DALY CITY (KPIX 5) — It’s pretty difficult these days to find an open public restroom. But there’s a movement now to exchange all of the fixtures. When that’s done, it’s believed that these restrooms will be much safer.

Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City, which stretches for nearly 40 acres, has 98 businesses, is going all-touchless in its public restrooms.

“They don’t have to touch anything! Either toilets, either faucets or soap dispensers, nothing,” said Westlake Kimco Reality Facilities Engineer Marlon Bautista.

The new demand for touchless fixtures couldn’t have come sooner, says plumbing contractor Paul Rowe. “Any business is going to be worried because we have no idea what’s going to happen,” said Rowe. “But, I did feel comfortable being a plumbing contractor that we were going to have work.”

Paul’s company has re-focused, finding new work with proximity sensor fixtures because dozens of handle faucets are coming out. Proximity sensor faucets have special battery-powered control modules that should last for two years, depending on usage.

It’s not just Westlake Shopping Center making the move. Rowe believes the switch is going nationwide. “Our supplier has had a hard time providing us with the quantity of that we need and I think that’s because the whole nation needs these touchless sensor fixtures. The supply is going to have to catch up with demand.”

Soap, paper towels, and everything else are all going automated.

A lot of folks are shopping for food or getting take-out at Westlake, but the facilities engineer says public restrooms will remain closed until the upgrades are completed, and that depends on how soon the additional proximity sensor fixtures arrive.

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An Urban Alchemy practitioner helps an unhoused man in Civic Center Plaza, first listening to his story.

by Rodney Wrice

In the ongoing struggle to address homelessness, addiction and mental health crises on the streets of San Francisco, Mayor London Breed’s initiative to deploy and fund street outreach teams has been met with both praise and scrutiny. The recent misleading audit of the city’s 11 street teams has shed light on significant challenges, revealing issues of disorganization, lack of oversight and varying effectiveness among the teams. 

However, amidst this backdrop, from my perspective and what many in the community believe, Urban Alchemy stands out as a shining example of success, offering a compelling argument for why the city should rally behind the mayor’s vision.

San Francisco’s street teams play a crucial role in responding to a spectrum of emergencies, from overdoses to mental health crises, aimed at alleviating the burden on law enforcement and addressing public health and quality-of-life issues. Mayor Breed’s endorsement of these teams, backed by nearly $50 million in funding over the past year, reflects her commitment to tackling the escalating crises gripping the city, including a surge in fatal overdoses.

The audit’s revelations about the dysfunction and lack of uniformity within the existing street team system are undeniably concerning. Supervisor Dean Preston, who spearheaded the audit, emphasizes the urgent need for improved oversight, coordination and resource allocation to maximize the teams’ effectiveness. The report’s seven key findings expose disparities in data collection, goal achievement, messaging and overall planning among the various street teams, raising questions about their collective impact on San Francisco’s persistent challenges.

Urban Alchemy recognizes that cleaner streets lift spirits and are willing to do the “dirty work” to bring dignity to the Tenderloin, here to Golden Gate and Hyde streets.

One standout success story in this complex landscape is Urban Alchemy, a street team model that has demonstrated unparalleled efficacy in transforming lives and revitalizing neighborhoods. In my book, “Overcoming Gangs and Poverty,” I write about myself as an example.  What sets Urban Alchemy apart is its composition of long-term offenders who have experienced the same conditions they now seek to improve. These individuals, once ensnared in the cycle of homelessness and addiction, and in my case a once 40-year-to-life prison sentence of which I served 33 years, and others like Director of Bay Area Operations Artie Gilbert, Residential Services Directors Brian Shepperd, Tommy Brown and Evrett Butler, Shower and Felt Manager-Director Matthew Milor, Mid-Market and Tenderloin District Directors Nathen Sims and Adisa, Excelsior District Supervisor Michael Luong and so many others, all who have served more than 25 years incarcerated, are now on the frontline, effecting positive change and visibly altering the city’s landscape for the better.

The audit points out the rapid expansion of San Francisco’s street teams, particularly during the second wave in 2020, without a corresponding increase in capacity. This has led to challenges in assessing meaningful client outcomes for certain teams, a critical issue that demands immediate attention. However, Urban Alchemy stands out as a model that consistently reports performance metrics and achieves established goals, showcasing its commitment to accountability and transparency.

One alarming finding of the audit is the lack of contract oversight, particularly within the Department of Public Health (DPH). Instances of contractors operating without formal monitoring reports for over two and a half years raise serious concerns. Urban Alchemy’s success lies not only in achieving its goals but also in adhering to contractual obligations, providing a model for other street teams to follow not only here in San Francisco where such work is truly needed and essential to reviving San Francisco and ending the growing spread of homelessness, open air addiction and the suffering of mental illness which leads to breakdown in community safety but in Los Angeles, Texas and Portland, Oregon, as well. 

While the audit paints a complex picture of data management issues and insufficient shelter availability affecting some street teams, Urban Alchemy’s results tell a different story. By successfully reducing the volume of 911 calls and emergency room visits through its vigilant process in the community and the operations of its Heart Team, Urban Alchemy exemplifies how an effective street team can be a springboard for positive change.

Supervisor Preston rightly emphasizes the heroic efforts of street teams, acknowledging their challenging work while urging the city to better support and set them up for success. The mayor’s commitment to strengthening coordination among the city’s teams is a step in the right direction, with a focus on delivering tangible results on the streets and providing essential help to those in need.

While the audit exposes critical issues within San Francisco’s current street team infrastructure, it undermines Mayor London Breed’s intention to provide a safer, more productive SF, that thrives and grows with every support of her street team vision. With Urban Alchemy emerging as a lightning rod of hope, supporting Mayor Breed’s vision and channeling resources towards proven models like Urban Alchemy can pave the way for a safer, cleaner San Francisco, where those who have overcome adversity are at the forefront of creating lasting positive change on the city’s streets. My new book, “Pathway to Renewal,” out the third week of November, is sure to turn even the strongest critic into a fan and supporter of street teams like Urban Alchemy.

