PIX Now Afternoon Edition 20.3.24

PIX Now Afternoon Edition 20.3.24

07:06

San Francisco City Council is now resorting to a crime-fighting method that was only approved when residents voted on Bill E in early March.

Installation of 400 automatic license plate readers (ALPR) at 100 intersections across San Francisco is set to begin. The cameras are designed to combat theft, violent crime and illegal sideshows.

While San Francisco Mayor London Breed signed the law for the cameras In January, that plan couldn't move forward until San Francisco voters passed Proposition E, which allows police to make greater use of technology.

The city said the cameras would help locate suspects, witnesses and missing people, but would not have facial recognition software.

SFPD Chief Bill Scott called it a turning point at a press conference promoting ALPRs in the Sunset District.

“The City and County of San Francisco is the technology capital of the world. And now our officers have the technology they need to better address the crime problems in our city,” Scott said.

“Automatic license plate readers can play an invaluable role in helping us track down and bring to justice some of the perpetrators of these crimes,” Breed added.

The cameras are now gradually being installed at intersections and other locations throughout the city. Police expect all 400 cameras to be installed and operational within the next three months.

Part of the project's funding comes from last year's state grant to combat organized shoplifting. The city received $17.3 million.

The introduction of license plate readers will take place The city is preparing to install dozens of speed cameras at some of San Francisco's most dangerous intersections.

The speed cameras are part of a pilot program under a new statewide law. The Department of Transportation has identified the 33 locations for the cameras.

More from CBS News

Dave Pehling

Dave Pehling is senior website editor for CBS Bay Area. He began his journalism career as a freelance music writer in the late 1990s and eventually worked as a web writer, editor and producer for KTVU.com in 2003. He began his position at CBS Bay Area in 2015.

The post San Francisco strikes forward with set up of automated license-plate readers throughout town appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

San Francisco city officials are pushing forward with one of the crime-fighting tactics that wasn't allowed until residents voted to approve Prop E in early March.

Installation of 400 Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) at 100 intersections across San Francisco is set to begin. The cameras are intended to combat theft, violent crime and illegal sideshows.

While San Francisco Mayor London Breed signed the cameras into law In January, that plan failed to materialize until San Francisco voters passed Prop E, which allows police to make greater use of technology.

The city said the cameras would help search for suspects, witnesses and missing people, but would not include facial recognition software.

SFPD Chief Bill Scott called it a game changer at a press event promoting ALPRs in the Sunset District.

“The City and County of San Francisco is the technology capital of the world. And now our officers have the technology they need to better address the crime challenges in our city,” Scott said.

“Automated license plate readers can play an invaluable role in tracking down and holding accountable some of the perpetrators of these crimes,” Breed added.

The cameras will now be continuously placed at intersections and locations throughout the city. Police expect all 400 cameras to be installed and operational within the next three months.

Part of the project's funding comes from last year's state grant to combat organized retail theft. The city received $17.3 million.

The license plate readers are being rolled out The city is preparing to install dozens of speed cameras at some of San Francisco's most dangerous intersections.

The speed cameras are part of a pilot program under a new statewide law. Public transit officials have identified the 33 locations for the cameras.

More from CBS News

Read more

The post San Francisco strikes forward with set up of automated license-plate readers throughout town appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

When Vin Scully announced his retirement, we asked our Dodgers Dugout subscribers to tell us what he meant to them. Thousands of readers responded. Scully died Tuesday at the age of 94. Here is a selection of reader responses:

Help with a report about Jackie Robinson

The grandson of Vin Scully attended the same elementary school as my children. One of my sons, Tommy, had to do a report on someone they admired and he chose Jackie Robinson. I approached the mother of Vin’s grandson and asked if she would pass my phone number on to Vin and maybe he could call Tommy and answer a few questions he had about Jackie. Well, sure enough the phone rang about three days later and my husband answered the phone. “Is Tommy there?” the voice on the other end asked. When my husband said, “Yes, and may I ask who’s calling?”, the voice on the other end responded, “Vin Scully!” My husband almost dropped the phone.

I sat next to Tommy as he asked him questions about Jackie and took notes and whispered questions to Tommy for him to ask Vin. Vin spoke loud enough for me to also hear him through the receiver, so it was easy to take notes for Tommy while he interviewed Vin.

Tommy got an A on the paper and I photo-copied it and attached a thank you note and gave it to Vin’s grandson’s mother to pass on to Vin. About a week later, Tommy received a handwritten note from Vin congratulating him on the A paper. What a cool guy.

