The Yankee whalers had a devastating impact on the Pacific's marine mammals, cleaning out one whale, seal and otter nose after another. According to Walter Sheldon Tower's “A History of the American Whale Fishery” (1907), the impact multiplied after the discovery of the major whaling areas on the northwest coast in 1838.

When the highly lucrative Arctic whaling began in 1848, whalers began settling on this side of the continent, primarily from California. With the advent of railroads after the Civil War, San Francisco effectively became the whaling capital of the country, as whale oil from the far north could be landed there and then quickly shipped east by rail.

Aside from that, the presence of northern whaling ships led to the Pacific Coast's only nautical involvement in the Civil War, when the CSS Shenandoah sailed into high Arctic waters and captured many whalers. Unbeknownst to Lee's surrender on April 9, 1865, the Shenandoah fired the final shots of the war in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska between June 22 and 28, 1865.

Smaller operations continued into the 20th century, including the American Pacific Whaling Co., which wintered in Meydenbauer Bay on Lake Washington, now part of Bellevue.

Locally, Bioproducts Inc. of Oregon moved out of Warrenton and killed about 13 whales between 1960 and 1965 – including two humpbacks. The meat was sold to feed chickens and fur farm minks. For reasons no longer readily apparent, NASA used lubricating oil as part of the Mercury space program, but most of it was sold to the Mt. Hood Soap Co.

One participant's son recalled that minced whale meat tasted just like hamburger.

The post A quick historical past of Pacific whaling | Coastal Life appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Heavy rains drenched parts of California on Wednesday, bringing the threat of flooding and mudslides as millions of people geared up for holiday travel, the National Weather Service said.

The Pacific storm centered offshore was moving gradually southeastward, sending bands of rain ashore and hitting particularly hard on the central coast after sweeping through the San Francisco Bay Area. Flood watches were posted all the way south to San Diego.

California’s rain came as the Northeast battled the effects of storms that brought floods and downed trees, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands and killing at least five people.

More than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain had fallen by late morning in the Santa Ynez Mountains — the steep backdrop to the south Santa Barbara County’s “American Riviera” communities — and more bands of heavy rain were expected to follow.

The stormy weather came as millions of Californians geared up for holiday travel and finished preparations for Christmas, with the Automobile Club of Southern California predicting 9.5 million people in that region would travel during the year-end holiday period.

However, so far the rain hadn’t drenched the shopping season.

Employees at Skylight Books, an independent bookstore in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, were worried about the impact of the storm. But on Wednesday, general manager Mary Williams said the store was packed.

“I think after last winter’s deluge, Angelenos have decided to go out in the rain after all,” she said. “I guess buying presents for the holidays is just that important.”

At Whiskey & Leather in Montecito, near coastal Santa Barbara northwest of Los Angeles, manager Karina Cota said Wednesday’s rain had prompted customers to start and finish their Christmas shopping at the boutique to avoid going to other places in the downpour.

“They’re coming in and just want to get it over with,” she said. “They’re trying to do it all in one shot.”

In the coastal LA suburb of Long Beach, family-owned Todd’s Christmas Trees prepares each season for Southern California’s late-year heat waves and stores their trees under a giant tent to keep them from drying out. It was a coincidence that the tent also protected the trees during Wednesday’s rains.

“It kind of works out perfectly,” Mike Todd said. He expected to sell out again this year, even with the bad weather.

“People will come, as they say,” he said.

California is well aware of storm risks: In January 2018, a downpour on a wildfire burn scar unleashed massive debris flows through Montecito, destroying homes and killing 23 people.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department increased staffing for the deluge but there were no evacuation orders for residents, said spokesperson Scott Safechuck.

“Our creeks are not showing any signs of having any issues (handling runoff) so we’re in a good position here, but we are expecting 5 to as much as 10 inches (12.7-25.4 centimeters) in the next 24 to 36 hours,” Safechuck said.

The storm, more powerful and widespread than one that blew in earlier in the week, was expected to jumpstart a laggard rainy season just a year after California was inundated by a series of atmospheric rivers that refilled reservoirs that had been emptied by a prolonged drought.

“It’s been balmily warm and unusually dry really throughout the state the past couple of weeks,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who spoke during an online briefing Tuesday.

Swain noted that the storm was very unstable, and at times on Wednesday, forecasters issued marine warnings for coastal waters due to severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts.

The pace of the storm also was proving difficult to forecast. The San Diego-area weather office pushed back the timing of the heaviest rain there to Thursday and Friday.

Flood watches were issued from the central California coast to San Diego with warnings of a high risk of roadway flooding that could prompt travel delays, as well as rockslides, mudslides and debris flows from wildfire burn scars. The severe weather could pose a problem for some of the 9.5 million Southern Californians that the Auto Club predicts will be traveling for the holidays.

The relative warmth of the storm meant that snowfall would be mostly limited to high elevations in the southern Sierra Nevada and some Southern California ranges.

The California Highway Patrol office in South Lake Tahoe said in social media posts that the storm, nonetheless, was “making a mess,” producing rain, sleet, snow and icy roads.

