Mourners streamed into San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday to pay their respects to the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, honoring her as fearless, smart and the glue who kept the city together after two political assassinations that catapulted her into the mayor’s office and the national spotlight.“She wasn’t afraid to do a man’s job. She wasn’t afraid to be a senator. She wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted,” said Lawanda Carter, 48, of San Francisco. “And that’s encouragement for us women now to have courage.”Carter was among the scores of everyday San Franciscans and political leaders alike who brought flowers, bowed their heads or clasped their hands in prayer as they stood before Feinstein’s casket, which was draped in an American flag and on display behind velvet ropes. Many said they had never met Feinstein, but wanted to honor an indefatigable public servant who fought to level the playing field for women, members of the LGBTQ community and racial minorities.Feinstein died early Friday in her Washington, D.C., home of natural causes, said Adam Russell, a spokesperson for her office. She was 90.She was San Francisco’s first female mayor and one of California’s first two women U.S. senators, a job she first won alongside Barbara Boxer in 1992, dubbed the “ Year of the Woman.” Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also of San Francisco, and Mayor London Breed were among the officials who paid their respects.Feinstein spent much of her career in the U.S. Senate but will be known as the forever mayor of San Francisco, a role she inherited in tragedy. She was president of the Board of Supervisors in November 1978 when a former supervisor assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city’s first openly gay supervisor, at City Hall.Feinstein, who found Milk’s body, became acting mayor and won election twice to serve as mayor until 1988.Georgia Otterson, 76, a health care administrator, said Feinstein wasn’t as politically liberal as she would have liked, but the late mayor earned her respect with how she kept the heartbroken city together.“We were all mourning together, holding candles. If memory serves me, Joan Baez sang,” Otterson said of an impromptu march that night from the historically gay Castro District to City Hall. “And she held us up.”| VIDEO BELOW | Dianne Feinstein’s body arrives in San Francisco as mourners prepare to say goodbyeAs a centrist Democrat, she was criticized by some more liberal voters, including for her longtime support for the death penalty, and as the country became more polarized, for her collegial relationship with Republicans. But the straight, white woman largely earned the gratitude of a city that celebrates its racial and sexual diversity.She steered San Francisco through the HIV and AIDS crisis, bringing attention to an epidemic ignored by President Ronald Reagan. She also secured federal and private funding to save the city’s iconic cable cars from death by deterioration.Feinstein led the city as it played host to the Democratic National Convention in 1984. Another San Francisco tradition — “Fleet Week” — was started by Feinstein in 1981, and this year’s annual celebration of air shows, naval ships and military bands is dedicated to her.Breed recalled looking up to Feinstein when she was a Black kid growing up in public housing and playing the French horn in a middle school band that performed regularly at mayoral events.“She was so proud of us and she said so, and she took the time to talk to us, express how amazing we were and to remind us that we were her band,” Breed said at a news conference the day after Feinstein’s death.Mourners Wednesday expressed their pride in Feinstein.“She kept moving on up. I was proud of her, very proud of her,” said Dorothy Hudson, 81, a retired federal government employee. “She was very kind, very smart. She opened doors up to let people know, ‘You can do it.’”San Francisco native Cari Donovan placed a bouquet of red and pink lilies and daisies on the floor before the casket. She lingered, crying quietly over a woman she never knew but who was so important to her life.“She championed and fought for the rights of so many people,” Donovan said. “I’m so grateful. And I really just wanted her family to know how much she meant to me.”The social worker said she talked to her 28-year-old daughter about the battles Feinstein fought so that younger generations of women could dream bigger. “She was a lioness.”While Feinstein’s career sent her to Washington, she remained deeply involved in the affairs of San Francisco, the city where she was born and raised. She often called her successors — including Gov. Gavin Newsom — to complain about potholes or trash and to offer advice and encouragement.John Konstin Sr., owner of John’s Grill, a favorite downtown tourist destination and watering hole for city politicians, recalled Feinstein ordering potholes filled, trees trimmed and ugly scaffolding brought down before San Francisco hosted the 1984 Democratic convention.“She asked, ‘How long has this scaffolding been up?’ And my dad said ‘Maybe 10 years,’ and the next day it came down,” said Konstin, 59. “It was half a block of scaffolding.”The restaurant, which is celebrating its 115th anniversary Wednesday, honored Feinstein with flowers beneath a portrait of her that hangs on a wall.Feinstein’s body will remained in City Hall through the evening and a memorial service is scheduled Thursday outside the building.Speakers will include Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Feinstein’s granddaughter Eileen Mariano. President Joe Biden will deliver remarks by recorded video.Among the first to say goodbye Wednesday were Jose Romero Cooper and Mark Cooper. The married couple waited in line before doors opened to the public.“What I’m gonna say is: ‘Thank you for everything, for being strong,’” said Romero Cooper, 61, a scarf of the American flag draped around his neck.He stood before the casket, genuflected and crossed himself, then walked away with tears streaming down his face.The service will no longer be open to the public, citing increased security, according to a release from Feinstein’s office. Only invited guests will be allowed.You can still watch the service online here.| VIDEO BELOW | Sen. Laphonza Butler: ‘Honor of a lifetime’ to fill Dianne Feinstein’s seat__ Associated Press journalist Haven Daley in San Francisco and researcher Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report.

