An $18 million fixer-upper?

And that’s not all. The 20-acre Woodside estate needs about $10 million worth of work, according to listing agent Mark Benson of Cashin Co.

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“Only in California,” Benson added wryly.

On Monday afternoon, Benson held a “pre-market” viewing of the historic property for movers and shakers in the world of luxury Bay Area real estate. The party and staging, which included 1930s autos and members of a local Art Deco society dressed in period clothing, seemed more appropriate to a movie set.

The elaborate production was not only an attempt to reflect the home’s heritage — it was completed in 1940 by the architects responsible for the well-known Eichler houses — but also adorn a property that has clearly languished while its owner has grappled with legal and financial difficulties over the last couple of years.

In enclaves such as Woodside and Atherton, where technology luminaries such as Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison live, multimillion-dollar estates are not unheard of. But few properties have had such a potent mix of history, fame, money — and the loss thereof.

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“It’s kind of a rags-to-riches, riches-to-rags story,” Benson said.

Court records and public filings show that the Lakeview Drive home has been owned by End Real Estate, a company controlled by James Paulett “Paul” Charlton, since 1999. Public records did not disclose the sale price.

Around that time, Charlton sold the shares in a technology firm he had founded to Foster City’s Inktomi for $25 million. But a short time later, Charlton faced the technology collapse and the costs related to legal matters surrounding other failed companies. Last year, he filed for bankruptcy, and petitioned to sell some of his assets, including the Chagall painting.

A court-appointed trustee is now charged with selling the home.

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Although the sprawling seven-bedroom home harks back to Frank Lloyd Wright’s naturalist architecture and boasts a valuable fresco by Lucien Labaudt, much of the house itself and the grounds have fallen into disrepair. The stables, greenhouse and guest quarters are decrepit; the paddock fences, pool and footpaths need major renovation.

Inside the main house’s kitchen, under-counter holes and alcoves have been papered over with photos of shiny, high-end appliances, and some doors to the garden have handles on only one side.

It is a far cry from the property’s heyday in the years leading up to World War II.

Then, a young couple by the name of Davies bought the parcel to build a large country home on an open hillside overlooking Redwood City.

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Ralph Davies was a vice president of Standard Oil who served as petroleum administrator for Interior Secretary Harold Ickes during World War II. He made millions by buying oil concessions all over the world, and eventually ran American President Lines and Natomas Co.

He died in 1971. A decade later, his wife, Louise M. Davies, gave $5 million to build the landmark San Francisco Symphony Hall on Van Ness Avenue that was eventually to bear her name.

Louise Davies, who at one time was well-known in Woodside for throwing tea parties in the extensive gardens, died in 1998 at a retirement home in Portola Valley.

Woodside History Committee member Thalia Lubin said the home is significant because of its ties to the Davies family and the fact that it is “exemplary of country life” in Woodside at the time.

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But it is unclear whether the property will remain intact. Several real estate industry insiders speculated that an investor would buy the property to subdivide into several parcels.

And most experts said it may take some time for the property to sell, in part because it is in the less desirable part of Woodside east of Interstate 280.

“Eighteen million sure doesn’t buy you what it used to,” said Peninsula real estate broker Art Michael, who toured the home.

Benson said he set the asking price for the home after two appraisals put its value at $23.5 million and $11.5 million. In addition, two other properties of about the same size are on the market in Woodside — one for $15 million and one for $29.5 million.

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Though overall Bay Area home prices and sales continue to break records, the market for ultra-expensive homes remains somewhat unpredictable, in part because the pool of buyers of multimillion-dollar properties is so shallow.

The heirs to the Hills Bros. Coffee fortune recently sold an 11,000- square-foot Pacific Heights mansion for less than $30 million, after putting it on the market for $45 million two years ago.

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Landowners in Stinson Beach, California, are in dispute with local authorities over trying to build home on the beach. Neighbours are concerned about the project

Sea levels in the area are expected to rise(Getty Images)

A family is gearing up for a battle with their future neighbours because they want to stop them renovating and old shack, even though they have owned the land for nearly nine decades.

The shack is located on a popular and picturesque part of Stinson Beach, California where Brian Johnson, 65, hopes to build a two-storey, 1,488-square-foot house on the plot on 21 Calle del Onda. Now consisting of a chimney surrounded by overgrown plants, the shack is a relic of the Smith family’s summer getaway spot built in the 1930s.