The post Sluggish-moving Pacific storm threatens to deliver California flooding and mudslides appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A slow-moving Pacific storm could bring excessive rain and flooding to California on Wednesday, forecasters warned.

The center of the low-pressure system was about 300 miles (483 kilometers) west of San Francisco during the early-morning hours and was expected to gradually move south along the coast, the National Weather Service said.

The storm, which was likely to be more powerful than one that blew in earlier this week, was expected to finally jumpstart a laggard rainy season just a year after California was inundated by a flurry of atmospheric rivers that refilled reservoirs that had been emptied by a prolonged drought.

Advisories for minor flooding were in effect for parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and around Monterey Bay. Near sunrise, forecasters issued a marine warning for waters off the central coast due to a severe thunderstorm capable of producing waterspouts.

The storm’s major impacts were expected later from the central coast south through Los Angeles to San Diego.

Flood watches issued for the region warned of a high risk of roadway flooding, rockslides and mudslides, debris flows from wildfire burn scars, and travel delays. Rainfall totals for some foothills and coastal slopes ranged up to 10 inches (25 centimeters).

Snowfall, however, was predicted to be limited to high elevations in the southern Sierra Nevada and some Southern California ranges.

The post Sluggish-moving Pacific storm threatens California with flooding and mudslides appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge Essayons on Oct. 4, 2023. The vessel helps maintain the navigation channel on the Columbia River Bar.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

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Simply getting aboard the Essayons is a hairy proposition this time of year.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge ship stretches the length of a football field and surges through the surf. To reach it, a motor launch pulls alongside, matching the Essayons’ speed, and two enormous hooks are attached. Then the whole launch — passengers included — is hoisted up and out of the water.

“In the unlikely event someone falls into the water, if you see it, you shout: ‘Man overboard!’ and point,” the safety instructions flash back to mind.

Ocean-going transportation is key to Oregon’s economy. For bulk products like wheat and cars, there is no more efficient way to get goods to market. Last year, $22 billion worth of cargo was shipped through Pacific Northwest waterways.

But sand silts up many rivers, including the Columbia, making them dangerous to navigate. That’s where the Essayons comes in, dredging up sand to maintain a 43-foot-deep navigation channel. During this time of the year, it’s working along the Columbia River Bar, a treacherous stretch at the mouth of the river known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific.”

Steven VanHorn sits at the dredge arm control unit on the bridge of the Essayons, Oct. 4, 2023.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

Some 2,000 vessels have met their demise here, where the river meets the ocean.

The problem is the mixture of bad weather, complex ocean currents, large volumes of water flowing out the Columbia River and massive Pacific Ocean waves that have been building momentum for 3,000 miles.

“It gets dangerous, especially when the tide gets low,” said Steven VanHorn, a second mate on the Essayons.

Massive dredge arms are lowered over each side of the ship. They drag along the bottom, sucking up sand to clear the navigation channel.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

From the bridge, seven stories above the water, he’s surrounded by maps, compasses and computers. It’s his job to control two enormous dredge arms that hang over the sides of the ship.

The arms drag along the ocean floor, sucking up sand like two enormous vacuum cleaners. They empty into cavernous holds on the vessel causing the whole ship to gradually — and rather ominously — sink toward the waterline as it fills.

Capt. James Holcroft oversees the hold of the Essayons filling up with dredged sand and seawater.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

The Essayons heads to the Columbia Bar during the fall because the weather is comparatively calm, and the crew is less likely to disturb migrating salmon as they work.

But right about now, the winter storms start rolling in.

“One of the main rules of dredging is you always have to be making headway,” VanHorn said. “If you go backwards, you could break a drag arm. And when those swells get big enough, sometimes you go up a swell and come back down the other side. That will make you slide backwards.”

When that happens at full power, it’s time to pack up for the year.

Related: The dangerous life of a Columbia River Bar pilot

Some of the wrecks that speckle this area have long since been taken out of the 600-foot-wide navigation channel, so that’s no longer a problem for the dredge arms. But like vacuum hoses at home, they can get blocked. Around the bar, it’s usually just with large pieces of wood or rocks.

“But when we were digging in Pearl Harbor we would get some ammunition and unexploded ordnance from World War II,” VanHorn said.

Old weapons aren’t an issue along the Columbia Bar, so VanHorn spends his days in front of a bank of computers, guiding the dredge arms to high spots along the channel. Red warning dots on his screen turn green as the sand is sucked up.

A screen on the bridge of the Essayons dredge shows the depth of the navigation channel at certain points.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

“It’s basically like a little video game,” VanHorn said, laughing. “It’s not as easy as PacMan though!”

Over his shoulder, Capt. James Holcroft watched, sipping an enormous cup of coffee. He’s been top dog at the 350-foot Essayons for 20 years and likens the job to being mayor of a small town.

“It’s basically a small floating city,” Holcroft said. “We have our own hospital. We have our own fire department. We have our own security force. I have my own electricians. [We] generate our own power. We have our own environmental system for sewage treatment and water treatment. Everything a small town would have, we have it here.”

