this screener workforce. It’s doing a job that’s not inherently governmental.”

A 2004 report by the Congressional Research Service, however, found that when private companies ran security services in the years before the 9/11 attacks, their workforce suffered from low morale and high turnover — some of the same problems that plague today’s TSA. Amitay, however, maintained that new standards for training and pay have improved working conditions and morale for contractors.

At TSA Academy, the lessons are hands-on

But Greg Regan, secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, a coalition of 32 unions, argued that security screening is best left to the federal government.

“The mission of TSA is to keep people safe,” he said. “The goal is to identify threats and prevent them from having a negative impact on our system. That is the ultimate mission statement. When you privatize, you’re going to introduce another goal into that, and that’s profit.”

Other union officials argue that the answer isn’t privatization, but a functional federal government that can pay its workers and its bills on time.

“I think throwing up our hands and turning to private security operators is not the solution here,” said J. David Cox Sr., national president of the American Federation of Government Employees. “The federal government needs to do its job to provide the screening services.”

Union says TSA officers can’t afford to man checkpoint without paychecks

Added Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department and an aviation expert: “We must never say our TSA employees are not important enough to be federal employees.”

She noted that the 9/11 attacks happened at a time when checkpoints were run by private companies.

Some of the country’s largest airports have toyed with the idea of shifting to private contractors. In 2016, after an understaffed TSA struggled to keep up with a record number of travelers, airport officials in Chicago, New York and Atlanta threatened to use private contractors.

TSA officials blamed the backups on years of cuts that forced the agency to slash its airport workforce of 45,000 by 12 percent. The furor died down after TSA officials pledged changes and persuaded Congress to beef up its staffing. The TSA has 51,000 screeners, and about 33,000 work on any given day.

Atlantic City International Airport recently shifted to private screeners after growing frustration with TSA staffing that didn’t take into account flight delays.

Stephen F. Dougherty, executive director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, said the TSA would regularly close the airport’s checkpoint at certain hours regardless of whether flights were delayed. As a result, hundreds of passengers missed their flights because there was no one to clear them through security.

“[Atlantic City International] prides itself on being a much more convenient, passenger- friendly airport than the larger airports in the region, and this change went against core operating principles,” he said.

TSA scrambles to staff checkpoints after complaints of long waits

Some Republican lawmakers have pushed legislation to make it easier for airports to shift to private screeners. A bill introduced by last year by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) sought to, among other changes, shorten the amount of time it takes for airports to get TSA approval to make the switch. Lee is updating his bill and plans to reintroduce it this year, his spokesman said. However, a provision in legislation to fund the Federal Aviation Administration, approved last year, requires the TSA to make a decision on any application within 60 days. The agency previously had 120 days to make a decision.

Christopher Bidwell, vice president of security at Airports Council International-North America, a group that advocates for the nation’s airports, said it supports programs that give airports the flexibility they need to best serve travelers.

“Our position on [SPP], is that it should remain a viable program for any airport that wishes to participate.”

Shutdown is stressing the nation’s air safety system

Air traffic controllers get their first shutdown pay stub: $0.00

TSA mulls plan to eliminate security checkpoints at 150 small airports

The post At San Francisco Worldwide Airport, non-public contractors deal with safety screening. Is it the airport of the long run? appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Summary

• SFO has the largest base-isolated building in the world, built to withstand earthquakes up to a Richter Magnitude 8.
• The airport has a runway layout that allows for parallel take-offs and landings.
• Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at SFO is the first US terminal to implement an Independent Carrier System for baggage handling.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the second-busiest airport in the state of California, behind Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The airport has been operational for over 90 years and has undergone significant renovations. This evolution has resulted in a fascinating history and innovative infrastructure as the facility has grown to meet travel demand.

Here are some highlights of facts you may not know about SFO.

1 The largest base-isolated building in the world

The San Francisco Bay Area lies along the San Andreas Fault, making the region especially vulnerable to significant earthquakes. When it came time to build a new terminal at SFO to accommodate increasing international travel, safeguarding against seismic activity was top-of-mind.

In 1995, SFO broke ground on its new International Terminal. At the time, the $2.6 billion project was the largest construction project in North America at 1.8 million square feet. According to the American Institute of Steel Construction, the facility was built with 267 friction pendulum seismic isolators at the base of the building columns.