Rodney Wrice is a former long term offender, published author of the book “Overcoming Gangs and Poverty” and co-creator of the online magazine Changing Lives Forever on Substack. He is an impactful public speaker and stern advocate for second chance and changing the narrative in the community.

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Nine years after dancing for fun with middle school friends, Eric Payan is still playing around.

But he’s far beyond busting sick moves at Literacy First Charter School in El Cajon.

Starting Tuesday night, Payan leads his five-member Fuego Dance Crew on NBC’s “World of Dance.” (It later moves to Sundays.)

Fuego Dance Crew (from left) Lewis Torres, Eric Payan, Andretty Lucatero, Paul Lopez and Shawn Jones Nguyen. Photo by Chris Stone

The reality show judged by executive producer Jennifer “J.Lo” Lopez and fellow dancers Derek Hough and Ne-Yo (with host Scott Evans) has a cool top prize: $1 million.

Payan’s San Diego-based hip-hop unit was one of 16 chosen from around the world to compete in the Upper Team division (18-and-older) of Season 3 at Universal Studios in the L.A. suburb of Universal City. (Other crews come from South Korea, India, Norway and France.)

If Fuego wins the division, which also includes groups from Arizona, Florida, San Mateo and L.A., it competes against the best urban dance crews in three other categories.

Fuego — Spanish for “fire” but also meaning “cool” and “sexy” — has competed on the older “World of Dance” circuit for several years. The crew is known for its hundreds of videos, many on YouTube, with original music and themes such as football and video games.

They’ve toured dozens of area high schools and Payan even dances in an upcoming movie: “Simple Twist.”

“Now the main goal is to make the music move us,” Payan said before practice Wednesday at a Rolando apartment gym. “We literally make our own style — dance in ways that you can’t expect us to dance.”

Like recess at Literacy First, “we go in the studio with a mind-set of: Let’s just create and have a good time and see what we can get out of ourselves.”

Fuego’s 3- to 5-minute sets on the World of Dance tour include styles from popping and locking to robotic moves, krump and flips. But on TV, they’ll be limited to 90-second routines.

“There’s always ways to improve,” Payan said. “So even if we’re really, really, really solid to the regular human eye. … till the day of [competition], we’re making stuff better, perfecting everything.”

That means practicing four or five times a week, often after 9 p.m. because of work obligations. Fuego has about 15 dancers overall — including some in Mexico — but its top five will carry the brand on NBC (9 p.m.).

Payan says Fuego tried out for Season 2 of “World of Dance” but “kind of bombed” in the tryout.

But last July — after finding an invitation routed to his junk mail — Fuego went to a Season 3 tryout in the Burbank area, where producers said: “We love you guys — you’re going to the next stage.”

That led to an August and September of “talking and paperwork” and “a lot of phone calls,” and help from some parents on legal matters (since they have no formal manager).

Ranging in age from 18 to 23, the group poised for national fame Tuesday includes Paul Lopez, Andretty Lucatero, Lewis Torres and Shawn Jones Nguyen. (All are single except Lucatero.)

And all are mainly self-taught except Jones Nguyen, trained in ballet, jazz and modern dance at the School of Creative and Performing Arts in San Diego. He earlier attended the Creative, Performing and Media Arts Middle School in Clairemont.

The crew’s name originally had a religious bent: “Fire for God.” But Fuego — coined by Payan pal Richard Mendoza — “kind of stuck and it’s a catchy name — one word.” Fans would say of a routine: “That was fire, that was heat.”

Fuego has performed at more than 40 high schools, where girls started saying: “We have the Fuego fever.” Some began calling the crew a boy band — which even led to a formal offer that they be turned into a musical group.

Fuego turned it down.

“We didn’t come into this crew with any set style. We kind of watched people — and got to the point where we stopped watching everybody and just focused on ourselves,” Payan says.

In 2017, Fuego took third place in World of Dance San Diego, trailing much larger dance groups.

At first, the San Diegans were angered by some judge’s scores.

“Over time, we realized that everyone has their own opinion, and it’s a lot of politics involved, too,” said one member. “Sometimes we actually do screw up on stage. Sometimes we aren’t as clean.”

Fuego once found it a challenge to beat the big groups.

Story continues below

Eric Payan of Fuego Dance Crew says: “It’s all a mental game. If you’re not there 100 percent with your passion, you’re not going to do your best.” Photo by Chris Stone

Andretty Lucatero strikes a push-up pose while practicing on a rainy Wednesday night at a Rolando apartment complex gym. Photo by Chris Stone

Andretty Lucatero says he expects to stay with Fuego Dance Crew at least five or six more years. Photo by Chris Stone

Fuego’s Eric Payan says: “Every second has to be effective, and in the process of creating the routine we had to make it (over) 2, 3, 4, 5 times and create some new stuff.” Photo by Chris Stone

Shawn Nguyen says Fuego gets together with other crews to have a freestyle session. “And we do that so we can all become better as freestylers. … and expand our horizons.” Photo by Chris Stone

Fuego Dance Crew practices four or five times a week at a variety of San Diego locations. Photo by Chris Stone

“But then over the years we figured out how to just do our thing better than what they do. And now we compete with them and take on all of them,” the crew says.

Their advantage: “Pretty much everything you see in a performance is exclusively ours. No one has that exact mix. The moves are created toward the music.”

Payan says Fuego spends most of its time making sure that “every single part of the routine … goes to the music exactly 100 percent. If it’s off, or doesn’t agree with the song, we’ll … go back and fix it.”

Fuego members say they’ve been inspired by dance stars from Michael Jackson to the current crew JabbaWockeeZ. Photo by Chris Stone

They don’t have a coach, so they assure synchronization several ways. They watch tapes of their rehearsals, have one member dancing for the other four, or let one member critique how the other four perform a routine.

Ideas for moves also come from other San Diego dance crews — Payan takes his troupe to locations where freestyle dancers show off.