Maria Marrone

Introduction to baseball

I am 23 years old, so I know I’m younger than most of the people that email you. But when I was 8, we had this very old school radio that had big speakers. One night, I was playing with the radio, pushing buttons and looking for stations and somehow I stopped when I heard a voice. I started listening and the voice kept explaining how Eric Gagne was about to enter to finish this game. I had no idea whose voice that was but I wanted to know why he was explaining a game that no one can see and just listen.

I had NEVER in my life listened to a baseball game, but because I was a girl and wanted to understand I got a notebook and started to write how fast Gagne’s first pitch was and every detail I could write to later understand this game. I remember using tally marks to see if it was a ball or a strike. Fast-forward a good seven years. I had the opportunity to go to my first Dodgers game ever. I was 15, and I got to the stadium entrance and heard Vin Scully say, “It’s time for Dodgers baseball!” I knew that I had found my passion for the rest of my life.

He is the reason the 8-year-old me started liking baseball, and I thank him because if he was not talking when I was playing with that radio, I would never have been introduced to the boys in blue.

Alejandra Sanchez

A missed opportunity

The first-story apartment that I lived in as a little boy in Brooklyn was right next to P.S. 182, which I attended through the second grade. As we played stickball on the cement playground — the “big” kids would let me shag the high-bounce rubber ball — I could hear Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett broadcasting the Dodgers games on a radio next to the Smith-Corona typewriter that my dad, a writer, was pounding away on. We moved to Los Angeles, three seasons ahead of the Dodgers’ arrival in 1958. My dad worked for a small weekly newspaper that had season box seats just to the left of home plate at the Coliseum. Between games of a doubleheader that first season — the Dodgers had seven home twinbills that year, and one ticket was good for both games — I saw Vin talking to someone in the stands near the makeshift press box that the Dodgers used at the Coliseum. Shyly, I approached him and waited for his conversation to end. He noticed me, greeted me in a robust and friendly manner, and autographed a small piece of paper, which I unfortunately lost decades ago. Flash forward to 1974. I am now a young sportswriter, covering the World Series between the Dodgers and the A’s at the Oakland Coliseum, which Vin is announcing. Outgoing and beaming again, he walks near to where I am standing. This time, however, I am too shy to approach, so I don’t ask for an autograph this time. I wish that I had.

Lewis Leader

Listening from afar

I became a Dodgers fan in 1962, drawn to them at the age of 9 by the names of Koufax, Drysdale, Wills, Roseboro, Snider, et al. Trouble was, I lived in Normal, Ill. (still do). I had to work hard to learn as much as I could about my new favorite team and, fortunately, their success in those years drew the attention of the national media. Of course, Vin Scully already was famously being heard on transistor radios throughout Dodger Stadium, and that was among the discoveries I made as I uncovered nuggets of treasure about the Dodgers.

After Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Cubs in 1965, Danny Goodman Concessions offered a 45 RPM record of the game’s highlights. I was a regular mail-order customer with my lawn-mowing earnings and allowance and ordered the record. When it arrived, I heard Vin Scully as if I were listening live on the radio. What a thrill to relive the moment over and over again. Three years later, a 33 1/3 LP of Don Drysdale’s scoreless inning streak was produced, highlighting each of the big right-hander’s shutouts on his way to the record. More Scully and more inside exposure to the Dodgers to measure up with my Cub and Cardinal fan friends.

Fifty years later, with a subscription to MLB.TV, I now can watch the Dodgers and hear Vin almost nightly throughout the season. It’s wonderful, but there was something about having to work at being a Dodgers fan from afar and only getting a taste of Scully that will always remain magical.

Jeff Fritzen

Holding it for a good cause

I am a Northern California boy, a San Francisco Giants fan despite a UCLA education and a Santa Monica residence. I remember listening to a Giants-Dodgers game on the radio while driving down the great San Joaquin Valley, coming home from my mom’s house in Davis. The game was tense as I passed Bakersfield and Grapevine, and Vin Scully was really painting a picture with his description of the action. Anyhow, I made it to Santa Monica, and the game was still going. I didn’t have an AM radio in the house and this was long before iPhones and streaming were invented, so the only way for me to hear the end of the game was to stay in the car. This was not an easy decision to make as I’d needed a bathroom since Sylmar! Scully’s call of the game was ultimately too much to resist: I stayed in the car and listened. I don’t remember how the game ended, only that I was in great physical discomfort for the last bit of it.

And it was totally worth it.