The structure is glass and aluminum clad, with glass panels that are 700 feet long and 80 feet tall. The seismic isolation measures allow the building to withstand a Richter Magnitude 8 earthquake. The International Terminal opened for service in December 2000.

2 Parallel take-offs and landings

SFO is one of several airports in the United States with a runway layout that allows for parallel take-offs and landings. The airfield features two parallel runways oriented in an east-west direction intersected by two additional runways oriented north-to-south. According to SFO, the standard runway flow configuration—the West Plan—is utilized about 80% of the time. Runways 28L and 28R are the primary arrival runways, and 1L and 1R are the primary departure runways.

When weather conditions provide good visibility, aircraft can land side-by-side on runways 28L and 28R with adequate space between the next set of arrivals to permit parallel departures. Interestingly, runways 28L and 28R are only 748.9 feet apart, so parallel take-offs and landings are not approved for instrument flight conditions.

In conditions of reduced visibility, aircraft arrive using only one runway.

Please take a look at our review of US airports where you can catch simultaneous take-offs and landings.

3 Harvey Milk Terminal 1 was the first US terminal to implement an Independent Carrier System

SFO’s Terminal 1 was originally constructed in the early 1960s but has recently undergone significant renovation. As part of the changes to the terminal, SFO instituted a new, tote-based Independent Carrier System (ICS), making Harvey Milk Terminal 1 the first in the United States to implement such a system.

Each piece of baggage is individually placed into a tote carrier when it is received at the check-in area, and it remains in its carrier all the way to its destination aircraft. This system enhances airlines’ ability to track passenger luggage accurately. Because the tote carriers are a uniform shape and size, ICS reduces the potential for system jams that often occur in the conventional baggage handling system in which wheels and straps can get caught on conveyor belts.

Additionally, the conventional model of baggage handling consists of one-directional routing. In contrast, the ICS model can facilitate transfers to the arrival claim area or other destinations as the empty tote heads back to the check-in area.

4 Helicopter service

SFO was once home to the San Francisco and Oakland Helicopter Airlines operation, known as SFO Helicopter Airlines. The airline began serving passengers in 1961, using SFO as its hub. In 1962, the airline was also awarded a contract to carry US mail.

SFO Helicopter Airlines flew from the airport to downtown San Francisco and Oakland, as well as Oakland International Airport and a heliport close to the Berkeley Marina. In the late 1960s, there were also routes to the San Francisco Ferry Building and Marin.

The airline operated Sikorsky turbine engine helicopters, which could accommodate 10 passengers. Sightseeing tours were offered on weekends during the summer and on holidays. The fare was $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for children, making it an economical option for families to get an aerial view of attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf. At the height of its operations, SFO Helicopter Airlines was running about 68 flights per day.

Unfortunately, the airline experienced financial difficulty and ceased operations in 1985.

5 Health and wellbeing at Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Boarding Area B

According to an SFO news release, Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Boarding Area B was the first airport terminal in the world to achieve WELL certification, a building standard developed by the International WELL Building Institute that includes over 100 features related to enhancing human health and wellbeing.

The standard is intended to serve as a method for organizations to intentionally develop buildings that factor in considerations such as air quality and energy efficiency when designing the built environment.

Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Boarding Area B incorporated numerous features in its construction that helped the building reach the WELL certification. Some of these included acoustic management through sound-reducing surfaces to cut down on noise, radiant heating and cooling that complements displacement ventilation for energy efficiency, and an efficient outdoor air filtration system to reduce pollutants and odors coming inside the building. The latter effort is verified through third-party air quality testing.

Sources: AISC; SFO-International Terminal News Release; SFO; SFO Terminal 1 Redevelopment; SFO- WELL Certification News Release

The post 5 Issues You Did not Know About San Francisco Worldwide Airport appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Cheyenne’s recently restored Airport Fountain is ready to represent the city’s aviation history.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, dozens of community members flocked to the fountain, which is located at the corner of East 8th Street and Warren Avenue, to celebrate its completion. The event also acknowledged the grand opening of the city’s designated Arts and Aviation Center, which is located at the original passenger terminal on nearby 8th Street and House Avenue.