Its descendants, including Johnson, have run headlong into a legal dispute despite the approval of the Marin County Planning Commission in an August decision. Neighbours are concerned about the project and people in government at the state and local levels are concerned about the changing environment.

READ MORE Taylor Swift attends Travis Kelce NFL game after sharing picture inside his family home

The plans are up for a review on Tuesday(MarinCounty.org)

Johnson says the development of the project has cost $335,000 and it passed a number of environmental reviews. “It’s not like we’re building an oil refinery or a nuclear power plant on the coast,” he said to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Consultant to the owners – Brian is a majority owner – Steven Kinsey said it was odd the ” last 80 feet” of the beachfront were being “treated differently” in the area where houses line up along the sand dunes.

Some view the area as environmentally important and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy calls it one of the “best swimming beaches in northern California.” Marin County is also considering a dune restoration project in the area costing a possible $50 million.

The shack is located on a popular and picturesque part of Stinson Beach, California where Brian Johnson, 65, hopes to build a new house(Gado via Getty Images)

“This is an environment that is changing,” commission member Don Dickinson said. Dickinson, who voted against the proposal, added: “Maybe it’s changing more rapidly than some people thought.”

Rising sea levels now threaten the historic community along with flooding from a creek nearby and there are further concerns around the septic tank needed at the property after storms damaged the area last winter. Now, a decision by the Marin County Board of Supervisors is due on Tuesday.

Opposition to the project can be found among locals like Scott Tye, the Vice Chair of the Marin chapter of the conservation group Surfrider Foundation. “The (California) Coastal Act says you don’t sacrifice important natural habitat for the development of the property for a commercial residential structure… Particularly if it’s one of the few left standing,” he said.

The California Coastal Commission has also said in a letter to the Marin County Planning Commission that it has “significant concerns regarding potential impacts to environmentally sensitive habitat areas, including dune habitat; (and) siting this development in such a hazardous area”.

For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US

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Demolition permits have been filed for the existing single-story terminal building of Transbay Block 2 at 200 Folsom Street in SoMa, San Francisco. The permit was proceeded by new building permits from mid-November of last year for two future affordable housing developments with a total of 335 homes. The city’s planning department has yet to issue the permits to both developer, Mercy Housing, and the Chinatown Community Development Center.

The overall development cost of Transbay Block 2 is likely to exceed $300 million, with the new building permits estimating construction to cost around $131 million. The 17-story Transbay Block 2 East proposal is being led by Mercy Housing, with the nine-story Transbay Block 2 West developed by the Chinatown Community Development Center.

Transbay Block 2 West aerial perspective, rendering by Mithun

Transbay Block 2 East will create 184 apartments dedicated to families earning between 20-80% of the Area’s Median Income. The 165-foot tall structure will yield 198,470 square feet with 134,600 square feet for housing, 6,040 square feet for amenities, 1,960 square feet for retail, and 6,480 square feet for a childcare facility serviced by Wu Yee. Unit sizes will vary, with 17 studios, 76 one-bedrooms, 54 two-bedrooms, and 37 three-bedrooms.

Kennerly Architecture & Planning is responsible for the design, with Y.A. Studios as the associate architect. Illustrations show a granite grid rising from above the curtainwall retail base at the corner of Folsom and Main Street up to the 17-story pinnacle. From the highrise pinnacle facing Folsom, the structure is tapered down to a five-story podium with a rooftop deck overlooking the future Transbay Block 3 park.

Transbay Block 2 West establishing view, rendering by Mithun

The Chinatown Community Development Center’s plans for Transbay Block 2 West will create 151 units of affordable senior housing. The 85-foot tall structure yields around 109,650 square feet, with 78,800 square feet for housing, 3,200 square feet for amenities, and 2,950 square feet for ground-level retail. Apartment sizes will include 39 studios, 111 one-bedrooms, and a two-bedroom unit.

Mithun is responsible for the architectural design, working with associate architect Kerman Morris Architects. Illustrations show the blocky nine-story infill clad scattered with a randomized pattern of light-grey panels and floor-to-ceiling windows. Similar to Block 2 East, the senior housing will have a five-story podium capped with an open-air deck facing the future park. Facade materials include concrete finishes, metal cladding, vertical wood screens, and porcelain tiles.

Transbay Block 2, 3, and 4, image via OCII and the city

Demolition will be required of the temporary Transbay Bus Terminal, an interim public transit nexus during the construction of the Salesforce Tower and the Transbay Transit Center. The site has been operated over the last couple years as The Crossing at East Cut, a community hub for festivities, watch parties, and other public events.