Essayons Capt. James Holcroft oversees the bridge of the dredge.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

The 25 crew members live on board for two weeks at a time, working 12-hour shifts so dredging can continue round the clock.

There’s a galley and a weight room, but not much else for entertainment.

Related: The deadly Northwest passageway ships have (somehow) crossed for centuries

After 40 years on the water, Holcroft isn’t overly concerned about the Columbia Bar, although he concedes it can get disconcerting when the vessel dumps sand near the beach through the massive holes in its hull.

“Sometimes, when we open the doors, some of the material stays in there a little bit longer, so the ship will heel over 20 to 25 degrees,” he said. “And we’ll be heeled over, working in the surf. And normally you don’t see a ship this size heeled over in the surf that’s not in trouble.”

Dredge sand about to be flushed out of the hold of the dredge Essayons, from holes in the hull.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

Over the years, several people have called 911 to report problems with the Essayons.

“But that’s just our job,” he said, laughing.

The floating city isn’t always floating off the Oregon Coast. During different times of the year it sails to different locations — to hit environmental windows for endangered species.

In the spring, the ship dredges in Grays Harbor, Washington, working around green sturgeon. In summer, they head down to San Francisco Bay, working around smelt runs. Fall means avoiding endangered salmon along the Columbia River Bar.

But as soon as the first big winter storm rolls in, the Essayons will head back to the shipyard for five months of winter repairs.

In addition to all the computers and sensors on board the Essayons, the dredge captain also keeps an old-fashioned map table.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

The post Life aboard the boat that retains the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’ clear and Oregon’s financial system shifting appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

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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Story Links

Portland Pilots (13-16, 5-9 WCC) at San Francisco Dons (17-12, 6-8 WCC)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Place: San Francisco, Calif.
Arena: Sobrato Center at War Memorial Gym
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: 910 ESPN Portland
Live Coverage Links: Video I Audio I Stats

Portland Pilots (13-16, 5-9 WCC) at Pacific Tigers (13-16, 6-8 WCC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Place: Stockton, Calif.
Arena: Spanos Center
TV: ROOT Sports
Radio: 1080 The Fan
Live Coverage Links: Video I Audio I Stats

THIS WEEK
• Portland concludes the regular season with road games at San Francisco and then Pacific.
• The Pilots visit San Francisco on Thursday for an 8 p.m. tip-off and then take on Pacific on Saturday at 4 p.m.

GAME COVERAGE
• Thursday’s game will be aired nationally on CBS Sports Network with Carter Blackburn and Pete Gillen announcing. Saturday’s game will be televised on various regional sports networks including ROOT Sports Northwest with Barry Tompkins and Dan Belluomini on the call. Out of region fans can catch games on the WCC Network.
• Radio broadcasts will be on 910 ESPN Portland on Thursday and 1080 The Fan on Saturday. Jason Swygard and Joel Sobotka providing the commentary with the pregame show starting 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
• Live coverage links for Portland games can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
• Follow @PortlandMBB on Twitter and Instagram for the latest team content.

ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Portland dropped a 103-84 home decision to Santa Clara last Saturday, the team’s lone game of the week.
• Mike Meadows erupted for a career-high 39 points in the loss, while Tyler Robertson added 16 points. Santa Clara drilled 16 three-pointers and shot 56 percent from the field to pull away.
• Meadows’ 39 points are the most since Matt Houle set the school single-game scoring record of 43 points against San Francisco on Feb. 13, 1993. He joins Tyler Robertson and Kristian Sjolund to score 30 or more points in a game this season, while six different Pilots have scored 20 or more in a game.
• Robertson ranks 18th nationally in total assists (149), 20th in the country in free throws made (133) and is one of just 23 players with a triple-double this season. He leads the WCC in assists, assists per game and free throws made.
• Robertson and Penn State’s Jalen Pickett are the only players in the nation averaging at least 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
• Robertson broke the Pilot record for both free throws made and attempted in a game on Nov. 11 against Portland State. He made 22-of-24 overall to break the previous marks held by Jim Winters (20-of-23) which dated back to 1956.
• Kristian Sjolund ranks 42nd nationally in effective FG percentage (.623) and 33rd in true shooting percentage (.650) according to KenPom.com (DI games only).
• Juanse Gorosito’s 55 three-pointers made ranks second all-time among Portland freshmen trailing only Jared Stohl’s 58 (2007-08).
• Portland leads the WCC and ranks 10th nationally free throws made (17.2) and 11th in free throws attempted (23.4) per game.
• The team matched a school record with 18 three-pointers made in a 100-61 victory over New Orleans on Dec. 10. Robertson eclipsed the 1,000-point mark and also broke the Pilot single-game record for assists with 15 that same game.
• Moses Wood also joined the 1,000-point club on Jan. 19 against San Diego.
• Head coach Shantay Legans was hired last March after he led Eastern Washington to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. He recorded his 100th career win on Nov. 30 vs. Multnomah.
• The Pilots finished last season 19-15 overall and sixth in the WCC, recording their highest win total since 2010 and their fourth-highest win total since joining Division I in 1958. The 7-7 record in WCC play was also their best since 2015 and the team recorded its first ever postseason victory at the Division I level.
• The Pilots set a single game scoring record a year ago in a 122-78 victory over Willamette, eclipsing the 115 scored against St. Martin’s in 1978. Portland also broke the program’s single game three-pointers made record with 18 against VMI on Dec. 3, 2021 and made 264 three-pointers.
• The 267 three-pointers made this season eclipsed last year’s mark and is second in school history behind only the 2015-16 team with 289.
• The Pilots finished last season ranked seventh in the nation in free throw percentage (.791) to establish a new UP single-season record. The team also finished 12th in free throws made (544) nationally last year.
• Portland returns all five starters and the top seven scorers from last year’s team. The Pilots return 91.1 percent of the scoring production from last year, second nationally to Virginia (91.4).
• The Pilots signed G Vince Delano and F Cyprian Hyde to National Letters of Intent in November. Delano (6-2, 170) currently attends Arizona Compass Prep, one of the top basketball prep schools in the country. Hyde (6-10, 220) finished last season averaging 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
• A total of 13 former Pilots are currently playing professionally, while alum Erik Spoelstra (’92) has won two NBA Championships as head coach of the Miami HEAT. Ben Sullivan (’07) also won a 2021 title as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff and is now an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics.
• A total of 17 Pilot games are currently scheduled for television, including a minimum of seven on national TV.
 