But Payan is the main choreographer, with others chipping in ideas. It’s “all from our own heads” since middle school, he said. “I’ll literally mix stuff together.”

Even without a dance studio to call its own, Fuego has evolved into a tightknit family, which expects to stay together for years.

Their newest star, Jones Nguyen, “came out of nowhere,” Payan said.

While observing Fuego at the Rolando gym, Jones Nguyen said: “‘Hey, I want to freestyle.’ And we said: ‘Yeah, cool. Do your thing.’ And he was pretty good. He was younger, but he was quicker than some of my other guys,” Payan said.

At the July tryout, “we were all sweating superhard,” he said. “We really killed the tryout. That’s when I realized — yeah, this five can make it work.”

Fuego is forbidden from saying how they did on the show, taping for several months. But Payan says the advantage his crew has over others is its “creativity and cleanliness” — coordination.

“We also want to get to the point where we can expand our horizon and do crazy flips and stuff,” he said. “There are routines we see people just have tricks, tricks, tricks. And it’s really strong. But after a while you kind of [get] lost in that.”

Payan’s longterm dream is turning Fuego into what he calls the first multigenerational dance crew — with spinoff groups such as Fuego Dance Crew Canada and Fuego Dance Crew Peru.

If Fuego keeps the attitude that “what we’re doing is bigger than our problems,” he said, “I think we’ll go further than we ever thought. I think it’ll go for a long time.”

Eric Payan: “We didn’t come into this crew with any set style. We kind of watched people — and got to the point where we stopped watching everybody and just focused on ourselves. That’s when we started developing our own style.” Photo by Chris Stone

Born in: San Diego
Joined crew in: 2010
Graduated: West Hills High School (Santee) in 2015
Lives in: Santee
Recent jobs: Dance studio teacher, chimney sweep, Uber driver
Nickname: Phaze

Paul Lopez in high school was a pitcher, running back, cornerback and wrestler. Photo by Chris Stone

Born in: *San Diego
Joined crew in: 2012
Graduated: Chula Vista High School in 2016
Lives in: Chula Vista
Recent job: Dance studio teacher

Andretty Lucatero says leader Eric Payan has “been pushing us really hard lately. Taking the crew in a good direction.” Photo by Chris Stone

Born in: *San Diego
Joined crew in: 2015
Graduated: Grossmont High School (El Cajon) in 2015
Lives in: El Cajon
Recent job: Sushi chef
Nickname: Dreads

Lewis Torres says: “If everyone is of the same mind-set … we’ll stay together a good 5-10 years.” Photo by Chris Stone

Born in: Chula Vista
Joined crew in: 2017
Graduated: El Capitan High School (Lakeside) in 2013
Lives in: Murrieta, Riverside County
Nickname: Legacy

Shawn Jones Nguyen, who graduates from high school this spring, says: “Dancing uses a lot of your muscles, a lot of brain power.” Photo by Chris Stone

Born in: San Diego
Joined crew in: 2018
Graduating: School of Creative and Performing Arts (San Diego) in 2019
Lives in: Poway
Nickname: Shong

Updated at 2 p.m. Feb. 23, 2019

*Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported place of birth.

The post Meet Fuego Dance Crew — San Diego’s Hip-Hop Hope for NBC’s ‘World of Dance’ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — In a city still struggling to rebound from the pandemic, officials are pinning their hopes on an unlikely hero for the beleaguered downtown: plates of cheap Swedish meatballs.

Ikea — the Swedish retail chain known for affordable furniture, an assortment of beige foods and that one time a monkey in a coat was locked inside — opened a new 52,000-square-foot store on San Francisco’s long-troubled Market Street on Wednesday. Its grand opening in the empty mall has attracted more fanfare here than the average store, with a wall of media cameras, a DJ, employees waving Swedish flags and an appearance by Mayor London Breed.

“Like any major city, we know San Francisco has challenges, but we also know that people want to be here,” Breed (D) said at a Wednesday news conference. “As a result of opening Ikea here today … [the city is] showing our resiliency and our willingness to do everything it takes to bring back business to San Francisco.”

Lately, the narrative around this city has been grim: hollowed-out office buildings, a vexing homelessness crisis, and big chain stores such as Nordstrom, Old Navy, Gap and Whole Foods closing amid frequent crime and dwindling foot traffic. But the arrival of the Swedish furniture giant has brought a bit of joy and optimism to the downtown corridor, which has been largely ditched by the tech employees who once defined the area.

Ikea “not only creates an opportunity for people to shop, but it creates an opportunity for people to work,” Breed said. “That is important and a part of the fabric of San Francisco.”

While the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood — close to the iconic Union Square and one of the city’s cable-car routes — isn’t exactly San Francisco’s most famous tourist draw (there are no sea lions, and the burritos are expensive), it’s still seen as an important indicator of the city’s overall economic health. The mall that Ikea is moving into has long been considered one of the biggest failures of the area, as city leaders and the owners struggled to attract a tenant since its construction in 2016.

Officials were so desperate to fill it that, at one point, they briefly considered turning it into a homeless shelter.

The pandemic was yet another major setback for the neighborhood, as office tenants abandoned their leases and another major mall defaulted on its mortgage. But now, the city is cautiously optimistic that Ikea will attract a steady stream of foot traffic from people buying cheap furniture or just looking for an affordable lunch. Ikea executives called the area a “meeting place” and said it eventually will have co-working spaces available as well.

Local Maria Amunategui isn’t a fan of the meatballs but is delighted to have an Ikea closer to her home.

“I usually have to go to Emeryville, and it’s 23 minutes away,” she said. On Wednesday, she came to return something she bought at a different location, not expecting a wall of cheering employees, cameras and balloons. “It’s a surprise!” she added.

City officials have been desperate to get people back downtown, where office vacancy rates have remained stubbornly high since the pandemic. Breed recently passed a tax break to lure companies to sign new leases downtown, though it’s still too early to tell whether that will make a notable difference. Officials here are also trying to capitalize on the current frenzy of activity in the AI industry, with hopes that it could usher in another tech boom for San Francisco.