Next to Transbay Blocks 2 and 3, Block 4 will round off the property with a 47-story residential tower developed by Hines and Mercy Housing. New building permits were filed for the 681-unit project at 200 Main Street in late 2019. The city has yet to issue the building permits, though the Board of Supervisors approved the tower in August last year.

Transbay Block 2 East mews, rendering by Kennerly Architecture & Planning

The general contractors for Block 2 will be a joint venture with Swinerton and Rubecon General Contracting. Regency will be the construction manager. Luk & Associates is the civil engineer, Plural is the landscape architect, and DCI is the structural engineer.

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200 Folsom Street Chinatown Community Development Center DCI Engineers Kennerly Architecture Kerman Morris Architects Luk & Associates Mercy Housing Mithun Plural Landscape Architects Regency Construction Manager Rubecon General Contracting Swinerton Transbay Block 2 Y.A. Studio

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Protesters demanding Gaza ceasefire block San Francisco’s Bay Bridge | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Every act of aloha counts. Click here to DONATE to the MAUI RELIEF Fund.

By Associated Press | November 16, 2023 

At least 50 protesters were arrested on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and 15 vehicles were towed after demonstrators blocked all lanes on the upper deck.

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Demonstrators shut down the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in conjunction with the APEC Summit taking place Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Demonstrators shut down the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in conjunction with the APEC Summit taking place Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Dr. George Tanaka, an eye surgeon, joins demonstrators as they shut down the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in conjunction with the APEC Summit taking place Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Demonstrators shout slogans after shuttting down the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in conjunction with the APEC Summit taking place Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Demonstrators shut down the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in conjunction with the APEC Summit taking place Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Demonstrators shut down the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in conjunction with the APEC Summit taking place Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Police officers clear demonstrators blocking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge while protesting against the APEC summit on Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Police officers detain a protester blocking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge while demonstrating against the APEC summit and the Israel-Hamas war, Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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Elsa Santos and her children wait for police officers to clear protesters off the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge during a demonstration against the APEC summit on Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco. Santos was stuck for several hours while trying to take her kids to school.

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Motorists wait in a queue as demonstrators shut down the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in conjunction with the APEC Summit taking place Thursday, Nov. 16, in San Francisco.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Transgender people born in Kansas could be barred from altering their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity if the conservative Republican prosecutor succeeds in a legal action he launched late Friday.

Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a motion in federal court asking a judge to reverse the requirement in Kansas to allow transgender people to alter their birth certificates.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in 2019 imposed a requirement to settle a lawsuit filed by four transgender residents of Kansas against three officials at the state’s Department of Health and Human Services over a policy that critics said prevented transgender people from doing so even after the transition Make changes, legally change their name, and get a new driver Driver’s licenses and social security cards.

It wasn’t clear if Kobach’s efforts would succeed, as a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling declared that a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in the workplace also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This year, federal judges in Idaho and Ohio overturned rules against transgender people changing their birth certificates, but on Thursday a federal judge in Tennessee dismissed a lawsuit challenging one of the country’s few remaining state measures against such changes.

Kobach’s move appears to be in line with a new, sweeping Kansas law that goes into effect July 1 and rolls back transgender rights. It was enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature due to the veto of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. A memo filed electronically with Kobach’s application just before midnight cited the law as reason for a re-examination of the 2019 settlement.

The memo argued that Crabtree’s order made it “impossible” to follow the new state law and that the state health department, which administers birth certificates, was now “obligated to execute the law as written” since the legislature had “spoken.” .

Kobach had already scheduled a press conference at the Statehouse for Monday afternoon to discuss the enforcement of the new law.

Crabtree’s 2019 order blocked a policy imposed by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration that was among the harshest anti-birth certificate changes in the United States. Kelly is a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and her government agreed to settle the lawsuit less than six months after taking office.

That decision came nearly a year after Crabtree said the Kansas policy violated the constitutional right of transgender people to due process and equal treatment before the law. His order notes that federal courts in Idaho and Puerto Rico had rejected the no-change policy. Kobach’s memo called those judgments outdated.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the LGBTQ+ rights group Lambda Legal, which represents the four Kansas residents, condemned Kobach’s move. Lamda Legal’s Omar Gonzalez-Pagan called it “unnecessary and cruel”.