SAN FRANCISCO —

Mourners streamed into San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday to pay their respects to the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, honoring her as fearless, smart and the glue who kept the city together after two political assassinations that catapulted her into the mayor’s office and the national spotlight.

“She wasn’t afraid to do a man’s job. She wasn’t afraid to be a senator. She wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted,” said Lawanda Carter, 48, of San Francisco. “And that’s encouragement for us women now to have courage.”

Carter was among the scores of everyday San Franciscans and political leaders alike who brought flowers, bowed their heads or clasped their hands in prayer as they stood before Feinstein’s casket, which was draped in an American flag and on display behind velvet ropes. Many said they had never met Feinstein, but wanted to honor an indefatigable public servant who fought to level the playing field for women, members of the LGBTQ community and racial minorities.

Feinstein died early Friday in her Washington, D.C., home of natural causes, said Adam Russell, a spokesperson for her office. She was 90.

She was San Francisco’s first female mayor and one of California’s first two women U.S. senators, a job she first won alongside Barbara Boxer in 1992, dubbed the “ Year of the Woman.” Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also of San Francisco, and Mayor London Breed were among the officials who paid their respects.

Feinstein spent much of her career in the U.S. Senate but will be known as the forever mayor of San Francisco, a role she inherited in tragedy. She was president of the Board of Supervisors in November 1978 when a former supervisor assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city’s first openly gay supervisor, at City Hall.

Feinstein, who found Milk’s body, became acting mayor and won election twice to serve as mayor until 1988.

Georgia Otterson, 76, a health care administrator, said Feinstein wasn’t as politically liberal as she would have liked, but the late mayor earned her respect with how she kept the heartbroken city together.

“We were all mourning together, holding candles. If memory serves me, Joan Baez sang,” Otterson said of an impromptu march that night from the historically gay Castro District to City Hall. “And she held us up.”

| VIDEO BELOW | Dianne Feinstein’s body arrives in San Francisco as mourners prepare to say goodbye

As a centrist Democrat, she was criticized by some more liberal voters, including for her longtime support for the death penalty, and as the country became more polarized, for her collegial relationship with Republicans. But the straight, white woman largely earned the gratitude of a city that celebrates its racial and sexual diversity.

She steered San Francisco through the HIV and AIDS crisis, bringing attention to an epidemic ignored by President Ronald Reagan. She also secured federal and private funding to save the city’s iconic cable cars from death by deterioration.

Feinstein led the city as it played host to the Democratic National Convention in 1984. Another San Francisco tradition — “Fleet Week” — was started by Feinstein in 1981, and this year’s annual celebration of air shows, naval ships and military bands is dedicated to her.

Breed recalled looking up to Feinstein when she was a Black kid growing up in public housing and playing the French horn in a middle school band that performed regularly at mayoral events.

“She was so proud of us and she said so, and she took the time to talk to us, express how amazing we were and to remind us that we were her band,” Breed said at a news conference the day after Feinstein’s death.

Mourners Wednesday expressed their pride in Feinstein.

“She kept moving on up. I was proud of her, very proud of her,” said Dorothy Hudson, 81, a retired federal government employee. “She was very kind, very smart. She opened doors up to let people know, ‘You can do it.’”

San Francisco native Cari Donovan placed a bouquet of red and pink lilies and daisies on the floor before the casket. She lingered, crying quietly over a woman she never knew but who was so important to her life.

“She championed and fought for the rights of so many people,” Donovan said. “I’m so grateful. And I really just wanted her family to know how much she meant to me.”

The social worker said she talked to her 28-year-old daughter about the battles Feinstein fought so that younger generations of women could dream bigger. “She was a lioness.”

While Feinstein’s career sent her to Washington, she remained deeply involved in the affairs of San Francisco, the city where she was born and raised. She often called her successors — including Gov. Gavin Newsom — to complain about potholes or trash and to offer advice and encouragement.

John Konstin Sr., owner of John’s Grill, a favorite downtown tourist destination and watering hole for city politicians, recalled Feinstein ordering potholes filled, trees trimmed and ugly scaffolding brought down before San Francisco hosted the 1984 Democratic convention.

“She asked, ‘How long has this scaffolding been up?’ And my dad said ‘Maybe 10 years,’ and the next day it came down,” said Konstin, 59. “It was half a block of scaffolding.”

The restaurant, which is celebrating its 115th anniversary Wednesday, honored Feinstein with flowers beneath a portrait of her that hangs on a wall.