The mayor even went as far as to recently declare San Francisco the “AI capital of the world.”

At least for a day, the Ikea did lure more people to the neighborhood and improve the overall mood. After the mayor cut a giant purple ribbon that said “Ikea San Francisco,” employees greeted customers one at a time from a line that stretched to the end of the block. Shoppers danced into the store as Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” blasted through speakers, many stopping to pull on complimentary Ikea T-shirts and blue bucket hats. Nearby, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey danced and waved a tiny Swedish flag.

San Francisco’s smaller Ikea is designed more for a city center than its larger suburban hubs, which can be triple the size. The new Ikea sells basics you can carry out but doesn’t stock bulkier items such as sofas, though it will let customers buy them for delivery. It has the usual showrooms made up to look like real city apartments, cramped layouts and all. There’s a Swedish food court with all of the Ikea classics, including meatballs and vegetable balls, lox, pickled things, and poached salmon. The company said it specifically added more vegetarian and sustainable options — things San Franciscans are known to enjoy.

Agnes Caballero “was just curious” about the new store and came to do a little reconnaissance Wednesday. Weaving between aisles of bedding accessories, she said she was looking for a cabinet for her house but would have to wait for her husband to buy anything because he had the measurements.

The store also has its own teams of security guards in place to handle potential shoplifting — a common problem for the area, which has long struggled with homelessness and visible drug use.

San Francisco’s mayor told reporters Wednesday that the “area has always been a tad bit of a challenge.” Breed added, “We hope that with a lot of the people who are in this area, that many of them are being offered chances to work for Ikea and other businesses.”

Nothing comes to this part of downtown these days without its host of challenges.

In 2011, San Francisco lured a number of tech companies — including X, formerly known as Twitter — to the rough patch of downtown in exchange for a tax break. The hope was that the companies and their well-paid employees would revitalize the area, as they spend their big paychecks at the cafes, restaurants and bars before and after work. But that dream never came to fruition, in part because the city didn’t anticipate the tech industry’s cushy culture of providing food and drink perks inside the offices.

Then a Whole Foods opened in 2022 with similar hopes of luring more foot traffic to the area. But it closed just a year later, after struggling with frequent shoplifting, drug use in and around the store, and at least one fatal overdose in the bathroom.

The hype around Ikea is counter to San Francisco’s mom-and-pop culture, which often chafes at any big corporate chains opening up shop. In many neighborhoods here, any corporation with multiple other locations worldwide must get special permission from City Hall to open. But downtown doesn’t have the same legislative hang-ups, which meant Ikea could open here without going through a gantlet of approvals.

On Wednesday, the first customers were welcomed by cheering employees wearing blue and yellow shirts that said “Hej!” Each person was handed one of Ikea’s signature blue bags filled with swag, including an Ikea bucket hat, shirt and watering can.

“I think it will bring more people downtown,” said Ruby Tsang, a recent San Francisco transplant who rents a studio apartment nearby. She plans to shop at the location for furniture for her small space and stop in at other times, too. “It’s great if I want to meet someone for coffee or lunch.”

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Three years ago, while deep in the unknowns of quarantining, this author wrote a post wanting for the past and worrying about the future. The title of the article was a question, “Has Covid-19 And Its Accelerated Work-From-Home Experiment Permanently Changed The Future Of Cities?” As discussed in this article, it appears that the answer is yes, and both public transportation and cities have been (and, as argued below, should further be) permanently altered as well.

reality is emerging. Rudy Salo explores the pivots that may shape the future of cities and transit agencies.getty

In the world of public transit two popular buzz phrases over the past several months have been the “fiscal cliff” and the “death spiral,” as many transit agencies asked for (and mostly received) bailouts from their respective constituent governments to avoid tumbling over said cliff. Of course, the fiscal cliff is not an actual cliff, and the concept doesn’t equally apply to all transit agencies. Operators of transit systems that rely heavily on farebox revenues (i.e., tickets/fares) to run their systems are in peril as such revenues have continued to lag pre-pandemic numbers. On a related note, the “death spiral” refers to the phenomena that result from a lack of such revenues leading to painful service cuts and further alienating riders who are already using the systems less.

Transit systems with other sources of revenues, like a portion of sales taxes, which are common throughout California, are not facing the same fiscal cliff. In fact, some of those agencies fared quite well during the pandemic. One reason is the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case, South Dakota Department of Revenue v. Wayfair, Inc., which required outside businesses to collect a state’s sales and use taxes from its customers for items purchased through the internet, purchases that skyrocketed during the pandemic.

But even if some transit agencies face more dire circumstances than others, all transit agencies are struggling with fewer riders—which may impact voters’ appetite for imposing more taxes to expand or better support those agencies in the future. Failure to sway voters to support such endeavors could limit the growth plan of a city or broader regional area. Also, as transit systems yearn for riders while simultaneously needing to appease voters, many cities across the country are approaching their own “urban doom loops” from dwindling office workers caused by remote work (both full-time and hybrid) or the elimination of jobs that are traditionally centered in urban areas. The lack of office workers is leading retailers and restaurants to either lay off employees or close. Vacancies and diminished foot traffic may also lead to more street crimes in the middle of a workday.

For example, there has been a two-thirds increase in Southern California office space vacant since the beginning of 2020. Downtown Los Angeles recently had a 25% vacancy rate, while San Francisco has had around a 30% vacancy rate. Another whammy to cities and commercial buildings stems from the approximately $80 billion of loans maturing this year that are collateralized by commercial buildings. And most of these loans require refinancing when interest rates have skyrocketed while occupancy has plummeted, so the prospects of repayment are slim. Therefore, many loans on such buildings will default, threatening lenders with losses and cities with buildings that may have significant delays or outright defaults on property tax payments. These tax payments are a primary funding source for many cities, and reductions in them could lead to reduced funds to pay critical city workers like police, firefighters, and other critical government employees, thereby worsening safety and other services that voters are mindful of.