The terra-cotta fountain was commissioned by the city in 1935 to memorialize the heritage of aviation in Cheyenne. Located in front of the terminal, the fountain created a formal entrance to the airport. In 1985, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board, or CHPB, had a landscape study done in 2009 as the fountain was being threatened with demolition. Since the initial study, the board has restored the landmark over two phases of work for a total cost of $132,684. Restoration efforts, which were completed in 2022, included replacing old tiles, updating the masonry and upgrading the plumbing and lighting systems. Funding for the project came from the city’s Planning and Development Office, CHPB’s private fundraising events and several grants including the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund and Women’s Civic League. In October 2022, CHPB members launched a successful petition to officially name the median strip Airport Fountain Park.

In May 2023, local arts organization Arts Cheyenne received a $50,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The funds will be used to conduct a visioning and design initiative for renovating the circa-1961 terminal into an arts, culture and aviation history facility.

During Saturday’s ceremony, CHPB Chair Milward Simpson and members Gary Sims and Don Herrold recapped the board’s multiple-year efforts to preserve and restore the fountain. They also recalled the city’s colorful aviation history, which included being one of the first U.S Post Office air mail service stops in 1920 and hosting the nation’s first stewardesses training program in 1930.

Cheyenne architect Jerry Berggren and contractors from the Colorado-based Mountain Masonry also spoke about the the specialized restoration process. The ceremony concluded with a 10-second countdown to welcome back the fountain’s iconic spouts. Attendees then took photos and enjoyed the cool mist from the water.

Milward Simpson, chairman of the Cheyenne Historical Preservation Board, cuts pieces of cake at the fountain dedication. (Photo by Stephanie Lam / Cap City News)

Simpson said he is “gratified and proud” that the fountain is finally finished.

“I think it’s really important that the citizens of Cheyenne understand just how important our aviation history is and what a special and unique part [it is] of who we are in this city,” he said.

The board plans to also incorporate interpretative signage near the fountain highlighting historical aviation figures and events, Simpson said. One person the board has in mind is Ellen Church, who became the world’s first female flight attendant after flying from San Francisco to Cheyenne.

An ornament of the Cheyenne Historic Airport Fountain made by Gary Sims. (Photo by Stephanie Lam / Cap City News)

Although the fountain was closed off for years, CHPB continued to promote the landmark. Sims, for instance, created a nostalgic limited-edition ornament of the fountain in 2021. All of the proceeds went toward the restoration project.

“I put bubbles coming off of it because in high school everybody use to go [put detergent] in there and let it bubble over,” he said. “There’s also a hypodermic needle because it was during COVID … and a piece of a tile from the original fountain on the back.”

Seeing the fountain up and running also means a lot for local airplane enthusiast Jonathan Lemley and his family. Lemley own multiple Cessna planes that were on display at the old terminal during the center’s opening. The pilot is fascinated with aviation history and likes to seek out fountains, museums or historical markers when he travels.

“We’re obsessed with the airport, airplanes and everything,” he said. “It’s pretty neat watching them go through [the restoration process]. [The fountain’s] calming to me, it’s something unique to Cheyenne that people can stop to look at.”

The post Cheyenne group celebrates restored Airport Fountain appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.

District can’t afford
Concord High change

In regard to Concord High changing their mascot from the “Minutemen” to the “Bears,” I don’t understand the need for it. Minutemen were heroes. But my main concern is the cost. I work at an MDUSD school where every week the plumbing fails or the air/heat breaks down. The list is never-ending.

The cost to reoutfit the band alone would be over $100,000. If you include football and all the sports uniforms … I can’t even imagine.

Our schools are deteriorating. We need to address our infrastructure. Please. Let common sense prevail.

Toni Keosian
Concord

Airport expansion bad
news for environment

Re: “Oakland airport’s expansion will exacerbate climate change, groups say” (Page A1, Aug. 15).

The planned expansion of the Oakland airport, which is used primarily for short-haul flights, will increase demand and use of the airport and worsen pollution and the climate crisis.

It is disingenuous to claim that Oakland flights would increase anyway without the project. The increased capacity would allow airlines to add more flights daily, causing increased stress-inducing noise pollution and small particulate emissions among surrounding low-income communities that already suffer massive environmental injustice.

We must choose other scenarios for meeting the high demand for travel, especially for short-haul distances. Most of this traffic would be better served by high-speed rail, eliminating the additional air and noise pollution from even more frequent flights across Oakland and Alameda.