INJURY BUG & ROSTER NOTES
• Mike Meadows (groin) has missed 12 games this year due to injury.
• Moses Wood (foot) missed the first three WCC games and Tyler Robertson went down with an ankle injury in the first half of the league opener vs. LMU and missed the next game at BYU.
• Chris Austin started all 34 games last year and was second on the team in scoring (14.4), but broke his leg in the season finale at Southern Utah and will redshirt this season.
• Freshman F Bol Dengdit is also redshirting, while Maine transfer G Vukasin Masic had an NCAA immediate eligibility waiver denied and will sit out the 2022-23 season.
• The Pilots have had 10 different players start a game this year and used 12 different starting lineups.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU?
• With the lineup in limbo due to injuries, Portland’s offensive numbers changed dramatically to open WCC play.
• The Pilots were one of the top offensive teams in the country during non-league play averaging 79.3 points, making 10.0 three-pointers per game at a 39 percent rate and dishing out 17.1 assists per game… all top 30 nationally.
• With key players missing early in WCC play, those numbers dropped.
• In Division I games with Moses Wood the Pilots are averaging 78.5 points, making 9.4 threes per game and shooting 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. In the three WCC losses without Wood Portland scored just 57.3 points, made only 4.3 three-pointers per game and shot 35.9 percent from the floor and 22.0 percent from three-point range.

BALANCED ATTACK
• Six different Pilots are averaging 7.7 or more points this season.
• Six players have scored 20 or more points in a game, while three (Meadows, Robertson, Sjolund) have scored 30 or more. Portland and Missouri are the only teams in the country with six different 20-point scorers. In the win over San Francisco Robertson, Wood and Sjolund all had 20-plus points.
• 11 players are averaging more than eight minutes per game.

SHARING THE BALL
• The Pilots had 28 assists against Multnomah which matched last year’s 28 against New Orleans for the most since the Pilots recorded 30 against Texas Southern on Dec. 29, 1995. The team record is 34 versus LMU on March 5, 1988. UP has recorded 20-plus assists in eight different games this year.

RECORD-BREAKING ROBERTSON
• Tyler Robertson broke the UP record for assists in a game with 15 against New Orleans on Dec. 10. The previous mark was 14 by Dionn Holton on Dec. 9, 1995 vs. Southern Oregon. The Melbourne, Australia native also scored his 1,000th career point in the same contest.
• Against Portland State on Nov. 11, Robertson set the Pilot record for both free throws made and attempted in a game. He converted 22-of-24 overall to break the previous marks held by Jim Winters (20-of-23) which dated back to a matchup with Seattle U on Feb. 12, 1956.
• He ranks ninth among Portland’s career leader in free throw percentage (.825) and ranked second in the WCC and 22nd in the nation in free throw percentage (.883) last year including a streak of 34 consecutive free throws made.
• Last season, he posted a remarkable 31-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in a Feb. 12 win over LMU to join teammate Mike Meadows as the only players in program history to record a triple-double – Meadows did so against Willamette. Only 26 players in the nation last season had triple-doubles with UP and Western Kentucky the only teams with more than one player on the list.
• Robertson became the only NCAA Division I player in the last 25 years to log a 30-point triple-double, make 5-plus threes without a miss (5-for-5) and drill 10-plus free throws without a miss (10-for-10) in his remarkable performance against LMU. No other player has achieved all three of those marks throughout an entire career, but Robertson accomplished it a single game.
 
THE NEWCOMERS
• Coach Legans brought in a talented recruiting class including four transfers and five freshmen. The additions of 6-foot-10 grad transfer Joey St. Pierre (Milwaukee), 6-foot-9 former WAC Freshman of the Year Wyatt Lowell (Utah Valley/BYU/Snow JC) gives the Pilots more size this season.
• Mississippi State transfer Alden Applewhite is good sized wing with a versatile skill set, while Maine transfer Vukasin Masic provides scoring and distributing ability as a combo guard.
• Freshman guard Juanse Gorosito is an elite shooter, while freshman Bol Dengdit has good size and skill for a wing at 6-11.