So, how can cities and public transit agencies pivot toward the future? Cities must first accept that “the 9–5 city” is dead. Next, cities must focus on the new reality and the needs and expectations of all constituents (especially voters). Convenience is a top factor in most of the decisions we make. Cities will need to focus on convenience for a wider swath of riders, not only daily commuters. Here are a couple of pivots underway that may eventually maximize the use and effectiveness of public transportation and the cities and regions they serve.

Conversion of commercial properties to residential uses

In addition to emptier transit systems and suffering businesses, many cities (particularly those on either coast) also suffer from a lack of affordable housing. Rent increases, one of the many perils wrought by rising inflation, have made living in already expensive cities less feasible for many people. With a rising number of commercial properties sitting empty, one option involves converting empty spaces into affordable units. These conversions are happening in many cities throughout the United States. In fact, thus far, Los Angeles County has generated more housing units from office conversions than any other U.S. city.

One of the issues is that it may not be financially plausible to convert commercial buildings to residential uses. Challenges of commercial building conversions include providing enough sunlight through windows, as well as the significant differences between the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems than in residential buildings. Some buildings will just be too expensive to convert and may be demolished and turned into warehouses or other allowable commercial uses, which will inevitably change the look of many cities. Cities should consider providing tax breaks to usher these conversions to make them plausible because when residents can afford to live in cities with existing public transportation, it is highly likely these residents will see the convenience of using public transportation versus other modes of travel.

Transit systems should shift their focus from commuters to night and weekend riders

Many things in modern life are measured by a combination of convenience and speed, most often thanks to technology. Transit agencies can shift the focus of public transportation from business districts—which were intended to be busy from 9–5—to rebalance towards concerts, sporting events, and culture centers like museums, theaters, and colleges by increasing train lines on the weekends and evenings and reducing them during the workdays.

Many transit agencies have noticed an uptick in weekend travel post-pandemic. Why? Typically, on the weekends, people have more time to travel. Perhaps they imbibe more. Perhaps they are heading to an event with exorbitant parking fees and feel incentivized to use public transportation. Cities need to embrace that their future (and, in many ways, their present) relies on accepting their purposes as centers of education, entertainment, and social gatherings. Focusing on a wider swath of visitors to cities and potential riders of public transportation could expand the happiness of potential voters in 2024 and beyond. Those voters hold the power to decide the fate of transit systems and the cities they serve. While the 9–5 city may have gone away, could a truly on-demand city, one with updated infrastructure connected to autonomous vehicles and apps providing real convenience, be near? Time—plus votes and policy—will tell.

I am an infrastructure finance attorney at Nixon Peabody LLP and a public speaker/writer. As an attorney, I advise governmental entities and financial institutions on financing transportation systems and other infrastructure throughout the United States. I am well-versed in both the financial and policy spheres of the transportation industry, and I passionately advocate for a critical rethinking of our infrastructure to accommodate the advanced transportation technology currently available to make our commutes more tolerable, safer and productive. I live in Los Angeles County and primarily commute via public transportation, using a combination of light rail, ridesharing and buses in Los Angeles. I graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center and from UCLA magna cum laude in Political Science. I am a self-professed science fiction, film noir, punk rock and transportation geek, and I am elated to bring my perspectives on infrastructure and the prospects of future modes of transportation to Forbes.com. I am also the co-host of the Good Is In The Details podcast, where I often discuss the topics covered in Forbes.com posts, among other musings.

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed a former US bank executive to head the central bank…

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday appointed a former U.S. bank executive to head the central bank, sending the strongest signal yet that the newly re-elected leader may be backing away from his unusual economic policies that many advocate blame the worsening cost of living crisis.

Hafize Gaye Erkan, 41, has a Princeton education and will be the first woman to head Turkey’s central bank. In 2021, she briefly served as co-chief executive officer of First Republic Bank, which became the second-largest US bank to fail last month as its wealthy customers pulled out their money during the broader industry turmoil.

Her nomination follows last week’s appointment of Mehmet Simsek, an internationally renowned former banker, as finance and finance minister. He was a former finance minister and deputy prime minister under Erdogan, returning from politics after a five-year hiatus.

The selection of two key financial positions has raised hopes that Erdogan, who was re-elected to a third term last month, is backing down from his insistence that lower interest rates will combat Turkey’s soaring inflation. The rate peaked at 85% in October and people are struggling to afford food, housing and other necessities.

Critics blame the cost-of-living crisis on Erdogan’s unorthodox approach that runs counter to conventional economic thinking – that raising interest rates would fight inflation. Central banks like the US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and others around the world are raising the cost of borrowing to curb consumer price inflation.

Erkan’s appointment “is an important step towards more credible economic policy and encourages President Erdogan to relax his grip on the central bank,” said Liam Peach, chief emerging market economist at Capital Economics.

“Recent political appointments must now be translated into policy action so investors can be confident that this shift towards orthodoxy is the real deal,” he said.

The next steps are crucial as the economy grapples with a plummeting currency and still-high inflation at 39.5%. The central bank will meet later this month to decide on interest rates – a key indicator of the course of Turkey’s economy.

In recent years, Erdogan has sacked three central bank governors for failing to comply with his rate-cutting policy.

“Erkan needs to be given the freedom to raise interest rates a lot,” Peach said. “A sharp rate hike from about 8.5% to about 20% would send a very strong signal that a credible policy shift is at hand.”

It must also show that it is important to keep interest rates high in order to curb inflation. While higher borrowing costs are meant to fight inflation, they can slow economic growth as borrowing becomes more expensive.

This could be another pain point for households and businesses whose food and energy costs have skyrocketed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and whose currency has hit record lows against the US dollar.

Erkan was CEO of investment banking firm Goldman Sachs and worked at San Francisco-based First Republic Bank, where he served as co-CEO for six months in 2021. JPMorgan Chase took over the failed bank after US regulators seized it in May.