Feinstein’s body will remained in City Hall through the evening and a memorial service is scheduled Thursday outside the building.

Speakers will include Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Feinstein’s granddaughter Eileen Mariano. President Joe Biden will deliver remarks by recorded video.

Among the first to say goodbye Wednesday were Jose Romero Cooper and Mark Cooper. The married couple waited in line before doors opened to the public.

“What I’m gonna say is: ‘Thank you for everything, for being strong,’” said Romero Cooper, 61, a scarf of the American flag draped around his neck.

He stood before the casket, genuflected and crossed himself, then walked away with tears streaming down his face.

The service will no longer be open to the public, citing increased security, according to a release from Feinstein’s office. Only invited guests will be allowed.

You can still watch the service online here.

| VIDEO BELOW | Sen. Laphonza Butler: ‘Honor of a lifetime’ to fill Dianne Feinstein’s seat

__

Associated Press journalist Haven Daley in San Francisco and researcher Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report.

The post Dianne Feinstein’s physique lies in state at San Francisco Metropolis Corridor appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Mourners bearing bouquets and cards paid their respects Wednesday to the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein in San Francisco City Hall, where she launched her groundbreaking political career and spent a decade as the city’s first female mayor.Musicians played the violin and other string instruments as a steady line of people snaked into the City Hall rotunda, where her casket was on display behind velvet ropes. People brought flowers that were later whisked away by staff, stood for a few seconds in contemplation or squeezed back tears before moving on to a side room to sign condolence books.Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also of San Francisco, was among the officials in attendance. Feinstein died Thursday at her Washington, D.C., home after a series of illnesses.Jose Romero Cooper, 61, and 73-year-old Mark Cooper were among the first to say goodbye, waiting in line before doors were open to the public. The married couple said they had followed Feinstein’s career with pride as she went from mayor of the politically liberal city to the U.S. Senate.“What I’m gonna say is: ‘Thank you for everything, for being strong,’” said Jose Romero Cooper, a scarf of the American flag draped around his neck.He stood before the casket, genuflected and crossed himself, then walked away with tears streaming down his face.Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and was board president in November 1978 when a former supervisor assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city’s first openly gay supervisor, at City Hall. Feinstein became acting mayor, and she went on to serve as mayor until 1988.| VIDEO BELOW | Dianne Feinstein’s body arrives in San Francisco as mourners prepare to say goodbyeSan Francisco would not be San Francisco without her. She steered the city through the HIV and AIDS crisis, bringing attention to an epidemic ignored by President Ronald Reagan. She also secured federal and private funding to save the city’s iconic cable cars from death by deterioration.Feinstein led the city as it played host to the Democratic National Convention in 1984. Another San Francisco tradition — “Fleet Week” — was started by Feinstein in 1981, and this year’s annual celebration of air shows, naval ships and military bands is dedicated to her.Beyond serving as San Francisco’s first female mayor, she joined Barbara Boxer as the first women to represent California in the U.S. Senate. They both won election in 1992, dubbed the “ Year of the Woman. ”Feinstein inspired countless girls and women, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is the first Black woman and only the second woman to lead the city. Breed recalled looking up to Feinstein when Feinstein was mayor and Breed played the French horn in the middle school band that played regularly at mayoral events.“She was so proud of us and she said so, and she took the time to talk to us, express how amazing we were and to remind us that we were her band,” Breed said at a news conference the day after the senator’s death.Cari Donovan placed a bouquet of lilies and daisies in red and pink before the casket.“I’m a San Francisco native. And I remember her being such a big public figure on my life. She championed and fought for the rights of so many people,” Donovan said, adding that she talked to her 28-year-old daughter about the battles Feinstein fought so that younger generations of women could dream bigger.“She was a powerhouse,” she said. “She was a lioness.”While Feinstein’s career sent her to Washington, she remained deeply involved in the affairs of San Francisco, the city where she was born and raised. She often called her successors — including Gov. Gavin Newsom — to complain about potholes or trash and to offer advice and encouragement.John Konstin Sr., owner of John’s Grill, a favorite downtown tourist destination and watering hole for city politicians, recalled Feinstein ordering potholes filled, trees trimmed and ugly scaffolding brought down before San Francisco hosted the 1984 Democratic convention.“She asked, ‘How long has this scaffolding been up?’ And my dad said maybe 10 years, and the next day it came down,” said Konstin, 59. “It was half a block of scaffolding.”Feinstein’s favorite dish was the Petrale sole, he said. The restaurant, which was celebrating its 115th anniversary Wednesday with a free lunch and appearances by Breed and other politicians, will have flowers by Feinstein’s portrait.Mourners can pay their respects at City Hall until 7 p.m.A memorial service will be held Thursday outside City Hall. Speakers will include Pelosi, Breed, Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. President Joe Biden will deliver remarks by recorded video.The service will no longer be open to the public, citing increased security, according to a release from Feinstein’s office. Only invited guests will be allowed.You can still watch the service online here.| VIDEO BELOW | Sen. Laphonza Butler: ‘Honor of a lifetime’ to fill Dianne Feinstein’s seat__ Associated Press journalist Haven Daley in San Francisco and researcher Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report.