Christian Boyce

Thanks for treating my mom like a queen

Shortly after my father passed away in 1994, I thought taking my mom to a Dodger game would lift her spirits. We were walking on the Club level behind the press box on our way to the public restaurant down by the Dodger Club. Who opens the door of the press box but the man himself, Vin Scully. As he is very recognizable, my mom calls out “Hi Vinny.” He turns around and sees this older lady hobbling over. He says “Wait, I’m coming.” I hang back and watch. He asked her name and she says “Marge. My son over there brought me to the game to try and lift my spirits. I just lost my husband.” He said he was sorry for our loss. He took her arm and walked with her very slowly to the restaurant, while I trailed behind them with tears in my eyes. He asked her who her favorite player was and she replied “Bob Feller.” After all she was from Cleveland. We walked in and Vin said to the chef, “Whatever they want for dinner, on me.” We said thank you, thank you and he continued on to the Club. He did the nicest thing I could imagine for her and I will never forget.

Warren Boule

Sharing a moment after a tough loss

I spent days and nights two years ago pouring my heart out on paper trying to pare down a letter to Vin to just a few paragraphs in order to say, “Thanks.” We all thought that year would be his last. What I received in return was an impersonal form letter stating the he simply receives too many letters and mine could not be delivered. I was so upset and bewildered that a true fan could be treated this way, but I had to be realistic and understand that our lives are full of disappointments just like that one.

Speaking of disappointments, you’d have to go back to the year 1976. The Dodgers were in a heated pennant race with The Big Red Machine. My friends and I were seated along the first row of field boxes just beyond the Dodger dugout. With the team trailing by a run in the ninth inning, they somehow loaded the bases with no outs. However, they eventually failed to score the tying run and lost.

I was so animated and distraught in my seat, hands on head, jumping up and down when I twirled around and looked up to Vinny’s booth. Surprisingly, he was looking right at me as I shook my head. At that point, he held out his arms to the sides, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “What are you gonna do?”

I needed to be consoled in a big way, and who better to accomplish that than Mr. Vin Scully himself? I’ll always remember his uncanny way of connecting to fans through his voice, stories, and unbridled passion for the game we all share.

Gary J. Saldutti

An Ode to Vin

Oh Scully, oh Scully just where will you be

When seventeen comes and we tune in to see

And hear you weave yarns of days that have passed

I just can’t believe you are leaving at last

Just stay one more year to tell us stories

Of Sutton and Drysdale and Robinson please

And of Pee Wee, the Duke and Campy and John

Sixty-seven short years and poof you are gone

I knew it the first time that I heard your voice

The Dodgers were gonna be my only choice

I’m all grown up now, but you bring out the boy

Describing the heartbreak, celebrations and joy.

So please Uncle Vinny, tell us some more

Just tell us who’s batting, just tell us the score!

Tell us of Maury Wills’ 90 foot dash

Or of Gibson’s historical World Series smash.

Or of Finley’s walk off on the Giants that day

Just tell us you’re kidding, just tell us you’ll stay

I’ll sit on your lap and I’ll listen real good

To tales of Piazza smashing with wood

Or Hershiser’s magical eighty-eight run

Or of all of the pennants and trophies we’ve won

Just share with us one more magical day

All that is Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey

Just tell us of Marshall and Gagne the king

And Monday up north in quest of a ring.

Just tell of Fernando’s one no-hit night

Or the four straight home runs before Nomar took flight

Tell us of squeeze plays and flares in the sky

Tell of the “wild horse” some thought could fly

Just a little bit longer, just a little bit more

Please tell us of Alston and Tommy for sure

And though you’re the greatest southpaw that we’ve had

Tell of Koufax the great and Kershaw the lad

And maybe a bit of Shawn Green pounding four

Or rookies both present and past we adore

Tell of Guerrero’s homerun setting June

Or tell us of Welch and his October boon

I know that all things must come to an end

But I suddenly feel like I’m losing a friend

The boy just can’t help it, he’s starting to cry

While the grown-up lets out a resolute sigh

So God speed dear Scully from one and from all

Come seventeen we will be missing your call

From Blue Heaven on Earth perched way up above

I’ll still be right here with transistor and glove

Kevin Mahoney

A glimpse into his character

I became a fan of the Dodgers in 1968 at the age of eight. My parents were recently divorced at the time, and Vin became a surrogate father of sorts every night as I listened to the play by play of my favorite Dodgers, Maury Wills, Wes Parker, Claude Osteen and Willie Davis.

Because of Vin’s endearing voice and commercials, I ate Farmer John hot dogs and when I became older, I made sure my first credit card was for Union 76. Of course, I had to sport the small, orange-colored 76 antenna ball on my first car.

I finally had the opportunity to meet Vin Scully when I attended a night game at Dodger Stadium around 1993. Immediately after the game was over, I made my way up to the “Press Box Level” and patiently waited for him to enter the elevator. As he approached me, he saw me and I finally had the long, anticipated opportunity to express my thanks to Mr. Scully for his place in my childhood and baseball life. It was emotional for me as he was larger than life to me. Vin Scully is the Dodgers!