PILOTS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
• The Pilots dropped to 7-78 all-time against opponents ranked in the AP Poll and 0-10 against team’s ranked No. 1 after narrow losses to North Carolina and Michigan State at PKI, as well as two losses to Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.
• Portland has lost 22 consecutive games to ranked opposition with the last win an 82-73 defeat of No. 18 Gonzaga on Jan. 9, 2014 at the Chiles Center.
 
PILOTS SIGN TWO DURING EARLY NLI PERIOD
• Portland has announced the signings of G Vince Delano and F Cyprian Hyde.
• Delano (6-2, 170) currently attends Arizona Compass Prep, one of the top basketball prep schools in the country. Last season he competed for Phoenix Prep in the elite prep basketball circuit, The Grind Session. He broke the circuit record for most three-pointers in a game (10) and helped lead Phoenix Prep to the Grind Session Final Four.
• Hyde (6-10, 220) provides versatility from the post position with his size and athleticism. An elite shot blocker with three-point shooting range, Hyde was named the Vista High School Defensive Player of the Year last season. He finished the season averaging 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
 
HEAD COACH SHANTAY LEGANS
• Legans was hired in March of 2021 after he led Eastern Washington to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. In his four years as head coach at EWU, Legans compiled the school’s best overall (.605) and conference (.726) win percentages.
• Legans finished third or better in the Big Sky Conference all four seasons, led the Eagles to the 2020 regular season crown and 2021 tournament title.
• His teams improve each year as the season progresses best illustrated by his 49-20 (.710) record in games played after Feb. 1 as a head coach.
• All three assistant coaches are back this year for the Pilots. Bobby Suarez and T.J. Lipold came with Legans from Eastern Washington, while Jeremy Pope came on board after coaching most recently at Arizona Compass Prep.
• His staff is among the nation’s youngest as all three assistants are under 35.

PILOTS SHOW OUT AT PKI
• The team concluded a challenging non-league schedule that included games against North Carolina, Villanova and Michigan State at the Phil Knight Invitational, as well as road games against Kent State and Oregon.
• The Pilots put the country on notice by pushing then-No. 1 UNC and Michigan State to the wire in close games and knocking off Villanova at the event.
• Portland will not host BYU or visit Santa Clara as part of the WCC’s unbalanced league schedule.
• The Pilots are the only team nationally that played Gonzaga and North Carolina, the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO
• The Dons (17-12, 6-8 WCC) are No. 110 in the latest NCAA Net Rankings and No. 99 on KenPom.com.
• USF defeated Pepperdine and Pacific last week to move into a tie for fifth place in the WCC standings.
• Notable wins have come against Arizona State, UNLV, Fresno State and Wichita State.
• Guards Khalil Shabazz (16.7) and Tyrell Roberts (16.2) lead USF.
• Head coach Chris Gerlufson is in his first year on the Hilltop.
 
PORTLAND-SAN FRANCISCO SERIES HISTORY
Overall: USF leads 66-30
H / A / N: 19-27 / 10-36 / 1-3
Streak: POR W2
Last 10 / 5: 3-7 / 2-3
Last Meeting: Pilots 92, San Francisco 87 (Jan. 12, 2023 at POR)

ABOUT PACIFIC
• The Tigers (13-16, 6-8 WCC) are No. 202 in the latest NCAA Net Rankings and No. 192 on KenPom.com
• Pacific enters the week tied for fifth place in the WCC standings.
• Pacific has posted notable wins over North Dakota, North Dakota State, San Jose State and Santa Clara.
• Keylan Boone leads a balanced attack with 14.0 points per game.
• Head coach Leonard Perry is in his second year at the helm.
 
PORTLAND-PACIFIC SERIES HISTORY
Overall: PAC leads 32-15
H / A / N: 10-11 / 4-21 / 1-0
Streak: W3
Last 10 / 5: 3-7 / 3-2
Last Meeting: Pilots 81, Pacific 72 (Feb. 9, 2023 at POR)

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Percentages: FG .451, FT .742.

3-Point Goals: 7-23, .304 (Roberts 3-7, Shabazz 3-9, Kunen 1-1, Hawthorne 0-2, M.Williams 0-4).

Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnover: None.

Blocked Shots: 1 (Meeks).

Turnovers: 17 (Hawthorne 4, M.Williams 4, Kunen 3, Meeks 2, Roberts 2, Gigiberia, Markovetskyy).

Steal: 8 (M.Williams 3, Roberts 3, Shabazz 2).

Technical fouls: Hawthorne, 10:50 seconds.

Percentages: FG .468, FT .789.

3-Point Goals: 9-19, .474 (Boone 3-6, Avdalovic 2-2, Beard 2-4, Odum 1-2, Ivy-Curry 1-3, D.Williams 0-2).