SAN FRANCISCO —

Mourners bearing bouquets and cards paid their respects Wednesday to the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein in San Francisco City Hall, where she launched her groundbreaking political career and spent a decade as the city’s first female mayor.

Musicians played the violin and other string instruments as a steady line of people snaked into the City Hall rotunda, where her casket was on display behind velvet ropes. People brought flowers that were later whisked away by staff, stood for a few seconds in contemplation or squeezed back tears before moving on to a side room to sign condolence books.

Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also of San Francisco, was among the officials in attendance. Feinstein died Thursday at her Washington, D.C., home after a series of illnesses.

Jose Romero Cooper, 61, and 73-year-old Mark Cooper were among the first to say goodbye, waiting in line before doors were open to the public. The married couple said they had followed Feinstein’s career with pride as she went from mayor of the politically liberal city to the U.S. Senate.

“What I’m gonna say is: ‘Thank you for everything, for being strong,’” said Jose Romero Cooper, a scarf of the American flag draped around his neck.

He stood before the casket, genuflected and crossed himself, then walked away with tears streaming down his face.

Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and was board president in November 1978 when a former supervisor assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city’s first openly gay supervisor, at City Hall. Feinstein became acting mayor, and she went on to serve as mayor until 1988.

| VIDEO BELOW | Dianne Feinstein’s body arrives in San Francisco as mourners prepare to say goodbye

San Francisco would not be San Francisco without her. She steered the city through the HIV and AIDS crisis, bringing attention to an epidemic ignored by President Ronald Reagan. She also secured federal and private funding to save the city’s iconic cable cars from death by deterioration.

Feinstein led the city as it played host to the Democratic National Convention in 1984. Another San Francisco tradition — “Fleet Week” — was started by Feinstein in 1981, and this year’s annual celebration of air shows, naval ships and military bands is dedicated to her.

Beyond serving as San Francisco’s first female mayor, she joined Barbara Boxer as the first women to represent California in the U.S. Senate. They both won election in 1992, dubbed the “ Year of the Woman. ”

Feinstein inspired countless girls and women, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is the first Black woman and only the second woman to lead the city. Breed recalled looking up to Feinstein when Feinstein was mayor and Breed played the French horn in the middle school band that played regularly at mayoral events.

“She was so proud of us and she said so, and she took the time to talk to us, express how amazing we were and to remind us that we were her band,” Breed said at a news conference the day after the senator’s death.

Cari Donovan placed a bouquet of lilies and daisies in red and pink before the casket.

“I’m a San Francisco native. And I remember her being such a big public figure on my life. She championed and fought for the rights of so many people,” Donovan said, adding that she talked to her 28-year-old daughter about the battles Feinstein fought so that younger generations of women could dream bigger.

“She was a powerhouse,” she said. “She was a lioness.”

While Feinstein’s career sent her to Washington, she remained deeply involved in the affairs of San Francisco, the city where she was born and raised. She often called her successors — including Gov. Gavin Newsom — to complain about potholes or trash and to offer advice and encouragement.

John Konstin Sr., owner of John’s Grill, a favorite downtown tourist destination and watering hole for city politicians, recalled Feinstein ordering potholes filled, trees trimmed and ugly scaffolding brought down before San Francisco hosted the 1984 Democratic convention.

“She asked, ‘How long has this scaffolding been up?’ And my dad said maybe 10 years, and the next day it came down,” said Konstin, 59. “It was half a block of scaffolding.”

Feinstein’s favorite dish was the Petrale sole, he said. The restaurant, which was celebrating its 115th anniversary Wednesday with a free lunch and appearances by Breed and other politicians, will have flowers by Feinstein’s portrait.

Mourners can pay their respects at City Hall until 7 p.m.

A memorial service will be held Thursday outside City Hall. Speakers will include Pelosi, Breed, Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. President Joe Biden will deliver remarks by recorded video.

The service will no longer be open to the public, citing increased security, according to a release from Feinstein’s office. Only invited guests will be allowed.

You can still watch the service online here.

| VIDEO BELOW | Sen. Laphonza Butler: ‘Honor of a lifetime’ to fill Dianne Feinstein’s seat

__

Associated Press journalist Haven Daley in San Francisco and researcher Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report.

The post Dianne Feinstein’s physique lies in state at San Francisco Metropolis Corridor appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned Saturday to her hometown for the final time when a military jet carrying the late Democratic senator’s body landed at San Francisco International Airport.

The long-serving senator and political trailblazer died Thursday at her home in Washington, D.C., after a series of illnesses. At 90, she was the oldest member of Congress after first being elected to the Senate in 1992.

The arrival of her body was not open to the public. No details have been shared about services.