As we finished our very brief encounter, I noticed the elevator was filled with about eight or nine women who worked at the stadium and they were holding the door open for Vin. He graciously greeted every one of them by name and went to the very back of the elevator.

As the door closed, I was given another glimpse of the man, Vin Scully. That night, he taught me to treat everyone, no matter what their station in life or gender, with respect.

I know this: Vin Scully’s legacy will live forever in the hearts of those touched by him.

Jeff Jones

The best sound to fall asleep to

By way of background and context, I am a native Angeleno and lifelong Dodger fan, born downtown at Third and Alvarado, raised and schooled in the San Fernando Valley. I moved to the Midwest for a career in the early ‘80s. Six or seven years ago I was visiting L.A. with my then-teenage daughter. We were attending Mass in the Valley and were a bit early. As we pulled into the lot to park, the prior service was just ending. When I saw a man walking across the lot, I exclaimed, “THAT’S VIN SCULLY!” I hastily parked, got out, and walked up to him before he could reach his vehicle, asking if I could take my daughter’s picture with him. He said, “of course,” but my daughter insisted that I should pose with Vin instead. After the shot, I informed him that as a little boy I would fall asleep at night to his voice coming from the prized transistor radio under my pillow! Without missing a beat, ever-humble Vinny replied, “I tend to have that effect on a lot of people!”

Sometimes I realize I haven’t changed much through the years. Now, while following the boys on MLB, I often relive my youth by falling asleep to the sound of Vin’s voice coming from the iPad sitting beside my bed! Whatever shall I do next year? Like so many others, I will be disconsolate when the voice reaching my ear is no longer his. I am grateful for learning the game from the very best, and for the wealth of memories he has provided.

Jim Tomkovicz

He got me through a terrible time

What does Vin Scully mean to me? Simply put he was my refuge, my comfort. As a child growing up in a home that was broken by mental illness, there were many fearful nights. I cannot count the number of times my sister and I were in the same room fearful of what we heard beyond the door. As I would lay there, I would turn on the transistor radio to drown out the yelling and listen to the baseball game. I loved baseball and I loved the Dodgers. To a young boy growing up in East Los Angeles the Dodgers were all my idols.

Out of that radio I would hear a calming voice describe the game. The voice would take my thoughts far away from my fear, taking me to a place where my imagination and dreams could overcome. With every descriptive word I heard I could believe that it was me out there making that play with Maury or Jim or Wes or Ron or Tommy or Willie or Lou or Don or Sandy. I felt I was no longer in this fearful place but rather in a place where I was safe and doing what I loved. In listening to the voice I could feel that I was far away and yet right there. I could let my imagination go and dream that maybe one of my idols would take me away from this fearful place and be my Dad for after all I know them all so personally through that voice. Somehow as the game would progress all of the bad around me became nonexistent and a small boy could fall asleep and dream of good things.

Through all of my childhood that voice was always with me. I practiced to mimic that voice. I would pretend I was that voice while calling out loud play by play as I played baseball with my friends. I would try to call the game the same way as that calming voice would. My friends would even tell me I should become a baseball announcer.

Through the World Series championships that I was fortunate enough to experience my idols win while being a kid, it was always the voice that made it real. That voice has called Dodger games longer than I have lived. I will miss that voice dearly for I know no other as I do that voice. No other voice could ever have the meaning which that voice had. No other voice could take away the fears of that scared little boy the way that voice did. Without that voice I do not know what that little boy would have done. So you ask what does Vin Scully mean to me, everything! Thank you, Mr. Scully, from that scared little boy then to this person who I am now.

John A Congestio

A very special Christmas

Two days before Christmas 1997, my business partner told me he had an early Christmas present for me. It was to be a surprise – and I had to get in a truck and go with his brother to the “surprise” somewhere north of us in L.A. Being curious and since it was slow because of the season, I got in the truck with his brother, who was a VersaClimber sales rep. My surprise was we were going to install a VersaClimber at Vin Scully’s house!

I had the good fortune that Vin was home. I was told Vin had purchased the machine for his wife and asked that Cary come and install it in his home. Cary knew my love of the Dodgers and decided for this install, he needed a “helper.” Lucky me!