Team rebounds: 3. Team turnover: 1.

Blocked Shots: 3 (Boone 2, Avdalovic).

Turnovers: 14 (Bart 4, Ivy Curry 4, Denson 2, Avdalovic, Boone, Martindale, Odum).

Steal: 7 (Boone 2, Ivy-Curry 2, Odum 2, D.Williams).

Technical Fouls: None.

A_2,317 (6,150).

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Flexible office space provider hosts community event to celebrate the opening of a new workplace in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights offering workspace solutions to professionals who live in the neighborhood

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan 4, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Pacific Workplaces (PAC), the san francisco-based flexible office space provider, is opening a new coworking space in San Francisco’s iconic Pacific Heights neighborhood. The grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting will take place on Thursday, January 26 from 3-5 p.m at 2001 Van Ness, Suite 300. This will be PAC’s 18th flexible office location.

The 10,798 square foot flex office space offers a mix of private offices, open coworking space, dedicated desks, meeting rooms, gig internet, cozy lounge areas, a designated wellness room, and fun events such as regular happy hours that foster opportunities for members to get to know each other. Located in the Pacific Heights area at 2001 Van Ness Avenue, on the west side of Van Ness where Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, and Polk Gulch intersect, this flex office space is geared toward neighborhood professionals who want to work near home. Members can access the plethora of restaurants, coffee houses, and on-trend retail shops that add to Pacific Heights and all its grandeur.

“As more professional workers and employers experience hybrid work, coworking touchdown space near home is proving to be an important amenity for work productivity,” says Laurent Dhollande, CEO of Pacific Workplaces. “Our mission is to provide folks with that kind of amenity close to home.”

Working from home can be lonely and difficult. Working near home, in a professional and comfortable setting, is almost always more productive. Our social instinct drives us to professional communities like the one at PAC Pacific Heights, where serendipitous discussions stimulate ideas and creativity.

Pacific Workplaces is bringing its own innovative style to coworking and wants to announce this fresh new workplace to the community. “We want our Grand Opening party to be an enjoyable neighborhood event,” said Becky Simi, Managing Partner at Pacific Workplaces. “It will be a fun tropical-themed event with a bunch of giveaways and swag.” To join this community event, you must register here. “We encourage people to register soon, as guests will be limited by the capacity of the floor,” added Simi.

Pacific Workplaces in Pacific Heights was thoughtfully designed to provide a work solution that local professionals can walk or bike to. The space features amenities such as bike racks, lockers, work booths, a wellness room, along with 36 private offices, 2 meeting rooms, and 30 coworking seats with options to upgrade to a dedicated desk.

About Pacific Workplaces

Pacific Workplaces (PAC for short) are great flexible offices and coworking places, with a wide range of part-time and full-time furnished office spaces including virtual offices, private offices, dedicated desks, open coworking, and mini-suites, in a shared infrastructure environment, with curated communities that maximize networking opportunities and serendipity. Members have access to meeting rooms, coworking areas, business lounges, gig internet, VoIP telephony, phone answering services, admin support and preferential access to a network of 950 touchdown locations worldwide, under a Workplace-as-a-Service model. PAC centers are located in Northern California other Nevada. All 18 locations are operated by PBC Management LLC under the Pacific Workplaces and NextSpace brands.

Media Contact

Kim SeipelPacific Workplaces, 1 (800) 835-3525, kim@pacificworkplaces.com

Twitter, Facebook

SOURCE Pacific Workplaces

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The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the city’s 10th cultural district on Tuesday, a move that will recognize Pacific Islanders in Visitacion Valley and provide resources to support the dwindling community’s growth.

“People will be able to go somewhere they belong, somewhere people understand them, somewhere where they have all the same access to resources as every other community,” said Gaynor Siataga, the director of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander Community Hub and a leading advocate for the cultural district. “This will give them a sense of identity and belonging here in this wonderful city.”

Pacific Islanders’ roots in San Francisco date back to when it was still a settlement. But the community has steadily decreased in size — from more than 8,600 residents in 1990 to about 2,150 last year, or roughly 0.4% of the city’s population. Strong socioeconomic challenges, including high levels of poverty, unemployment and chronic health conditions, contributed to the community’s decline and intensified during the pandemic.

Around the same time that several Pacific Islander community-based organizations teamed up to respond to the population’s high rates of COVID-19 illness and death, planning for the cultural district started in earnest.

Tuesday’s 11-0 vote was seen as a culmination of those years-long efforts, but not an end point to them.

“We have folks who really want to come back to the city,” said Tino Felise, the neighborhood program coordinator at the Samoan Community Development Center and one of those behind the effort to create the cultural district. “Hopefully, establishing this cultural district will help us re-establish our population, and make sure this is a place Pacific Islanders can continue to call home.”

In coming months, the office of Supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the area where the new district will be established, will work with Pacific Islander community leaders to cement the exact geographic boundaries of the district and solidify plans to protect and support the Pacific Islander community . This begins with the creation of a three-year strategic plan, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and the hiring of a cultural district staff.