The former San Francisco mayor was a passionate advocate for priorities important to her state, including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control. But she also was known as a pragmatic, centrist lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.

Her death was followed by a stream of tributes from around the nation, including from President Joe Biden, who served with Feinstein for years in the Senate and called her “a pioneering American” and a “cherished friend.”

California’s junior senator, Democrat Alex Padilla, called her “a towering figure — not just in modern California history, but in the history of our state and our nation.”

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters said Feinstein “spent her entire career breaking glass ceilings and opening doors into areas that had been perpetually dominated by men.”

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to soon appoint a replacement for the vacant Senate seat.

The post California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s physique returns to San Francisco on navy flight appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

An armed forces color guard carries a casket containing the body of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., at San Francisco International Airport, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned Saturday to her hometown for the final time when a military jet carrying the late Democratic senator’s body landed at San Francisco International Airport.

The long-serving senator and political trailblazer died Thursday at her home in Washington, D.C., after a series of illnesses. At 90, she was the oldest member of Congress after first being elected to the Senate in 1992.

The arrival of her body was not open to the public. No details have been shared about services.

The former San Francisco mayor was a passionate advocate for priorities important to her state, including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control. But she also was known as a pragmatic, centrist lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.

Her death was followed by a stream of tributes from around the nation, including from President Joe Biden, who served with Feinstein for years in the Senate and called her “a pioneering American” and a “cherished friend.”

California’s junior senator, Democrat Alex Padilla, called her “a towering figure — not just in modern California history, but in the history of our state and our nation.”

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters said Feinstein “spent her entire career breaking glass ceilings and opening doors into areas that had been perpetually dominated by men.”

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to soon appoint a replacement for the vacant Senate seat.

The post California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s physique returns to San Francisco on navy flight | WTAJ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The body of a young Netflix engineer, who disappeared two weeks after moving to California from Upstate New York, has been positively identified, authorities said Wednesday.

A passing boater spotted the remains of  Yohanes Kidane, 22, floating in the waters of the San Francisco Bay northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday, Aug. 29, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

The U.S. Coast Guard recovered the decomposing body.

“The remains exhibited signs of advanced decomposition, prolonged exposure to the aquatic environment and appreciable depredation,” the sheriff’s office said. There was no identification with the remains.

Related Story: Police Say There’s ‘No Evidence’ of a Crime in Netflix Engineer’s Disappearance

The coroner used scientific evidence to positively identify the body, and Kidane’s family was notified.

An autopsy was completed on Sept. 1. The cause of death was a combination of blunt impact injuries and drowning.

“The mode of death was determined to be suicide,” the sheriff’s office said.

Kidane was from Webster, New York, and graduated from Cornell University in May 2023.

He moved to the Bay Area in late July to start a job as a software engineer at Netflix.

Kidane was last seen alive on the night of Aug. 14, when a security camera recorded him leaving his apartment in downtown San Jose and getting into an Uber.

His phone’s GPS tracker showed he arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge that night. The next morning, a commuter found Kidane’s wallet and cell phone near the bridge’s welcome center and notified police.

Police officers quickly located his backpack, wallet, ID cards and phone.

The California Highway Patrol, Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, and the U.S. Coast Guard joined in the search.

The San Jose Police Department said in a statement at the time that the investigation had “uncovered no evidence to suggest that a crime has occurred.”

Kidane’s family and friends traveled to the Bay Area to search for answers. They started a GoFundMe page that raised more than $107,000 in donations to cover travel expenses, private investigators, and other resources for the search, the page said.

“I’m heartbroken,” Kidane’s distraught mother Mehret Hana Beyene said in an interview with local news station KTVU-TV after he went missing.

The engineer’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Eritrea. Their children were born and raised in the Rochester area.

“We want to take him home. I need my son. I need my son,” his mother told the TV station. “He’s a good man who has a bright future, very loving to his family.”

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Related

The post Lacking Netflix Engineer’s Physique Present in San Francisco Bay appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Courtesy STARS Gallery, Los Angeles

PIPPA GARNER IS THE KIND OF EXUBERANT person for whom “artist” is the safest catchall term. Her silly and irreverent pranks, hacks, and inventions are powered by “what-ifs” and “why nots.” Since the 1960s, the LA artist has presented witty inventions—a car that appears to drive backward, with its engine in the trunk; a shower in a can—in settings as diverse as museums, the open road, and The Tonight Show.

When Garner joined Johnny Carson on TV in 1982, she wore her famous “half suit,” cropped to reveal a muscular abdomen. On the broadcast, Carson calls her an “inventor,” and she presents herself as a businessman appearing on TV to show off new gadgets. In reference to the suit, Garner explains that the “abbreviated” style popular in women’s fashion ought to be adapted for businessmen too, since all its formality comes from the collar, tie, and lapel anyway. It’s an example of the deadpan logic that underpins Garner’s creations—logic that is as absurdist as it is indisputable.