I remember both Vin and his wife were delightful. Both were as down to earth and easy to talk to as talking to your longtime next door neighbor. The Scullys make you feel in person the same as Vin makes you feel when you listen on the radio — like you have known each other forever. Vin put Cary to work on the Climber, and showed me around their beautiful home. My favorite takeaway was something I saw in Vin’s trophy room. He did not call it such, but there was a room that was filled with memorabilia — trophies, awards and photo after photo of Vin with famous athletes, stars, politicians — absolutely unbelievable. My favorite was a photo of Vin Scully standing with a familiar man in a golf tee box, both holding drivers in their gloved hands. What really caught my attention was that the photo was not posed like most of the others — in this one, both men were standing there but looking straight up in the sky. The signature was what made it my favorite memory of that wonderful day: “Vin, they are still looking for your ball! — signed George H.W. Bush.” In explanation, Vin told me a Secret Service man had snapped the photo of them just as Air Force One flew over. The story was as simple and enjoyable as the thousands of anecdotes I have heard him share with us over the years — pure Vin Scully.

Mike McCoy

A great day ‘fore’ a game

I met Vin Scully once, while a friend and I walked an empty cart path during the old Bob Hope Desert Classic golf tournament. “Hey,” my friend said to me as he looked ahead. “Behind that tree. That’s Vin Scully!” As we approached we called out, “Hi Vin.” “How ya doing fellas?” Vin responded. Honestly, how else would Vin Scully respond? He was standing just about where a rocketing drive might start to decelerate down the fairway, or where a slice might scream into the rough. It was the same conversation he’d probably had a million times over the years.

“We love listening to you call games.”

“Well, thanks.”

“Great day isn’t it?”

“Beautiful, couldn’t be better.”

Then the conversation subtly shifted gears. “Heads up,” he quietly cautioned. “Amateur.”

That’s why Vin was behind the tree. He had staked out a vantage point from which he could safely watch tee shots by pros and by amateurs. We jumped in behind him and shared the tree until the group finished teeing off. No damage, no ducking.

“Well, fellas, I gotta get going. Enjoy the rest of the day.” Like he’d known us for years.

“You too, Vin.” That brief encounter confirmed every nice-guy story about Vin I’d ever heard before … and since.

Ray Smith

Keeping a soldier entertained

I am an old-timer, started following the Dodgers and Vin’s voice in 1947, when Jackie Robinson came up. I have lived in several places since then, and Vin’s voice was not always available. Sometimes I could barely hear it as it faded in and out through the static. While stationed in Fort Lewis, Wash., in the early 60s, I found that by removing the back of my small portable radio and attaching a copper wire to the antenna, and then stringing it out of an upper-story window of the barracks and attaching it to the top of the chimney, I could hear his voice quite clearly. I installed it at night and the roof was quite steep, so I had to be very careful. I listened to him in the latrine to keep from bothering the non-Dodger fans. The sound of his voice was wonderful, and still is.

Frank W. Knell

He eased the pain of chemo and leukemia

I grew up a Dodger fan from birth. My mom used to listen on the radio when they were in Brooklyn. So baseball and the Dodgers have always been a way of life for me. In 2007, I was diagnosed with leukemia. I was at USC Norris Cancer Hospital for days and months at a time. I had so much chemo that it was hard to concentrate on anything, it does that to you. But every night I would watch the Dodgers and listen to Vin. It was the only thing I could actually concentrate on. It was so comforting to hear his voice in the midst of the chaos my life was at the time. I was a wife and mom of three small children, it was a very difficult time. But my constant was Vin, listening to him was so soothing to my tired soul. Well, I had a bone marrow transplant and I am cured. So thank you to Vin, for talking me through one of the most difficult times of my life. And thank you to you for letting me share how much Vin Scully means to me!

Dolores Anguiano-Torres

Vin Scully stole my Christmas tree

When I was about 7 (oh, we’re talking 50-plus years ago), I was the classic transistor-under-the-pillow guy who was supposed to be asleep each night by 10. But Vinny was on the air, so there was no rest to be had. The Voice was fed to my brain constantly, to where it was right behind my parents’ in importance. But one night, it crept ahead in that race.

It was December. My mom took a few siblings and me to a Christmas tree lot in West L.A. We hunted all over the lot for the right tree, and we eventually arrived at exactly the best one. Mom told me, “Wait right here while I go get the guy to sell us the tree. Don’t move. Stay with that tree.” And triumphantly she and my brothers marched off. I was, of course, quite proud of the immense honor bestowed on me: Guardian of Dead Tree.

A minute or two into my shift, I heard The Voice from the forest. “Oh, that’s a mahhhhhrrrvelous tree! Ho, what a great tree!” And The Voice — suddenly attached to a red-haired man I didn’t recognize — appeared with his tribe. They grabbed the tree and walked away with it.

Naturally, Mom and sibs returned and were horrified that I had so spectacularly failed in my assignment. “Who—? What—? Where did it go?!”

“I think Vin Scully took it.” I recall being scolded for creating such an incredible fib, but I don’t think I got spanked. Yet, even if I did, I was delighted that The Voice got such a marvelous tree.