Kansas ACLU executive director Micah Kubic added in a statement, “Mr. Kobach should reconsider the wisdom — and the sheer lewdness — of this attempt to weaponize his office’s authority to attack transgender Kansas just trying to get on with their lives.”

Kansas’ new law aims to prevent transgender people from using restrooms, locker rooms and other same-sex facilities related to their identity. At least nine other states have such laws, mostly focused on public schools.

Kobach said he believes Kansas’ new law will also prevent transgender people from changing their driver’s license, although the law does not provide specific enforcement mechanisms. Legislators drafted the bill so they can prevent transgender people from changing their birth certificates, except for the 2019 federal court order, without specifically mentioning birth certificates or driver’s licenses.

For weeks, a project by Kansas Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm, encouraged transgender people from Kansas to change their driver’s licenses before the new law went into effect. Kelly’s administration, which is responsible for licensing drivers, hasn’t said whether it thinks such changes would still be allowed under the new law.

Ellen Bertels, the attorney who led the effort, said that while a transgender person could sue after the law went into effect to protect people’s right to change their driver’s licenses, a lawsuit by a state official against Kelly’s government could be aimed at prevent such changes.

“That’s sort of the obvious place they would end up,” Bertels said.

As for birth certificates, the number of states that don’t allow transgender people to alter birth certificates has decreased due to challenges in federal courts like the one in Kansas. In Oklahoma, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt is being sued over his 2021 executive order banning such changes.

According to Alex Rate, one of their attorneys, the Montana ACLU plans to challenge a rule enacted there last year that prohibits people from changing the gender on their birth certificates. The state has tightened its rules since GOP Gov. Greg Gianforte took office in 2021.

Previously, since 2017, when Democrat Steve Bullock was governor, Montana allowed transgender people to alter their birth certificates by filling out an affidavit.

Advocates of LGBTQ+ rights say that changing birth certificates, driver’s licenses and other records to reflect a transgender person’s gender identity is key to confirming their identity and often vastly improves their mental health.

Policies against altering birth certificates and other documents also have practical implications for transgender residents. For example, Kansas requires voters to show photo identification when voting or obtaining an absentee ballot.

Critics of the new Kansas law say it aims to legally exclude transgender people.

It explains that state law recognizes only two sexes, male and female, and defines them based on a person’s “biological reproductive system” at birth. A woman is someone whose system is “designed to produce eggs,” while a man is just someone with a system “to fertilize a woman’s eggs.”

The law then states that “important government objectives” to protect people’s health, safety and privacy justify the establishment of gender-segregated spaces consistent with these definitions.

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Associated Press writer Amy Hanson of Helena, Montana contributed to this story.

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Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

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The California Convention passed AB 316 by a vote of 54 to 3. The bill includes a provision mandating the presence of a human driver in autonomous trucks during testing, which the Teamsters union had campaigned for. This is just an Assembly bill: to become law, it would need a Senate equivalent and the governor’s signature.

Earlier, San Francisco regulators, also lobbied by the Teamsters, turned down a petition by Waymo to convert warehouse space into employee parking at a new facility in an industrial area in southwest San Francisco. The parking had already been overwhelmingly approved by lower bodies, but descriptions of the meeting suggest the conflict between the Robotaxi companies and the city has escalated, and the denial of that parking request makes it seem like that’s about it and not about it about whether these parking spaces exist spaces are appropriate.

Robocar developers always anticipated that there would be a backlash as the technology became more real. Some of the backlash will be emotional or come from those who feel commercially threatened by the technology. Some will be entitled to the public safety and traffic disruption issues to be expected when trying out new technologies like this. On the issue of job preservation – many drivers drive drivers for a living – there is sympathy on both sides for those who feel their careers are threatened, but concerns about efforts to protect a dangerous and uncomfortable job just to keep jobs alive can stay. Such efforts have typically not stood the test of history, nor have they been retrospectively counted as good when they did.

For trucking, having drivers in trucks controlled by computers is obviously ridiculous in the long run. All teams are currently doing this to ensure safety. Their systems are immature and they know it. But all plans depend on that driver eventually being removed, as has already happened for robotaxis around the city. If the law passes, the driver will have to be there at least until 2029, when the DMV can issue a report with recommendations to remove the driver recommendation.