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Garner often gets labeled a “performance artist” because her personality seeps so fully into her work, and because she doesn’t bother with distinctions as to where her body ends and her art begins. She began transitioning in the 1980s, buying estrogen on the black market; she once described the endeavor as an “art project to create disorientation in my position in society, and sort of balk any possibility of ever falling into a stereotype again.” As a bona fide trans elder, her creative output has found an audience among young people today. Last year, her survey “Act Like You Know Me,” organized by Kunstverein München, traveled around Europe, and this summer, Primary Information published a facsimile edition of her Better Living Catalog (1982), which advertises provocative inventions like high-heeled roller skates and a virtual pet that predates the Tamagotchi. Garner’s current solo exhibition, at Art Omi in upstate Ghent, New York, through October 29, is accompanied by a new book surveying her practice, copublished with Pioneer Works. Below, the trailblazing artist discusses refashioning her works for a new era as the world catches up with her.

Pippa Garner on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Dec. 8, 1982.

Courtesy Carson Entertainment Group

Tell us about your legendary tattoos.

My underwear? Well, I got a bra and thong tattooed because it just seemed logical. I figured, even if I gain 300 pounds, it will still fit. Also, I never have to wash it. The only problem is that I’m no longer allowed to go to nudist colonies!

I also got wood grain tattooed on my leg after I was hit by a car while cycling. They put me back together after three months, but my left leg didn’t match my right leg anymore. So I thought it was an opportunity to have some trompe l’oeil installed.

Rumor has it that Art Omi has plans to tattoo some of your drawings onto visitors to your show.

Yes, I might get some tattooed on myself. That way, I could be a walking portfolio.

You have characterized your transition as an artwork. How so?

Pippa Garner: Untitled ($ELL YOUR $ELF), 1996.

Courtesy STARS Gallery, Los Angeles

Yeah, and it fascinates me that, these days, you can enhance the body to your own tastes, using silicone. Bodies like silicone; they don’t reject it. If you want to emphasize your cheekbones, just squirt some in! It’s like makeup. Fifty years ago, nobody would have thought of that.

I often wonder, What if all the politicians were transgender? Maybe we could blend the best of male and female and avoid some of the negatives. For instance, men have 10 times the testosterone that women have, and that makes them more aggressive. If all the politicians were transgender, maybe we could have a balance.

Sometimes you’ve called yourself an “inventor.”

At one of the three art schools I got kicked out of, I majored in industrial design, thinking maybe I’d become a car designer or something. I do have a US patent on a push scooter I designed. I rode the Santa Fe Century [a 106-mile cycling route in New Mexico] with that scooter.

Why did you get kicked out of art school?

Everyone took design so seriously. People were designing taillights as if it were the end of the world. I started making fun of it all. I made this thing that was half-car, half-man. The front part was a typical ’50s-looking car, and then it became this male figure—quite realistically sculpted—lifting his leg on a map of Detroit. That was it for them. They were getting a lot of money from the car industry and didn’t want to see that sort of thing.

I went to work for a toy design company for a while and started documenting LA, which at the time felt like an overgrown small town. People who were feeling restless moved west after the war. What do you do for freedom? You come to California! A lot of really goofy people did weird things to their cars and their houses. I noticed all this while driving around and kept thinking, Gee, I wish I could stop and take a picture. So I got rid of my car, and got a camera and a bicycle. That way, I could pull over and document postwar LA when it was still funky and whimsical.

Pippa Garner: Backwards Car, 1973–74.

How does that relate to your work Backwards Car?

I made the original Backwards Car in 1974. Cadillacs around then had these big tail fins, to make them look like they’re moving even when they were standing still. One day, it struck me: what would it be like if this thing was going backwards? Then I thought, That would take a phenomenal fabricator and all kinds of facilities that I had no access to.

But I just couldn’t sleep at night until the world had a backwards car. I settled on a ’59 Chevrolet, because they had flat tail fins. You wouldn’t be able to see over a Cadillac tail fin while driving backwards; it would block your vision. The Chevy was still very directional, but flatter. The whole car was teardrop-shaped.

I made sketches and sent them around. Finally, Esquire magazine said they wanted me to do it. They assigned a photographer and paid me a fee up front. I found a car and rented a space in a parking garage in San Francisco. I got everything unfastened; the body was no longer attached to the frame. By this point, it was just a matter of lifting it up and turning it around. I had a big party and invited all my friends. We ate and drank and, after a while, I said: “OK, everybody get around the car, shoulder to shoulder. On my command, I want you to lift.” And we did it! I didn’t know it would be possible.

By then, it was a matter of reconnecting all the controls and reattaching the body. I got that done, then got behind the wheel and started driving around San Francisco. Only some people noticed. I’d glimpse somebody on the sidewalk saying, “Look at that!” I went across the Golden Gate Bridge a few times and got some nice pictures for the magazine, with the car going 60 miles an hour looking like it’s about to have the most horrendous head-on collision you can imagine.