Fully 11% of California’s CO2 emissions come from air travel. Has the climate crisis not yet convinced officials and the public that we have to change our ways?

Susan Wright
Oakland

Keep spotlight on
Santa Rita Jail deaths

Re: “Lawmakers seek jail death transparency” (Page B2, Aug. 16).

The Interfaith Coalition for Justice in Our Jails appreciates your article, which focused on the San Diego Jail. This devastating problem lives here at the Alameda County jail, with over 70 deaths since 2014. We have conducted three somber rallies, calling on county supervisors to take some leadership on jail conditions.

As in San Diego, most deaths occur to people within the first traumatic days and weeks of incarceration, before they are even charged. Guards and the medical service contractor fail to properly handle mental illness and substance abuse. And the dual sheriff/coroner role often compromises family/community access to death information. The movie “What Happened to DuJuan Armstrong?” documents these issues.

We urge continued coverage of this problem, particularly for our Santa Rita Jail.

Karen Rachels
Oakland

Moms for Liberty
don’t speak for all

Re: “‘Fear and hate are the issue’” (Page A1, Aug. 17).

To Moms for Liberty: You don’t speak “for America.”

You are an extremist minority group. You hurt innocent people you don’t know, often children, and you don’t care. You have the right to speak your distorted and hateful messages, but that right does not extend to actions. It’s sad we have to block your book bans and racist curricula revision and gender strictures with legislation — such a waste of resources just to extinguish your hate.

My suggestion: Put a sock in it.

Steven James
Walnut Creek

Put Pink Poodle
story to bed

I’m amazed at how much effort and print has gone into the investigation of the supposed Pink Poodle incident regarding the San Jose Fire Department.

I understand that those in certain sectors of our public safety should always maintain a quality standard. In this case, no one was assaulted, nobody’s house burned down, there were no egregious text messages, just a bikini-clad woman stepping off a fire truck. Meanwhile, there are unsolved freeway shootings and homicides, carjackings and sideshows happening all over the Bay Area. If an emergency came up during their “joy ride” of 20 minutes, I seriously doubt that would decrease their response time.

Let’s focus on the real problems and put the Pink Poodle to bed.

Kevin Moore
Livermore

Don’t give Trump
free advertising

It’s happening again. Donald Trump makes headlines in our newspapers and other media on a regular basis. This gives him free advertising not available to many who do not support him.

Free advertising won him the election in 2016. What a disaster for American democracy. Did he Make America Great Again? He doesn’t read, he cannot spell, he does not pay his bills with his own money. He often chooses to ignore his own lawyers. His ego is his entire life’s focus. I believe strongly that we cannot afford to provide him with a position of power.

I appreciate the responsibility of the media to report the news objectively to the American people. I would suggest, in fairness to others, that news pertaining to Trump be allocated to inside pages of the newspaper and that it be presented without pictures. I strongly disapprove of the free publicity available to this man.

Judy Malinowski
Livermore

Earth’s climate can’t
take GOP agenda

Re: “Far-right climate strategy: Drill more” (Page A1, Aug. 6).

While the world is burning and flooding, the Republican plan for America is to repeal environmental regulations and drill, drill, drill.

They would have us believe that the most crucial issue facing us is that some guy in San Francisco is wearing a dress. It’s become clear that voting Republican is voting for global suicide.

Jim Hogan
El Sobrante

The post Letters: Mascot change | Airport growth appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A once-stray cat rescued from an animal shelter and adopted by a loving family is now helping people at a California airport.

Duke Ellington Morris, a 14-year-old black and white cat, became the first cat to join San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) therapy animal team, known as the “Wag Brigade,” in late May.

In 2010, Duke was rescued from the streets of San Francisco where he was found starving alongside other feral cats and taken to San Francisco Animal Care and Control. There, a 5-year-old girl spotted the tuxedo cat and her family quickly took him home.

“I can hear my daughter screaming with joy, ‘I love the black and white kitten.’ And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?'” Duke’s owner Jen Morris told SF Gate. “We met Duke and he focused on my daughter. And I figured if a cat wants a 5-year-old to be their next protector, he can’t be that bad.”

Duke Ellington Morris joined the California Airport Wag Brigade as the first cat to join the San Francisco International Airport Therapy Animal Team.
Instagram

Duke’s people were quickly impressed by his calm and warm demeanor, and had him certified as a therapy animal through the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ animal-assisted therapy program.