Howard Fischer

The post What Vin Scully means to me: Readers share their love for the Dodgers broadcaster appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Consultants less valuable than polling residents

For the last few years, Marin County has continually spent large sums of money hiring housing consultants.

These consultants usually come to Marin from other parts of the country. I suspect most really know nothing about our unique lifestyle. Thus, we ultimately end up with a lot of housing element babble and no real solutions. I find some of their information to be so far-fetched, it’s laughable.

My suggestion would be to ask Marin’s residents directly as to what they are facing as homeowners and renters in regard to their income, expenses, mortgages, leases, rents and their rights. That invaluable information would be a lot cheaper to collect than hiring another consultant.

— Sandra Macleod White, San Rafael

Novato’s empty buildings can become more useful

The recent article on Novato’s vacant buildings (“Novato to weigh ideas for abating vacant, blighted buildings,” July 19) is a timely summary of the problem.

This is a worldwide issue. It is especially troubling in San Francisco. What is needed is a combination of relaxed building code and occupancy permitting so live/work and multiple uses can form congregate situations.

This is not new. While “cohousing” is succeeding in a number of California locations, some European cities are producing environments where families and individuals, including elderly, can create a community that is economical, stable, friendly and supportive.

Using organizations like Habitat for Humanity, “sweat equity” projects can save older structures, reducing the cost of rehab. This reduces the amount of construction waste that goes into landfill.

In San Francisco during the 1970s, artists swamped commercial building vacancies. They reshaped these buildings as live/work opportunities. San Francisco’s city planning and inspection offices became aware of the dangers to health and safety at the same time they realized it was a solution to the mass vacancies.

Art groups worked to create new guidelines to address dangerous potential conditions. This avoided disasters like the terrible 2016 Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland, where officials appeared to simply ignore the developing situation.

The new guidelines allowed owners to rent buildings to artists and craftspeople that would otherwise be unused spaces, allowing each artist to create the space and utility (electrical/plumbing) infrastructure.

Costs were low and inspections maintained safety. Unfortunately, this created a “loft” living movement where architects, lawyers and other professions competed for the spaces, driving up prices by the 1990s.

— Niccolo Caldararo, Fairfax

Novato City Council is only standing in the way

I am writing in regard to the article published July 19 with the headline, “Novato to weigh ideas for abating vacant, blighted buildings.”

From my perspective, it appears these properties are vacant because the Novato City Council is in the way of a buyer and seller getting together. This has been the case for a long time.

In the history of our country, there is no reason why the owner of private property needs the OK of the government, local or otherwise, to do a transaction. Otherwise, property rights have no meaning.

The IJ’s recent editorial (“It’s time Novato addressed issue of long building vacancies,” July 30) implies that the City Council should take its time to make long-overdue decisions about matters the council is inept to deal with. I totally disagree. Doing so will only ensure that transactions do not occur in the natural flow of buyers and sellers operating in their own best interest.

The council should have no say in all this. I believe in the foundational axiom that the more government gets involved in a matter the more it gets the matter fouled up. I dare anyone to challenge that assertion.

Simple capitalism has been solving situations like this for over 233 years. If it didn’t, we would be like a lot of other countries — eternally stuck in a morass.

While time is being frittered away by the Novato City Council, other communities are outgrowing Novato readily. The City Council’s range of authority should be substantially reduced.

— Roland Underhill, Novato

Schools should look into Linux computers

I am writing in regard to the article published July 25 with the headline, “Marin schools face expirations of COVID-era Chromebooks.”

It’s a pity schools in the state, or perhaps even across the country, can’t get together and each contribute a small amount to the Linux operating system community to provide money to encourage the development of open-source software meeting their students’ needs.

Computers can last many years with a Linux OS — there are still perfectly good Linux systems that run on older, less powerful machines that have been around for many years.

— Edward Clapp, Corte Madera

San Quentin should be closed immediately

After closely reading the Marin IJ recently, I feel prepared to critique Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to turn San Quentin State Prison into a Scandinavian model favoring rehabilitation over punishment.

First, on July 27 the IJ picked up an article by the Los Angeles Times headlined “Newsom’s signature move: Jam the Legislature.” It pointed out his disputed strategy of ramming his major policy programs through. The author stated that Newsom “has a penchant for publicly manufacturing a sense of urgency and giving lawmakers as little time as possible to act.”

The next day, the headline on another LA Times article in the IJ read, “Newsom’s San Quentin plan advances despite questions.” This $380 million plan is a perfect example of the above strategy. His lack of information is particularly alarming to most, as is the rushed timeline and high cost.