Outside of the state, several trucking companies are already conducting driverless tests, and one company, Gatik, is making regular daily deliveries without a security driver in the vehicle. Waiting until 2029 in California essentially pushes the tech out of the state, even though many of the companies have a strong presence there. Once something is banned, it becomes very difficult to get the ban lifted, as the officials who lift the ban practically take responsibility if something goes wrong. So they are afraid of it. They don’t want to take any risks, even legitimate risks, and face the consequences.

In fact, all of the companies that develop trucks have protested this bill and hope the governor will refuse to sign the bill. California is the world leader in autonomous driving technology and needs serious thought about deliberately giving up that lead as a union tries to keep jobs for its members. You should look for other ways to lessen the burden on these union members. The hard truth is that 2,000 people die in truck accidents every year in the US – many of them truck drivers. Keeping jobs is one thing, but keeping a job that kills so many people is harder to justify. It’s different than getting jobs that don’t cause deaths.

SF vs Robotaxi

It is likely that the fight in San Francisco will continue to escalate. The state has the right to regulate the roads, not the city. This has frustrated the city, which wants more influence over how robotic taxis work there. The city is frustrated at their powerlessness and seems to feel that the Robotaxi companies took advantage of them and didn’t show the city enough respect. Whether that’s true or not, feelings and perceptions matter more in such a battle, and the city has no means of asserting itself against the companies that operate there.

San Francisco executives meeting in San Francisco (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) The vote to block Waymo was unanimous among those present.Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

The jurisdictional boundary between state and city exists for a reason. If each city had too much power for different road rules, it could create chaos for motorists and businesses dealing with a difficult patchwork of regulators. Waymo and Cruise are based in the SF Bay Area, and that city is by far the best testing ground for both, but they may be starting to regret the issues that come with it. Despite being the big city in the high-tech capital of the world, San Francisco has a surprisingly insane history as a proving ground for the new technologies being manufactured there. That’s his choice, but it makes it harder for companies to work there.

In the past, that wasn’t a problem for SF. It had more than enough reputation to deter a few companies. Today, the shift to working from home has emptied downtown San Francisco more than any other city in the US, and one has to be wary of scaring companies even more to work there. SF has shown that even if it can’t regulate your technology, it will use its more mundane powers like planning permission to get what it wants. And they should win this fight if they want to and oust the companies – the real question is why would they want that. Yes, being the beta tester of such technology comes with problems. But a study by the SF Transportation Authority, which asked their drivers to log any problems with the robo-taxis, found surprisingly few incidents. Companies make mistakes and have many teething troubles, but it seems to be anecdotal, not a pattern, it is mistaken for a pattern.

The city must decide how many childhood illnesses it can tolerate, and then grit its teeth and tolerate them. As long as no one is harmed, technology promises to significantly reduce traffic risk in the future, and a few blunders may well be worth it, for society and even for the city.

A passive-aggressive struggle, with cities scrambling to find another way to get rid of these companies, isn’t good for either side. The sides should reconcile or separate, costly as that may be. Waymo may already be hoping for a better time in Los Angeles — that remains to be seen. Arizona and Texas have already shown they are ready to move forward. The problem is that San Francisco didn’t ask for tech to come to the city — it was born there, so it was never a welcome immigrant. A background fight does no harm to anyone.

Waymo will solve his parking problem. In fact, an obvious solution is to use a staging lot and have Waymo vehicles pick up employees from there. It’s a bit cumbersome, but a good test of a mode that will be necessary as robo-taxis prepare to handle things like stadiums and large buildings with high peak traffic. Doing it on a small scale is more expensive – you don’t want employees to have to wait more than a few minutes for a shuttle, but at this point that cost can be managed. But in the long run, finding a way to get SF on board is important.

follow me Twitter or LinkedIn. Cash my website.

I founded ClariNet, the world’s first Internet-based company, am Chair Emeritus of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a Fellow of the Foresight Institute. My current passion are self-driving vehicles and robots. I worked on Google’s auto team in the early years and am a consultant and/or investor for automakers and many of the top startups in robocars, sensors, delivery robots and even some flying cars. Plus AR/VR and software. I found the faculty and computer science chair at Singularity University and I write, consult and speak on robocar technology around the globe.

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Mark SchlabachESPN Lead WriterMay 19, 2023 9:30 PM ET9 minute read

Rory gets his first birdie of the day with a long putt

Rory McIlroy sinks the long putt on the ninth hole for his first birdie of the day at the PGA Championship.

ROCHESTER, NY – At last year’s PGA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Michael Block finally found he belonged in the field.