The special cat — named after the jazz great — has worked as an animal therapist for a decade, visiting patients in hospitals across the city to comfort them through difficult times.

Now he’s helping airport visitors relieve travel-related stress by joining the ragtag crew of SFO therapy animals, which includes several dogs, as well as a rabbit named Alex the Great and a pig named LiLou – all certified and tested therapy animals.

The non-human therapists walk through the airport terminals in “Pet Me” vests to comfort anxious travelers. The program launched in 2013 and returned in 2021 after a 20-month hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.

The post San Francisco Airport provides first cat to roster of remedy animals appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SFO departed 70,000 travelers on both Thursday and Friday last week – a travel milestone not reached last week since the pandemic.

Travel hasn’t fully recovered yet, an airport spokesman said, but the trend is definitely picking up speed.

San Francisco International Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said the number of travelers on May 11 and 12 was the highest the airport has seen in more than three years.

Before the pandemic, the airport saw an average of 157,501 travelers per day. During the 2020 pandemic, the average was 44,885 travelers per day. Last year the average was 81,906. For this year, Yakel forecasts around 127,000 average travelers per day.

Annual passenger numbers have fluctuated since 2019 when they stood at 57.48 million. In 2020, the annual numbers dropped to 16.42 million. In 2022, the annual number rose to 42.28 million and Yakel estimates that number will rise to 46 million this year.

Yakel expects more than 14 million travelers during this year’s peak season, from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. In 2019, before the pandemic, it was 18.08 million. During the pandemic, peak-season numbers dropped to 2.47 million, then rose to 13.41 million last year.

“We’re anticipating the busiest summer since the pandemic began,” Yakel said.

Travel has increased by 61% from the summer of 2021 to last year and people are coming to the region for tourism rather than business. John Hutar, President and CEO of The San Francisco Peninsula, said the shoreline is busier with travelers on weekends and the Bayside is busier on weekdays.

“And we’re seeing that trend returning to normal,” Hutar said.

Congresses are still catching up and the consequences of layoffs in companies are still not felt. However, the peninsula is a natural area with easy access to major attractions, he said.

“We’re a great anchor point for natural beauty and a lot of places in close proximity, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Monterey Bay,” said Hutar.

Room rates are low and high-end hotels are doing well, but Hutar said the rest of the hotel industry still has a long way to go before it returns to pre-pandemic levels.

In the first quarter of 2023, occupancy is still down about 20% compared to 2019. Hutar explained that occupancy is better than last year’s numbers, which were down 30% compared to 2019.

“We see that the number of group congresses is very high, has only recovered very slowly and the amount of traffic and inquiries this year shows that it has been promising,” said Hutar. “But at the moment we are satisfied with the current development.”

Hutar is encouraged to see that hotels near the SFO corridor are starting to grow and accommodate more travelers. As hotel bookings continue to recover, the summer boom at the airport is leading to longer queues for travelers.

Travelers should allow more time to exit the airport, Yakel said.

“We recommend two hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours in advance for international flights,” Yackel said.

Additionally, SFO expects its parking garages to reach full capacity, and Yakel recommends travelers use ride-hailing services or use public transit such as BART.

“We recommend that people who want to park at SFO, both short-term and long-term, book in advance on SFO’s website. It’s a way to ensure there’s still room available,” Yakel said.

SFO is also offering some new programs, he said. Two airlines, ITA and United, are offering non-stop flights to Rome this summer. Two newer airlines also offer international low cost flights. One of them, Norse Atlantic, flies to London. And Zip Air flies to Tokyo, he said.

“Farees vary, but they’re definitely cheaper than some of the incumbent airlines,” Yakel said.

The post San Francisco Worldwide Airport reaches pre-pandemic milestone | Native Information appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

San Francisco International Airport received a $31 million federal grant to modernize its international terminal building, drawing high praise from local authorities.

“Thanks to the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill, this busy Bay Area airport is receiving a significant and much-needed investment to keep it safe and up-to-date,” said U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo, in a press release . “Investments in our infrastructure are important investments in our economy and in keeping Californians mobile. This $31 million grant will help modernize the international terminal and ensure that SFO remains a premier hub for passengers traveling around the world.”

More than 42 million domestic and international passengers traveled through South San Francisco Airport last year, Mullin noted. The federal grant will help fund SFO’s plans to upgrade its roof system to make traveling to and from the airport safer, said U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.