Doubling down on rehabilitation-based incarceration might have merits, but why do this at San Quentin? According to the article, the program is mostly focused on inmates with shorter sentences because they will be released sooner. But San Quentin, a male-only prison, has a high percentage of “lifers.” Why not try this experiment with female inmates too?

The state wants to close several prisons. Why not close the oldest, most expensive one to operate in the highest cost of living area for its staff? Prisons should be in small markets where an influx of revenue is needed, and housing costs are moderate.

This property should be turned into a state-of-the-art transportation hub with retail, commercial, and residential buildings, plus parks. The ferry terminal should move there.

This would shorten the commute to San Francisco and would eliminate the agonizingly slow boat speeds between Larkspur Landing and San Quentin (mandated to minimize wave action in the shallow bay).

— John Neuenburg, San Rafael

Ballot transparency measure must go further

It is good to read about the discussion the state has created by requiring the naming of top supporters of ballot measures (“Marin County opts out of law aimed at ballot transparency,” July 23). However, I believe that all tax ballot measures should at least also include the total local, state and federal tax burdens for taxpayers, in addition to the additions each measure adds to that burden.

Ballot measures for raising or continuing taxes should also include a comprehensive list of future anticipated tax measures and their anticipated tax burdens, so that the public has a complete context upon which to base a more fully informed vote.

Local authorities could require these ballot enhancements, but the state needs to step up and get the process begun, the sooner the better.

— Randall Knox, San Rafael

The post Marin IJ Readers’ Discussion board for Aug. 5, 2023 – Marin Unbiased Journal appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Many ways to help kids through difficult spots

I am writing in regard to the editorial by the IJ article concerning the partnership between the Point Reyes Seashore Association and Camp Avary for children with incarcerated parents (“Camp’s Pt. Reyes partnership a winning connection for underserved group,” July 27).

Camp Avary, like the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program, gives kids hope and a way to cope day to day, other than staring at the internet. As a 10-year “big brother” whose “little brother” was going through many of the same things I did growing up, I shared some of the healthy activities I used to cope with it all when I was growing up. Our Saturday get-togethers involved fishing the lakes (Bon Tempe or Laganitas) or taking in a ball game.

I entered the program as a person wondering whether I would have the stuff it takes to be a parent. After one year of our match, I knew that I could bring something to the parenting table. My “little brother” would later become godfather to my son.

Although he did not graduate college, my “little brother” did become a Renaissance man by learning the plumbing and butcher trades. Given his language skills, he also did well in his work on the suicide prevention hot line.

If you can spare the time to be a big brother or sister, it is well worth the effort.

— Rick Johnson, Novato

Don’t allow one person to impact traffic for all

I am writing to express my concern of the events of July 21 and 22, with respect to the closure of the eastbound lanes of Richmond-San Rafael Bridge during one person’s mental health crisis (“CHP: Safety concerns necessitated Richmond-San Rafael Bridge closure,” July 25).

I would implore our leaders to please review and come up with a more expedient plan for future incidents. I am very surprised that there has not been a greater uproar over this situation.

It is unacceptable that one individual could disrupt thousands of commuters throughout Marin, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Alameda and San Francisco counties. I would expect that all of you must share this concern and frustration.

I have been worried about dedicating the third lane on the westbound upper deck of the bridge to bikes and pedestrians. With only two lanes open to vehicles, any hiccup results in stopped traffic. Now it is a concern that one disturbed individual can access the bridge and completely block it for many hours. People were stuck for hours with no food, no water and no facilities — all on an afternoon with air quality so poor it was designated as a “Spare the Air” day. Cars were in danger of running out of gas or having their electric battery run out. People in poor health could have become ill.

This all happened because of one person. Certainly there had to be steps that could have been taken to remove this individual quicker. Accommodating these people is not in the interest of the greater good.

— Kim Sandholdt, San Rafael

Put focus back on using public transportation

Why am I reading reports that Bay Area transit agencies are running out of money, yet the traffic jams on Highway 101 are back to pre-pandemic levels? Nowadays, many people in our area are working at home either most or some of the time. When considering the cause of these related observations, I can only deduce that former transit riders must now be driving.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 29% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by transportation. To help address this locally, I think Marin County officials have done a wonderful job gathering information and providing rebates to encourage emissions reduction.

Let’s not forget about the opportunity public transit provides to shrink our carbon footprints.

— Karen Andresen, Novato

Too many off-leash dog parks across Marin

Judy Spelman’s recently published letter to the editor suggests that a beach in Tomales Bay State Park (Millerton Point) should be opened up to off-leash dog recreation, adding that she hopes to garner letters of support for her initiative.