Once finalized, the area will be awarded the annual funding provided to each district: $230,000 of hotel tax funds to plan for the services, resources and programs, all of which will be designed by a new cultural district advisory board and the city.

“I think the cultural district will really begin to allow everyone to see the specific needs of the Pacific Islander community, and focus on strengthening the solutions to supporting them,” Walton said.

Julia Sabory, who manages community planning and cultural districts at the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, said cultural districts can elevate a community’s voice at the policymaking table while promoting programs that are created with and for the populations they serve.

“It’s not so much about the numbers and the masses of residents,” Sabory said. “It’s about addressing the systemic exclusion of groups, and trying to include them into processes and opportunities to improve that community’s quality of life.”

“Getting the cultural district approved is just the beginning,” said Siataga. “The work — the deep-rooted work — starts after.”

Elissa Miolene is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Twitter: @elissamio

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In the lazy hours of a late Sunday afternoon, a steady stream of customers passed under the dark green awning of Polynesian Island Luau. According to its patrons, the takeout-style restaurant and retail shop — where shark tooth necklaces dangle from the ceiling, racks of floral shirts line the walls, and the owner’s granddaughter runs the register on the weekends — is the last of its kind in the Bay Area.

“I come here whenever I can,” said Lori Peneueta, 40, who drove from Sacramento to visit the market, which straddles Geneva Avenue on the border of San Francisco and Daly City. “This is a part of my heritage, and it’s one of the only places I can really feel that.”

To the left of the 22-year-old business, there’s a KFC and a Taco Bell. Across the street, the hulking mass of a Dollar Tree. Sitting beside a four-lane highway, Polynesian Island Luau has witnessed the decline of nearby Visitacion Valley’s once-vibrant Pacific Islander community. But now, it may have a front-row seat for its comeback.

After more than seven years of on-the-ground organizing, the neighborhood stands poised to become part of a new Pacific Islander Cultural District. On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to adopt legislation creating such a district, making it the 10th cultural district in the city.

Polynesian Island Luau owner Lafi Conway, right, chats with a customer of her takeout-style restaurant and retail shop Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

“There are a lot of Pacific Islanders across the area, so to have a place of our own would be really cool,” Polynesian Island Luau employee Thana Puni, 18, said from behind a tray of steaming plantains coated in coconut cream. “I would feel great if (the district) happens.”

Since the inception of the program in 2018, San Francisco has recognized cultural districts in Japantown, the Castro and the Mission to both honor and preserve diverse communities. Pacific Islander leaders hope the recognition and resources that come with such a designation will mark a turning point in a community long forgotten by the city.

“My goal is that 100 years from now, our community doesn’t have to suffer anymore,” said Gaynor Siataga, the director of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander Community Hub, a new community-based organization in Bayview. “They can go somewhere they belong, somewhere people understand them, and have some sense of identity and belonging here in this wonderful city.”

But with generations of entrenched disparities — and the risk of losing more community members to rising costs of living — those pushing for the cultural district know that this week’s vote is just the beginning.

Floral shirts and fabrics hang from the walls of Polynesian Island Luau on the northern edge of Daly City, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

A small community with a deep history

According to data from the 2020 census, the Pacific Islander community makes up just 0.4% of San Francisco’s population. Despite its size, the population has roots in the city more than a century old.

In the mid-1800s, Native Hawaiians made up 10% of the population in Yerba Buena, the settlement that later became San Francisco, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. During World Wars I and II, the U.S. military recruited Samoans, Tongans, Fijians and other islanders as it expanded its reach across the Pacific. But once World War II ended, many of the employment opportunities did too — leading to an exodus of Pacific Islanders to San Francisco.

Some came for jobs at the Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard. Others were recruited to work in farms in and around the city. Still others were sponsored by the Mormon Church, encouraged toward the city for missionary labor after helping build a temple in Hawaii.

By 1985, San Francisco’s Pacific Islander population reached its peak, according to the cultural district’s “resolution document,” which was drafted by community leaders to make a case for the cultural district. But as of the 2020 census, San Francisco’s Pacific Islander community numbered just over 2,150. And in the past decade, the number of Pacific Islanders in Visitacion Valley — the neighborhood where the community first took root — dropped by more than 50%, from 33 people to 15.

In the years since peak migration, the community hasn’t just dissolved in size. It’s also been hit by stark socioeconomic challenges.

Even before the pandemic, 29% of the Pacific Islander community in San Francisco lived below the poverty line with a median per capita income of just $25,930 — the lowest of any ethnic or racial group — according to a 2020 report from the Regional Pacific Islander Taskforce. That data found nearly 15% of the community was unemployed, and nearly 23% lived in overcrowded households. According to the cultural district’s resolution statement, 73% of Pacific Islanders in San Francisco are now in public housing.

“I grew up with, and in, those disparities,” Siataga said. “But when I saw the data, it broke my heart.”

Reliance on public housing, she added, “has been generational. That’s our reality and it’s been our reality, and it’s sad because we know that our ancestors that migrated here came for that American dream. And yet, we’re still stagnant.”

Those disparities exacerbated with the pandemic. Pacific Islanders in California contracted COVID-19 at nearly twice the state’s overall rate. By May 2020, the community had the highest death rate of any racial or ethnic group.