The project is one of many funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, a $550 billion financial package designed to cover infrastructure improvements such as bridges, roads, mass transit, broadband and water infrastructure over the next five years.

“Led by our congressional delegation in the Bay Area, the bipartisan infrastructure bill provides important tools for San Francisco International Airport to remain a gateway for commerce, travel and tourism in the Bay Area,” Pelosi said. “With this important investment in the future of air travel in the Bay Area, we are supporting well-paying jobs and making much-needed improvements to the SFO to ensure our city’s international airport continues to provide world-class service for all.”

The post San Francisco Worldwide Airport receives $31 million grant | Native Information appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

San Francisco airport was evacuated due to an “unattended item” in Terminal 2’s food court, while a passenger said a family tried to bypass security

Crowds jostle in the San Francisco terminal as emergency services move people away

San Francisco Airport has been evacuated and police are at the scene after reports say an unattended bag and family bypassed security by entering through the exit.

Angry passengers report that police are flooding the area, moving planes and evicting people from the building.

San Francisco International Airport said there was an “unattended item” in the Terminal 2 food court and was accused of “ridiculously” handling the situation.

One person asked, “Waiting for someone to lose it and start a stampede?”

San Francisco International Airport said in a statement on Twitter: “#SFOAlert – SFPD is responding to Terminal 2 food court area to clear an unattended item. The food court and D-gate areas are being evacuated as a precaution.”

Traveler Lisa Alpert took to Twitter to warn her fellow travelers.

She said: “Everyone around the dining area of ​​Terminal 2, Gate D was evacuated and then asked not to move while security forces assessed the situation. Security checks have also been suspended.”

Concerned flyers are waiting to hear what’s about to happen. Pictures are posted on social media

She added that the terminal was evacuated, “but if you exited the airport or went to another wing, you were allowed to do that. We are in Terminal 2, Wing C and they stopped boarding for one flight but they are allowing that.” Boarding for others.” Unclear what’s going on.

According to Erik Charlton, emergency vehicles were reported arriving at Terminal 2 and evacuating the crews. He tweeted, “SFO Terminal 2 – Crews evacuate and emergency vehicles arrive.”

Other travelers took to Twitter to find out what was going on.

Taking to Twitter, @DLoutsis said: “What’s up @flySFO… The captain just told us that the police are ordering our plane to move while we were waiting to get to our gate and we are now moving further away from the building away. Do it. It’s a law enforcement issue.”

@allie_oldham replied: “Bag left unattended in food court area. The terminal is currently being evacuated.”

@hhekas1 tweeted: “Something is happening at SFO that resulted in the entire Gate D being evacuated and police cordoning off an area at the gate.”

Another Twitter user wrote: “Everyone is being evacuated from Terminal 2 and now everyone is trying to get into T3.”

@FoodWineMaven claimed, “TSA agents are waiting for police to arrest a family who skipped security by entering the terminal through the exit.”

Images released online show huge crowds gathering while concerned travelers move on and wait and see what happens.

Departure terminal in San Francisco

@carolynlight posted video of crowds waiting and said: “Evacuation Terminal 2 at SFO. Fire truck and ambulance.”

San Francisco International Airport has not disclosed more than detailed in its first tweet on its official @flySFO account.

One angry passenger wrote: “@flySFO any updates? I’m on a plane that has arrived waiting for a gate while a lot of people are nervous about missing connections.”

@adambcollins1 wrote: “It would be really great for the thousands of passengers if you make some kind of announcement, post something on a board or ANYTHING other than having people flock around with no information about their flights. I was told.” My flight would be halted. He went. My new FLT T2 too.

Kelly Winn-Boaitey said: “It’s so ridiculous the way this is being handled. We’re crammed into the lot just outside Terminal D, and the TSA lady in the cheeky pants needs some customer service. Are you waiting for someone to lose control and start a rush?”

Another replied: “Updates needed for people whose flights are still reported as ‘on time’ and scheduled to depart within the hour.”

Reena Rahal angrily wrote: “There are no ticket agents at Air Canada what is going on and why is no one informing us about our flights???”

We bring you the latest updates, images and videos on this breaking news.

The post San Francisco Airport EVACUATED amid stories of unattended bag and household bypassing safety appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.