When it was over, I had the car shredded. I wanted it to exist as a ghost, something people either saw or thought they saw. Also, I didn’t want to kill anybody with it.

What has it been like reconstituting the car 50 years later?

I always thought that was the end of that, until the curator at Art Omi called me and said, “We want to do Backwards Car again. We have a fabricator and a budget.” I said, “You can’t possibly do it now with all the restrictions.” The rules were more lax back then: all I needed was a windshield wiper on the back window and to flip the headlights and taillights. Also, modern cars look the same on both ends. The only way you can tell cars apart now is by looking at the logo.

Then it struck me to use a pickup truck and put the bed around the engine. I made a few other suggestions to emphasize the directionality: giant truck nuts, and a couple of bumper stickers. One says women should be free (no charge). I’ll be interested to see how people react now that we’re moving into a revolutionary period of autonomous cars and electric cars and all that.

You also worked on a car assembly line.

I worked on the Chrysler gear and axle plant assembly line in Detroit for about six months. It was good money at the time, maybe $3.50 an hour, back in the ’60s. Maybe Backwards Car is a spoof on mass production—like, what if the assembly line backfired?

While working in Detroit, I got a notice that said: go back to school, or we’re drafting you. So I enrolled in the Art Center College of Design in LA, and lasted a semester or two, then got drafted anyway. I ended up spending 13 months in Southeast Asia as a combat artist. Nobody believes that job exists, but I was making sketches and photographs, and writing. The leaders referenced those materials when deciding what to do next.

Does the car symbolize something to you?

Back then, cars symbolized freedom, and all boys were interested in cars. Now, they don’t symbolize freedom so much as just transportation. In fact, they’ve started to behave as if in an army. When you see traffic on the freeway, it’s all lined up as if there was a sergeant telling them “Forward march!”

People are ready for something else. Autonomous cars will be weird, and then we will take them for granted. Maybe traffic lights will wind up as junk in thrift shops. Let’s see what happens with the Information Age as it moves forward. It may turn around and go the other way. We might wind up back in primitive times. Who knows?

On that note, you made a car without a motor and labeled it “the most fuel-efficient car in the world.”

I removed the machinery from a small ’70s Honda and made a pedal-powered car. I drove it around Burning Man. Now it’s in the Audrain Auto Museum in Rhode Island. I’m fascinated by human power. Of all mammals, humans have pretty limited strength. My Persian cat has the leg strength to jump the equivalent of me jumping into a second-story window! But lately, human power is being overlooked because of these electric vehicles. Everybody wants to put a motor on something.

What’s next for you?

I’m very spontaneous. I never really know what’s next. But sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with something poking me. It’s like there are two versions of me: when one starts to get comfortable, the antagonist comes in and stirs things up. I love that—it’s good to be separated. It’s like when I look in the mirror and think, My body is just an appliance. It’s mine to play with, so I’m going to have some fun with it.

I have chronic lymphocytic leukemia, ostensibly from my exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. It’s affecting my vision; it’s given me pneumonia. I’ve been a big gym rat for the past 50 years—I feel responsible for keeping this thing [points to body] in the best shape I can. We don’t live forever.

I want to make an animated video that’s set in the wilderness. You’d hear this rustling that turns into a rumble until suddenly, streaks of materials come out of the ground—windows, steel, and fuel would flow up and form a car. This beautiful, shiny new car would sit there for about 15 seconds. Then, it would start to tremble. You’d hear the same roar, and it would all just get sucked right back into the earth.

I think of myself as a shorter-lived version of that. A car, if you don’t grind it up, can last a couple hundred years in some form or another. Humans don’t even come close. I’m going to be 81, and with my issues, I’m lucky to have gotten this far.  

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Jeffrey Vandergrift

San Francisco Police Department

A body found in the water off Pier 39 on Wednesday has been identified as missing San Francisco radio host Jeffrey Vandergrift, according to the San Francisco Medical Investigations Bureau.

San Francisco police first responded to reports of a person in the water at Pier 39 just before 5 p.m

On Thursday, the San Francisco coroner confirmed the body was that of 54-year-old Vandergrift, who was last seen at his King Street home in late February.

His employer, Wild 94.9, said there had been no traceable activity on his phone, credit cards or bank accounts since he was reported missing.

His wife revealed on his radio station’s social media channels that Vandergrift likely “won’t be coming back” based on personal information leaked in early March.

Police suspect no crime in Vandergrift’s death.

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DAVID Bonola, the handyman accused of stabbing Orsolya Gaal, has reportedly made a shocking confession about the murder and given a reason for it.

Newly uncovered court documents show Bonola believed Gaal infected him with HIV and made the claim on March 20.