Block played a few holes behind a large group that included Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas at Southern Hills Country Club and scored a 3-over-73 in the second round in front of hundreds of fans.

“Every hole I played was ten holes,” Block said. “I shot 73 with everyone there. My [general manager] even said, “That’s because you’re not a club professional anymore.” So it was a big moment for me. I’ve been making a living from it ever since.

Block, 46, is still a club pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, a daily fee golf course in Mission Viejo, California. But Block proved in the first two rounds of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club that he’s also a great player.

While some of the best players in the world including Tom Kim, Cameron Young, Sungjae Im and Sam Burns are heading home after missing the cut, Block remains to play the final two rounds this weekend. He sits in 10th place on even par, having dealt 70 cards each in the first two rounds.

Reigning PGA of America Pro Player of the Year Michael Block is hoping to become the first PGA club pro to make the top 10 in 40 years. Getty Images

According to a study by ESPN Stats & Information, Block is only the second club pro to make the top 20 in the PGA Championship after playing 36 holes in the past 20 years.

“I feel extremely comfortable,” said Block. “A couple of my friends in Orange County, to be honest [California] are Beau Hossler and Patrick Cantlay. I’ve played a lot of golf with them now [and] They have become my friends. I understand where they stand in the world. I understand my game isn’t quite up to par with them, but I’m pretty damn close and I can keep up with them.”

On Friday, Block was pretty close to securing at least part of the lead. He made three of his first five holes and also #1, his tenth hole of the round, with a birdie to move to 3 under, just one shot behind the leaders. But then he had a bogey on the #4 and a very improper swing on the par 3 fifth. He made his tee shot and landed a double bogey 5.

“I don’t know,” Block said. “I had the same momentum as I had all week. It was a nice little 8 iron, front left pin. I love hitting the baby draw with my 8 iron. I’ve been doing well all week, overall. Suddenly we were all there, doing that, and we look up and I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ The ball went straight up, kind of hit the tree, almost killed someone, and then he went off and landed in the deep rough. I was actually lucky enough to do a double bogey afterwards.”

Block has had an impressive career in smaller circles. He is the current PGA of America Professional Player of the Year. He placed second at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship, which earned him a spot at Oak Hill field. In 2019 he set a course record in Arroyo Trabuco at 59. On April 17, he won the Stroke Play Classic at his home court, taking home $1,600. He raised an additional $500 for second place in the Pro-Pro Scramble at the San Juan Hills Golf Club in California a week earlier.

Block says he rarely hits more than a bucket of balls a week. He spends most of his time teaching, for $125 for a 45 minute session and $500 for a 9 hour hour of play. Wherever Block finishes on Sunday, he can earn a nice payday.

It is his fifth appearance in the PGA Championship. He also played at the US Open in 2007 and 2018. He failed to make the cut in any of his previous starts in the majors. He had made four of 24 PGA Tour starts and made about $38,038.

Block’s form has been good this year. In January, he scored a 7-under 65 in the first round of American Express (he was fielding for the third time to win the PGA Section Championship in Southern California). The next week, Block beat both tour pros he was paired with in the first two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open (he reached 74-73).

“I’ve gained that confidence from placings in the rounds where I’m like, ‘Why not?'” Block said. “Why don’t you come here and compete? Why not break through here at Oak Hill? To be honest, I’m not afraid of them anymore.”

The best result by a PGA club professional to make it to the PGA Professional Championship was an 11th-place tie between Lonnie Nielsen in 1986 and Tommy Aycock in 1974. Block may be the first in the last 40 years in the top 10.

“As strange as it may sound, I will be competing,” Block said. “I promise you that.”

As it says on his TaylorMade golf balls: why not?

foreign taste

Norway’s Viktor Hovland is tied at the top going into the third round with 5 under.Getty Images

The Americans have won each of the last seven PGA championships. The last non-American player to win it was Australian Jason Day in 2015. But after 36 holes, Oak Hill’s rankings have a distinctly foreign note.

Canadian Corey Conners and Norway’s Viktor Hovland are tied at the top with Scottie Scheffler at 5 under. England’s Callum Tarren is sixth with 2 unders and his compatriot Justin Rose is eighth with 1 unders. The Austrian Sepp Straka is in 10th place with the same odds.

No player in England has won the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes, who won the first two tournaments in 1916 and 1919.

“I think in the past I’ve usually won on more difficult golf courses, so I think it fits my profile from that perspective,” Rose said. “Yes, that’s at the top. It feels a bit like a hybrid PGA-US Open sort of thing this week. I’m looking forward to the test, I think.”