She replaces Sahap Kavcioglu, who has overseen a series of rate cuts since 2021. Kavcioglu will now head the Turkish banking supervisory authority BBDK.

“The appointment of Kavcioglu – a proponent of Erdogan’s ‘new economic model’ – as head of banking supervision is a powerful reminder that Erdonomics can retaliate at any time,” said Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of London-based risk consultancy Teneo.

Erkan will have to rebuild the central bank “after years of mismanagement, purges and demotions,” Piccoli wrote in a note.

“Like most other important institutions, the (central bank) has lost its independence and has been undermined by Erdogan’s drive to centralize power, with key tasks being given to loyalists and cronies,” he said.

Copyright © 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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People in traditional Polynesian clothing at the Holiday Inn at San Francisco International Airport. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

As you walk through Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale, you’ll immediately recognize the communities that have established themselves in these neighborhoods.

• On one corner you’ll find the Polynesian Island Luau shop with its colorful mosaic of island clothing. A few blocks away is the Samoan Community Development Center, which is showing a documentary about local mental health initiatives.

Why it matters: Pacific Islanders have played a pivotal role in the city’s development since they first arrived on the California coast in the 19th century. San Francisco’s new effort to establish a cultural district for Pacific Islanders aims to recognize their contributions over the past 150 years.

Context: Today, Pacific Islanders make up less than 1% of the city’s 808,400 residents, according to census data. But it wasn’t always like this — by the mid-1700s, Native Hawaiians made up 10% of the population.

• San Francisco experienced a surge in Pacific Islander migration after World War II, when colonization allowed the US military to recruit Pacific Islanders into their ranks.
• When the war ended, they looked for opportunities at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, the Mormon Church, local farms and more.
• In recent years, increasing climate threats have also forced many Pacific Islanders to relocate to the United States

Yes but: “Decades of neglect” have led to high rates of poverty and health inequalities, community leader Faauuga Moliga told Axios.

• Lack of access to sustainable employment, housing and quality education has forced many to leave the city, said Moliga, a former school board member and San Francisco’s first elected Pacific Islander official.
• These inequalities have been exacerbated during the pandemic — as of May 2020, Pacific Islanders had the highest COVID-19 death rate of any racial/ethnic group in California.

Game Status: The goal of the cultural district is to help reverse these trends and “contribute to the fabric of the city,” Moliga said.

• Grassroots founding efforts began in 2017, but getting the community to recognize this opportunity has been a major challenge, noted Gaynor Siataga, director of Pacific Islander Community Resource Hub The Hut.

• “They felt like we’ve never gotten anything from the city before,” she told Axios, “because we never have.”
• After the Board of Directors approved the move last winter, local officials convened a task force to gather data on priorities and needs, which was lacking in the past due to the Pacific Islanders’ AAPI category.
• They are now working to put together an advisory board, award more grants annually, and hold meetings to hear from community members.

What you say: “It feels good to be seen and recognized,” said Moliga.

• “We used to not even sit at the table,” he remarked. The district will “be instrumental in moving the needle,” but the city must commit to making it a long-term investment.
• “Look at our ancestors — this work took years and years and decades and centuries before us,” Siataga added. “It’s about ensuring this longevity for future generations.”

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The Detroit Tigers are 25-26 years old and haven’t gone over .500 a day all season. They are also one game behind first place.

The Chicago Cubs have the worst record in the National League but are only 4 1/2 games away from a playoff berth.

As Memorial Day approaches, some of baseball’s weaker teams are still within striking distance in the postseason race. In fact, FanGraphs lists just five teams in the major leagues that have less than a 5% chance of making the postseason: the Royals, Athletics, Nationals, Reds, and Rockies. And even Cincinnati is just four games clear of first place in the NL Central.

As of May 29 of last year, there were 11 teams with less than a 5% chance of making the playoffs.

There are a handful of factors this year that are helping teams stay competitive, even if they’re not playing as well.

1. The worst teams are REALLY bad. Oakland is 10-45, and the Athletics could well challenge the Mets’ modern record of 1962 of 120 losses. Kansas City isn’t much better at the current 16-38 record.

That means more wins for other teams that could use the help. Seattle, for example, could be in serious trouble right now were it not for a 7-0 record against the A’s.

2. Many of the mediocre teams are grouped in the same divisions. Minnesota leads the AL Central 27-26, and that means the Tigers don’t even have to be at .500 to be close behind. Cleveland (23-29) is 7 1/2 games behind the last wild card but only 3 1/2 behind the division lead, and even the White Sox are only six games behind the Twins despite being 11 games under .500.

Similarly in the NL Central, there are only 5 1/2 games between division leaders Milwaukee (28-25) and the bottom-placed Cubs.

3. While it takes a very good record to secure even the third wild card in the AL, there is real parity in the NL. Currently, the third wildcard in the NL belongs to San Francisco (27-26) and there are nine teams within 4 1/2 games against the Giants.

TRIVIA TIME

One of the most intriguing stats about the A’s is that out of their ten wins, four have come in walk-off style. Only one team has more walkoff wins than Oakland. Who is this?

COMEBACK OF THE WEEK

The Philadelphia Phillies rebounded from a 5-0 deficit in the sixth inning against Arizona on Wednesday. Trea Turner leveled the game with a two-run home run late in the ninth, and then Alec Bohm’s single in the tenth gave Philadelphia a 6-5 win. According to Baseball Savant, the Diamondbacks had a 98.6% chance of winning in the ninth game.

LINE OF THE WEEK

Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler threw eight innings without a score and had 12 strikeouts in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Atlanta. He allowed three hits.

With Aaron Nola boasting a 4.59 ERA, the Phillies could really use more performances of this type from Wheeler as they try to gain ground in the NL East.

TRIVIA ANSWER

The Yankees lead the majors with five walk-off wins. Last week they had two of them: Anthony Volpe hit a sacrificial flight in the 10th inning on Tuesday night to beat Baltimore and Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s single in the 10th rounded out New York’s win over San Diego on Saturday.

The Padres have lost all five extra innings games and are 3-9 in one run games.

Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed, or redistributed without permission.

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Rain swept through San Diego early Thursday morning, threatening the most anticipated opening day in Padres history.

With more midday rain downtown in the forecast, the ball club proactively moved first place 5 1/2 hours — from 1:10 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. — to allow the rain clouds to clear and allow the water-soaked field to drain and dry.

If the game against the Colorado Rockies goes ahead as planned, the Padres’ 1975 home game will remain the only rain-soaked game in the franchise’s 55-year history.

In fact, the opening game of 1975 rained consecutive nights at San Diego Stadium.

It was mostly bad luck.

Rainfall was reported for six consecutive days from April 4 to 9, although records show rainfall was just two inches in April this year.

Almost half of the precipitation (0.93 inches) fell on the opening day and a significant amount (0.41 inches) the following day.

The San Diego Union reported that the pre-game celebrations were to include a softball game an hour before field one, pitting Eddie Feigner (The King) and his court against some “media celebrities.”

Padres owner Ray Kroc was scheduled to give a presentation, having saved baseball for the city a year earlier when he bought a franchise just before moving to Washington, DC

Mayor Pete Wilson should throw the first pitch.

Fireworks were to follow after the game.

After two rainstorms, the Padres decided to postpone the celebrations to the team’s home game against the Dodgers two weeks later.

The delays shattered the crowd.

The Padres originally expected up to 42,000 fans, and some at the ticket office thought a sell-out (47,634) was a possibility. The franchise’s single-game attendance record at the time was 44,504, set on May 25 last season against Cincinnati.

When the teams finally took the field two nights later, only 19,823 people walked through the turnstiles.

Those who showed up watched as Padre’s left-hander Randy Jones threw nine shutout innings.

They also saw San Francisco right-hander Jim Barr throw 10 shutout innings in the Giants’ 2-0 win.

Despite an extra inning, the game was over in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

With so few rain replays, members of the Padres Ground Crew — especially when the team was playing Mission Valley — have been known to struggle to cover the field.

In fact, the tarp pretty much came apart in their hands at one point when the crew tried to drag it across the field after years of rolling it up along the first base line in foul territory.

That wasn’t the most memorable incident, however.

In 1990, at what was then Jack Murphy Stadium, a family of skunks dispersed after ground crew interrupted them while unrolling the tarp, which seemed like a nice, dry place to settle.

The skunks were released along the San Diego River, although they always seemed to find their way back to the stadium.

No wonder they made themselves comfortable. The probability that the tarpaulin was touched was extremely small.

The Padres media guide lists 18 rains in franchise history, with up to 15 years between rains (1983 to 1998).

Only three regular season games have been rescheduled in the team’s 19-year history at Petco Park, the most recent being on May 7, 2017 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Two years earlier, an unprecedented summer storm forced the postponement of the July 19, 2015 game against the Rockies. This ended a nine-year stretch (770 games) without a rainout.

Before that, the Padres had just two rainouts from 1983 to 2006, covering a span of 1,802 games.

If it weren’t for Buzzie Bavasi, the Padres’ first president, the number of rains would be barely a dozen.

Bavasi believed doubleheaders drew more viewers, so he would announce a game in no time.

Six of the team’s rainouts came in the first four years of the franchise’s existence.

San Diego rains

According to the Padres media guide, there have been 18 rains in San Diego over the years:

April 27, 1970 – vs. Montreal Expos

April 14, 1971 – vs. Chicago Cubs

May 7, 1971 – vs. Cincinnati Reds

May 28, 1971 – vs. New York Mets

June 5, 1972 – vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

June 6, 1972 – against Pittsburgh Pirates

April 8, 1975 – vs. San Francisco Giants

April 9, 1975 – vs. San Francisco Giants

September 10, 1976 – vs. Houston Astros (DH)

May 8, 1977 – vs. Montreal Expos (DH)

April 15, 1978 – vs. San Francisco Giants

April 28, 1980 – vs. Atlanta Braves

April 29, 1980 – vs. Atlanta Braves

April 20, 1983 – vs. Atlanta Braves

May 12, 1998 – vs. New York Mets

April 4, 2006 – vs. San Francisco Giants

July 19, 2015 – vs. Colorado Rockies

May 7, 2017 – vs Los Angeles Dodgers

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By Joanie Juster

Spring has definitely sprung in San Francisco. The Sisters have blessed San Francisco again with their only-in-San Francisco Easter festivities in Dolores Park. A lucky few are now cherishing the fabulously wacky Easter bonnets they snagged at Joe Mac’s annual Easter Bonnet Sale at 440, and Alert Alley is graced with its new commemorative name, Sister Vish-Knew Way. There is hope in the air, and there are good people doing good work everywhere you look.

Save the Date: The Quilt Returns to San Francisco

I will be writing much more about this in future columns because it is extremely close to my heart, but in the meantime, save the dates June 11 and 12 for the largest outdoor San Francisco display in a decade of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, according to the National AIDS Memorial. The display in Golden Gate Park will mark the 35th anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and will feature nearly 3,000 panels of the quilt. The free public event will take place on the aforementioned dates from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at Robin Williams Meadow and in the National AIDS Memorial Grove.

An opening ceremony and traditional quilt unfolding will start at 9:30 am on June 11, followed by the continuous reading aloud by volunteers, dignitaries, and the public on both days of names of lives lost to AIDS.

The two-day 35th Anniversary event will be presented by Gilead Sciences. Stay tuned for my next column for details on how to attend, to volunteer, to submit a new panel, and to participate in the reading of names. Watch the press conference here: https://tinyurl.com/Quilt35PC

A New Look for the Castro Country Club

Have you walked down 18th Street recently? On April 14, Castro Country Club (CCC) hung their new sign, which is a rainbow-proud colorful addition to the street scene.