Newly uncovered court records show Bonola believed Gaal infected him with HIVPhoto credit: Splash News
Gaal was found dead on April 17Credit: Facebook
Bonola is said to have stuffed Gaal’s body into a duffel bagCredit: Glenn Van Nostrand

The night Bonola allegedly stabbed Gaal, he followed her home from a bar after she was watching a show with friends.

“She opened the door and asked me what I was doing there,” he allegedly told investigators, according to New York Post court records.

“I told her I just wanted her to tell me the truth about why she gave me HIV. She said she didn’t have HIV.”

Bonola also claims Gaal cheated on him, the records say.

READ MORE ON ORSOLYA GAAL

“She lied to me, she used me. She told me she loves me. She couldn’t be with one person,” he allegedly told investigators.

Bonola claims he and the married woman had an affair for two years.

On the night of the stabbing, Bonola claims Gaal told him their affair was over. She then allegedly grabbed a knife and threatened to kill Bonola if he didn’t leave her house.

“I grabbed the knife and cut her throat,” Bonola reportedly told investigators.

“She kept fighting and we fell. She moved and tried to grab me, so I stabbed her in the neck to stop her attacking me.”

Bonola claims to have cleaned Gaal’s house with towels before dumping her body in her son’s duffel bag and dumped it about a mile from the house, according to the court documents.

He also allegedly dumped Gaal’s laptop in the Hudson River, authorities say.

“In the past she told me that she sent a man to jail, so I sent a message to her husband pretending to be that guy because I was scared,” Bonola reportedly said.

“I took her laptop because she had sex tapes on the laptop. I threw her laptop into the Hudson River where I used to visit her often.”

Bonola, originally from Mexico, was charged with murder, criminal tampering, and criminal possession of weapons in connection with Gaal’s death.

He has pleaded not guilty.

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• Police began searching the backyard for the body of Cynthia Cole, 57, who has been reported missing since February 24
• Her body was found submerged in the cesspool, buried in her backyard at the 4500 block of NE Skyline Drive in Jensen Beach
• Her handyman, Keoki Hilo Demich, 34, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder
• Demich had been hired by Cole to be her handyman for the last few years and was the only person investigators were suspicious of after she went missing

The body of a Florida woman who disappeared more than a week ago had been found in her septic tank – and her handyman was arrested for murder.

Police began searching for Cynthia Cole, 57, in the tank just hours after their handyman Keoki Hilo Demich was arrested Friday night.

After several hours of excavation, her body was discovered in the cesspool buried in her backyard on the 4500 block of NE Skyline Drive in Jensen Beach.

Demich, 34, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

Cole, who walked past Cyndi, has been missing for over a week and was last seen at a Jammin Jensen event on February 24.

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Cynthia Cole’s body, pictured, was found in the septic tank in her backyard on Friday night. Suspect Keoki Hilo Demich, Cole’s handyman who was arrested and charged in connection with her murder of Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, and investigators dig in Cynthia Cole’s backyard March 4-5, 2022, a week after the woman went missing was reported

Demich had been employed by Cole as a handyman for the last few years.

He was the only person investigators were suspicious of after she was reported missing.

“He made several statements that we know to be false, so he was charged with second-degree murder,” said Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.

Snyder added that ring cameras and security footage near Cole’s home shows Demich exiting Cole’s car near Demich’s home in Stuart on the same night Cole was last seen.

According to Snyder, there were several other instances in which Demich was caught on cameras near Cole’s vehicle.

Cole, who walked past Cyndi, has been missing for over a week and was last seen at a Jammin Jensen event on February 24. Cole, pictured, was likely murdered at her home before her body was placed in the septic tank, authorities said Cole had hired Demich to be her handyman in recent years

After several hours of digging, they finally pulled Cole’s body out of the septic tank early Saturday morning.

“I’ve been doing this for over 40 years. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Snyder said.

Meanwhile, Snyder said detectives are still gathering evidence, adding that Demich could face additional charges.

Evidence gathered so far suggests that Cole was likely murdered in her home before her body was placed in the septic tank.

The body has yet to be positively identified by the coroner’s office, but authorities say they have every reason to believe they discovered Cole’s body.

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The body of a Florida woman was found by deputies in a septic tank in her backyard and her handyman was accused of killing her, authorities said Saturday.

Investigators in Jensen Beach, Fla., found a body believed to be that of Cynthia Cole, who was submerged four feet underground in the septic tank after hours of excavating her backyard late Friday, the sheriff’s office said. Martin County Bureau in a Facebook post.

Credit: MCSO – Cynthia Cole

Shortly after finding the body, deputies arrested their handyman, Keoki Hilo Demich, who was charged with second-degree murder. Cole, 57, has been missing for more than a week.

No further information was given. Jensen Beach is nearly 50 miles north of West Palm Beach.

“There are elements in this case that are still under investigation,” the post said. “We will update the community with additional information as it becomes available.”

No online court transcript was available for Demich, so it was not known if he had an attorney.

Photo credit: MCSO – Keoki Hilo Demich

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