How far is too far back?

Jon Rahm rallied all the strength to make the breakthrough, but it may be too late for him to make a real run. Getty Images

During the stroke-play era of the PGA Championship since 1958, 63 of the 65 eventual champions were in the top 20 ranked after 36 holes, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The exceptions were Collin Morikawa, who won 2020 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco (tied 25th place) and Padraig Harrington at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, 2008 (tied 26th place).

Each of the winners of the six major championships played at Oak Hill Country Club was in the top three after round two: Jason Dufner (first, 2013 PGA Championship), Shaun Micheel (tie first, 2003 PGA Championship), Curtis Strange (1st, US Open 1989), Jack Nicklaus (same runner-up, PGA Championship 1980), Lee Trevino (runner-up, US Open 1968) and Cary Middlecoff (same third, US Open 1956).

That could be bad news for some of the best players in the world including Adam Scott (tie 30th, 2 overs), Hideki Matsuyama (tie 35th, 3 overs), Max Homa (tie 35th, 3 overs) and Xander Schauffele (same 48th, 4 over), Cameron Smith (same 48th, 4 over), Jon Rahm (same 48th, 4 over), Tony Finau (same 59th, 5 over) and Justin Thomas (same 59th ., 4 over) 5 over).

“It was a blast again,” said Thomas, the defending champion. “It was a struggle. I just had a bad start.”

to be on the way home

Rickie Fowler was among the prominent names who missed the cut. Getty Images

Most of the big-name players in danger of missing the cut, including Thomas, Rahm and Jordan Spieth, rallied and moved across the finish line on Friday. There were a few notable exceptions including Rickie Fowler (over 6), Billy Horschel (over 6), Matt Fitzpatrick (over 6), Tom Kite (over 8), Jason Day (over 8), Cameron Young (over 9), Sungjae Im (over 13) and Sam Burns (over 14).

LIV Golf League star Talor Gooch finished the game with 10 overs and also missed the cut. He was ranked 63rd in the official golf world rankings this week. It took Gooch, a two-time LIV Golf League winner, a good week to finish in the top 60 by Monday or June 6 and qualify for the US Open.

Gooch secured a 2022 season-ending Tour Championship spot, which in the past would have been enough to put him in the US Open field. But the United States Golf Association changed the wording of that exception this year to include players who were both qualified and eligible for the Tour Championship. Gooch was ineligible to play after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended him for attending LIV golf events without a clearance. He doesn’t score points in LIV Golf League tournaments, so he’ll miss the field for next month’s US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.

Oh Canada

Corey Conners is hoping to become the second Canadian to win a major. Getty Images

The drive from Rochester to Toronto takes about three hours, so there were a lot of Canadian fans in the galleries this week. There has been plenty of reason to celebrate so far. Not only is Conners tied at the top, but Taylor Pendrith is 1-under in eighth and Adam Svensson is 11th on par. Adam Hadwin is in 35th place with 3 overs.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, only three Canadian players have made the top 10 in the PGA Championship: Graham DeLaet (tie seventh place, 2017), Mike Weir (three times), and Nick Welock (tie ninth place, 1936). Weir is the only Canadian to win a major at the 2003 Masters.

“It’s been a very special week so far,” said Conners. “I think since I’m so close to Canada, there are a lot of Canadian fans out here. They cheer me on It definitely feels good.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty exciting. Both Taylor and Adam are very close.” [Svensson]. It’s fun to be part of the group of Canadian golfers at the moment. I think whether it’s me or one of them or the others, someone makes noise every week. It’s fun to be a part of.

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At the beginning of the semester, walkable routes to public transport and health services are blocked by construction work.

A ruptured hot water service pipe resulted in construction work on the right side of the J. Paul Leonard Library. Repairs began on Wednesday, February 1, according to Associate Vice President of Facilities Services Robert Andrews.

A GGX reporter first spotted the leak on Tuesday January 24th. The original source of the leak is unclear, but it began a week before students returned to classes for Spring 2023.

Students began to circumvent the spout by walking on the lawn as construction fences blocked the sidewalk.

The way from the quad to the health center is also blocked by construction work.

“I think it’s a water leak and they’re changing some hoses,” said Oscar Portillo, a seven-year facility services employee. “They’re fixing water lines, which I assume will last another two or three weeks, but I’m not sure.”