CCC has been an integral part of the Castro community for 39 years. Created in 1983 as a social alternative to the gay bars, the club had an initial role that expanded during the 1980s as AIDS devastated the neighborhood. Throughout the years, CCC has grown and changed to meet the needs of the community, providing a safe haven for countless LGBTQ+ people in recovery to help each other achieve and stay grounded in sobriety. Governed by an Advisory Board, the volunteer-based CCC is now self-supporting. It hosts over 40 meetings a week as well as a wide range of events and activities, and even partners with PRC to provide job training. Their building at 18th and Hartford operates a Peet’s café with free Wi-Fi, a welcoming meeting room, and a spacious back patio open to the public from early morning until late at night, 365 days a year.

I’ve known and admired CCC’s Executive Director Billy Lemon for a number of years, mostly through his extraordinary work in building CCC’s AIDS Walk team into a fundraising powerhouse to reckon with. When I saw him proudly displaying CCC’s new sign on social media on April 14, I asked him what prompted the change. He told me that many folks (myself included) had been “foggy” as to exactly what CCC is, and what services it provides. The colorful new branding created by the ABOARD Design team led by Mike Fung raises visibility by being more vibrant. Billy hopes it will help clarify CCC’s brand, and help the organization move forward at the same time.

In addition to café revenue, merchandise sales (including a classy hoodie that features the new rainbow logo), space rental revenues, grants, and, of course, their awesome AIDS Walk team, the Castro Country Club is largely supported by contributions from community donors. You could be one of them! Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/CastroCC

In Case You Missed It, Part 1: The Future of Trans Health Care

On April 8 the Commonwealth Club presented the first in a series looking at the latest in transgender health care. A panel of doctors and experts in the field of trans and nonbinary healthcare explored the latest developments in the field.

This first program in the series, sponsored by Gilead Sciences, addressed the future of trans health care, current advancements in care and accessibility, and best practices in serving trans and nonbinary community members today and in the future. Panelists included Dr. Alexis Petra, MD and Founder/CEO of TransClinique; dr Allie Zarah Ley, a leading plastic surgeon providing comprehensive surgical expertise in the field of gender-affirming healthcare; dr Christi Butler, Assistant Professor and Urologic Surgeon at UCSF; dr Heidi Wittenberg, Director of MoZaic Care Inc. and a Gender Affirmation Surgeon. The program was moderated by Michelle Meow of the Michelle Meow Show.

Future programs will cover a wide range of issues facing trans health care, including the ongoing attacks on trans children and families, policy advancements, mental health and wellness, and more. You can watch the April 8 program here: https://tinyurl.com/FTransHC

In Case You Missed It, Part 2: Trans Visibility in STEM

From a Gender Euphoria Wall where visitors were encouraged to “show the world what you love about yourself” to a custom pronoun button-making booth, on April 2, San Francisco’s Exploratorium went all-in on celebrating the Trans Day of Visibility.

The day featured music, art, panels, interactive exhibits, and films, including a set of short films that shared the wide range of transgender, non-binary, and Two Spirit Experiences, from the collection and work of the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP).

One of the highlights of the day was a timely collaboration with The Transgender District: a panel on Trans Visibility in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) that highlighted the importance of transgender representation in the sciences, inclusion and accountability, and a Discussion on how to build an equitable future in STEM academic scholarship.

Moderated by Honey Mahogany, co-founder of The Transgender District, the panel included three individuals blazing trails in trans representation in STEM: Kenya Boudreaux, a Software Engineer at Apple; Orion Lam, a professor at Solano Community College with a Ph.D. in Chemistry; and Terra Field, a Systems Engineer, formerly at Netflix and the organizer behind the #NetflixWalkout.

The conversation focused on the importance of trans inclusion in fields critical to social and technological advancement, what accountability and allyship looks like in such fields, and what trans visibility in STEM means for trans liberation. A recording of the event will be made available soon at https://tinyurl.com/TDOVSTEM

These kinds of creative collaborations are a major step toward opening up opportunities for those who have been excluded from such opportunities for too long. And speaking of opportunities…

Opportunities Ahead

Looking for a career change? On April 23, the City and County of San Francisco will host a large citywide Career Resource Fair for job seekers from all backgrounds who are interested in exploring a career with the city. The city has job opportunities in a wide range of areas, in health care, public safety, technology, construction, human services, and more.

Date/Time: April 23 from 10 am–2 pm
Location: Civic Center Plaza, 355 McAllister, San Francisco, CA., 94102
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/SFJobFair

National Poetry Month

As someone who is lucky enough to be married to a world-class poet, poetry is part of everyday life in our household. So, this is a reminder that April is National Poetry Month. Poetry is good for you. It opens our eyes and hearts, and feeds our souls. It is a refreshing form of self-care. Take a few minutes to read a poem each day. You’ll be glad you did.

Focusing on Hope

These past few months have been filled with a barrage of bad news. From the war crimes and devastation in Ukraine to an increasing number of state legislatures that seem hell bent on destroying the live of trans people and those who love them, the examples of hatred, fear, and inhumanity are rampant. It is tempting to give in to despair, and all too easy to feel overwhelmed, helpless, depressed.

And yet, while there are too many out there sowing chaos and discord, there are also many, many more working to heal our world. One of my favorite writers (and human beings), Rebecca Denison, is an HIV+ writer, educator, and mother who lives in Berkeley. She posts Super Short Stories (exactly 100 words each!) on social media and her website that give me hope for the world. I leave you today with this one:

Braving the Thicket

Sometimes, when the world feels too heavy—prickly, erratic, unsafe, and infinitely inhumane—I retreat and hunker down in my cave, reading, writing, doomscrolling, and wishing things were different. Other times, I heed the call to venture out, to participate in the flow of life. That’s when I follow Mr. Rogers’ advice: “Look for the helpers.” Often, I discover that people I don’t even know have already scratched a passage through the thicket, so others can keep moving forward along their own, messy paths. I stop. looks breathe lists. There’s light up ahead, and all around are signs of spring.” https://www.rebeccadenison.net/

Look for the helpers, friends. Better yet: be a helper. And open your eyes and heart to the signs of spring.

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

Published on April 21, 2022

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