Mareta Eelua, left, and Faye Ia assemble candy lei five days before a Nov. 15 hearing of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to establish a Pacific Islander Cultural District in the city.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

Today, city data shows the COVID-19 case rate for Pacific Islanders still outstrips all other communities: it’s more than double the rate of the city’s American Indian, Black and Hispanic populations, and more than four times that of white San Franciscans.

According to those pushing for the Pacific Islander Cultural District, these statistics are, in part, due to a lack of culturally attuned resources. For 20 years, there was just one fully funded community-based organization serving the population — the Samoan Community Development Center. But Siataga said that despite critical efforts, the organization wasn’t meeting the full range of services Pacific Islanders needed.

Because of that, community leaders say Pacific Islanders became “invisible” across the Bay Area, sinking toward the lowest levels of the city’s socioeconomic indicators.

Efforts with, for and by the community

During the initial phases of the pandemic, five of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander-serving organizations formed the SALLT Association, which aimed to strategically fill gaps they saw widening across the community. By coordinating across entities, SALLT began providing COVID-19 response services, counseling, employment assistance, housing support, language and translation services, and other programming, working alongside the Samoan Community Development Center to do so.

During the same year, Siataga — who has both Samoan and Latino roots — suggested creating a cultural district in the area after seeing its success for the Latino population in the Mission. But while the Latino community in San Francisco was growing, the Pacific Islander community was shrinking. With such small numbers, many felt like accomplishing such recognition would be impossible, Siataga said.

“At first, it was really challenging,” said Siataga, speaking of the first time she mentioned setting up a cultural district. “This community has never seen the resources, support or backing that other communities have seen, so when I first started talking about the cultural district, (the community) said things like: ‘That’ll never happen.’”

Still, she and others got to work.

Siataga encouraged elders to write down their stories, which they compiled into the district’s resolution document to demonstrate the community’s impact on San Francisco and their legacy dating back decades. They got in touch with Supervisor Shamman Walton, whose district encompasses the southeast corner of San Francisco home to many Pacific Islanders. And they dug into the data, trying to better understand what the Pacific Islander community was up against — a difficult task when across not just the city, but also the state, Pacific Islanders were consistently being grouped with the larger Asian community.

Palusami, a popular Polynesian delicacy made with beef, coconut milk and taro leaves, sit wrapped behind a counter at Polynesian Island Luau on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Customers sometimes travel from quite a distance for the traditional Samoan food.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

By disaggregating that data, a clearer picture of the community’s challenges began to emerge, allowing leaders like Siataga to better pitch the mission of a cultural district and the things it could accomplish.

According to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, cultural districts provide a funnel for representative policymaking, helping leaders from minority communities take a seat at the city’s decision-making tables. They allot funding to employ those in charge of the cultural district, who together work on a specifically tailored three-year plan.

The Pacific Islander Cultural District will receive the typical annual funding award for cultural districts: $230,000 of hotel tax funds to support the team coordinating the vision for community-led social programs, services and resources in the new district.

Tino Felise, the neighborhood program coordinator at the Samoan Community Development Center, said the cultural district will focus on affordable housing, entrepreneurship and retail development, particularly for smaller mom-and-pop stores.

“Hopefully, establishing this cultural district will help us re-establish our population and make sure this is a place Pacific Islanders can continue to call home,” said Felise, who worked with Siataga to get the cultural district proposed.

Some of this work will draw on the successes of other cultural districts. In the Mission, the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District has implemented policies to halt displacement and gentrification, according to Calle 24 Council President Eric Arguello.

Polynesian Island Luau has been selling its merchandise from a storefront on the border of San Francisco and Daly City for more than two decades.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

By placing “special use protections” on incoming development in the Mission, the district has reduced the number of large renovations in the area — developments that would make it impossible for smaller, community-owned businesses to eventually take over those spaces, Arguello said.

“The legislation helped us maintain a healthier balance to protect smaller businesses, and helped us stabilize rent by maintaining smaller spaces for mom and pop stores,” Arguello said.

Still, Arguello noted, each cultural district is led by the needs of that community — and each has its own challenges and solutions.

“The coolest thing about this is that it’s all going to be done by the community,” said Iose Iulio, a housing specialist at the Bayview YMCA, and part of the team behind the Pacific Islander Cultural District. “When you listen to the community and what they really need and want, it’s more likely that they will use the services you provide.”

In some ways, Polynesan Island Luau is San Francisco’s Pacific Islander community in a nutshell. It’s held on in a rapidly changing city, and it’s been witness to inconceivable challenges. But still, it’s standing — and it’s ready to welcome its community back home.

“We get people coming from as far as Seattle to taste our food,” said Lafi Faletoese, the granddaughter of Lafi Wilson, Polynesian Island Luau’s owner. “But there are so few (Pacific Islander-owned businesses), a lot of people don’t know about us. … (Having the Pacific Islander Cultural District) would bring a lot more needed recognition for each and every Polynesian culture that exists.”

Elissa Miolene is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Twitter: @elissamio

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