Now that the path is closed, the students have to take a detour to get to the health center.

“I just turned up and it was closed. They didn’t even put out a notice or anything, which would have been nice,” said Alejandra Díaz, a fourth-year student majoring in recreation, parks and tourism. “For new students, it’s more of an inconvenient thing. I don’t know why it wasn’t done during the break.”

New and returning students were never informed of the precautionary measure for either site. The health center was contacted but did not comment on the lockdown.

“It was surprising that it was there. Many students come and go, and now they have to go all the way,” said Yazmin Rodriguez, a second-year student specializing in child and adolescent development. “I have an appointment there and they haven’t said anything about what’s going on there.”

[Additional reporting by Letícia Luna]

• On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, water spilled on the highly trodden path at the SF State Quad. (Leticia Luna / Golden Gate Xpress)

• Students walk around and past the maintenance barrier in front of the J. Paul Leonard Library at SF State on Thursday, February 9, 2023 as student organizations set up a table in the background. (Miguel Francesco Carrion / Golden Gate Xpress)

  

The post Golden Gate Xpress | Plumbing points block two essential pathways on campus appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

At the beginning of the semester, walkable routes to public transport and health services are blocked by construction work.

A ruptured hot water service pipe resulted in construction work on the right side of the J. Paul Leonard Library. Repairs began on Wednesday, February 1, according to Associate Vice President of Facilities Services Robert Andrews.

A GGX reporter first spotted the leak on Tuesday January 24th. The original source of the leak is unclear, but it began a week before students returned to classes for Spring 2023.

Students began to circumvent the spout by walking on the lawn as construction fences blocked the sidewalk.

The way from the quad to the health center is also blocked by construction work.

“I think it’s a water leak and they’re changing some hoses,” said Oscar Portillo, a seven-year facility services employee. “They’re fixing water lines, which I assume will last another two or three weeks, but I’m not sure.”

Now that the path is closed, the students have to take a detour to get to the health center.

“I just turned up and it was closed. They didn’t even put out a notice or anything, which would have been nice,” said Alejandra Díaz, a fourth-year student majoring in recreation, parks and tourism. “For new students, it’s more of an inconvenient thing. I don’t know why it wasn’t done during the break.”

New and returning students were never informed of the precautionary measure for either site. The health center was contacted but did not comment on the lockdown.

“It was surprising that it was there. Many students come and go, and now they have to go all the way,” said Yazmin Rodriguez, a second-year student specializing in child and adolescent development. “I have an appointment there and they haven’t said anything about what’s going on there.”

[Additional reporting by Letícia Luna]

On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, water spilled on the highly trodden path at the SF State Quad. (Leticia Luna / Golden Gate Xpress)

The post Golden Gate Xpress | Plumbing points block two vital pathways on campus appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

There’s a common truth in real estate: “Buy the worst house on the best street.” In doing so, buyers can reap the benefits of owning lucrative property for cheap — and have a fixer-upper to call their very own.

But the San Francisco real estate market has warped that idea quite considerably, after a decrepit Noe Valley home with zero bedrooms and two bathrooms sold for $1.97 million.

The pre-1906 fire property, sold last Friday in a conservatorship sale, is billed by sellers as a “contractors special” — real estate speak for major fixer-uppers that are a time and money sink. The property listing on Zillow makes no bones about its current state of disrepair and brands it as a diamond in the rough, going so far as to call it “the worst house on the best block” in the listing.

It sits on 2,158 square feet of land, and according to the Real Deal, which first reported on the sale, is zoned for two homes.

“Surrounded by many multimillion dollar homes; this is the best opportunity on the block and your chance to make it shine as bright as the neighbors,” reads the listing.

(They’re not entirely wrong: Properties in the same ZIP code with comparable square footage sell for more than $2 million, according to a recent Zillow search.)

It was first listed in September for just under $1 million, but was in contract for $1.4 million before the final buy.

Local real estate blog The Front Steps listed some major gripes about the structure going as far back as 2006 — with neighbors alleging that the building shed lead paint and was “blighted.” The property most likely has bedrooms, but as explained by the Front Steps, none of them are inhabitable and cannot be advertised as bedrooms.

It went viral on the Facebook page Zillow Gone Wild on Wednesday, with commenters griping about the cost of living in California and some others clamoring to fix up the place themselves.

“Never have I ever wished to be able to flip a house until this minute,” said one commenter.

Compass, the real estate agency for this property, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.

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