In opposition, I write in support of the regulations that Spelman seeks to have removed. I don’t find her argument that “managing a leashed dog can lead to human falls (and) limits freedom to focus on nature” to be persuasive. People at risk of falls caused by walking with a leashed dog can avoid injury by recreating in a less challenging environment, or by recreating without their dog. Additionally, I would say that, because dogs are domesticated pets and are not part of nature, walking without a dog (leashed or unleashed) is the best way to “focus on nature.”

Aside from chasing, maiming or killing wildlife, dogs also generate waste that can spread diseases to wildlife (and people). The Environmental Protection Agency says dog waste contains hazardous pollutants. Given that dog waste can foul nearby water bodies with pathogens, it is sensible to conclude that dogs should not be allowed on any beaches, whether leashed or unleashed.

Spelman’s group seeks to remove leashing regulations at one beach, but she ends her letter with the hope that “other parks will follow our lead.” In opposition, I will end my letter with the hope that Spelman’s efforts fail, and that future attempts to rewrite sensible regulations pertaining to dogs in county, state and federal parks are ignored. Far too many public outdoor spaces in Marin have been converted into dog parks (aka “dog toilets”) to the detriment of wildlife, the environment and public safety.

— Byron Wilson, Kentfield

Supreme Court correct to flip affirmative action

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court correctly ruled that race-based preferences (aka “affirmative action”) are illegal in direct contradiction of our Constitution and civil rights laws.

In her recently published Marin Voice commentary (“North Bay Leadership Council CEO responds to affirmative action ruling,” July 15), Cynthia Murray disagrees and is seeking a workaround under the banner of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion). She lauds the virtues of a “diverse” workforce without citing specific examples.

Murray is far from alone. Despite scant evidence, it appears to me that nearly all politically liberal people agree that “diversity” is more important than a merit-based system.

Some, including President Joe Biden, appear to not only look to flout the Supreme Court’s ruling, they support packing the court with additional justices who are like-minded.

We should demand a higher burden of proof for a policy that I am convinced goes completely against the principles of equality under the law and a color-blind society.

— Michael Hartnett, Greenbrae

Understandable fear of police leads to injuries

My first time as a juror was in the 1980s in Honolulu. The defendant was a young man who led police on a high-speed chase. His defense was that he was afraid the police would beat him up if he stopped. When he did stop, it appeared to everyone that the police did just that. Our jury voted unanimously to acquit. I was reminded of this seeing the horrific traffic stop in Ohio (“Black man attacked by Ohio police dog during traffic stop,” June 23).

The 23-year-old man who was driving a semi-truck with a missing mud flap said he was afraid to pull over while being chased by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. When his truck was finally stopped with the help of tire-deflation devices, he exited the truck with his hands raised. On the video posted online, a member of OSHP can be heard telling a Circleville Police Department officer not to release a police dog on the suspect, yet the local officer did anyway.

The young man now faces charges of failure to comply, a fourth-degree felony. Where is the justice in this?

— Kay Noguchi, Terra Linda

The post Marin IJ Readers’ Discussion board for Aug. 2, 2023 – Marin Impartial Journal appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline from the Marin Headlands above Sausalito are shown in 2015. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, file)

I wondered what reaction I would get to Wednesday’s pro-San Francisco column after my vacation there. Our suburban Inland Empire is in some ways the opposite of SF, and some people gloat when a cosmopolitan city displays even the slightest hint of dysfunction.

To my surprise, almost everyone who commented via email or social media was positive, with few naysayers. And there were more comments than usual, many of them thoughtful. Let me give you an excerpt of it here: the good, the bad, and the neutral.

Read them while enjoying an imaginary bowl of clam chowder from a sourdough bread bowl. (It’s imaginary, so no carbs.)

Janet Cerswell: “My husband and I just got back from a road trip there last week. I’ve even been warned by friends about how dangerous it is. Pooh! This is a great city with the urban problems that all big cities have. But a lot of these other cities don’t have all the things that make SF special: the architecture, the food, the culture, the parks, the culture, the people.”

Note that Janet mentioned culture twice. That’s how sophisticated SF is.

Ofelia Valdez-Yeager: “It was fun to visit SF on behalf! Thank you for providing a “real” update. You made me feel like I was there.”

Who needs virtual reality glasses when you have a newspaper?

Pamela Gartska: “City Lights is my favorite bookstore! There, on the second floor, Beat poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti read their works. Climbing the steps to the room where they read their poetry is like going to church for me. And I shopped at Amoeba Music too! I love San Francisco for all the reasons you mention.”

I like climbing stairs. It’s even better if they’re available in bookstores.

Richard Armour: “Ask anyone who criticizes San Francisco this question: ‘When was the last time you were in San Francisco?’ I do, and 98% of the time the answer is “I’ve never been there” or “At least 20 years ago”. I tell them, “Yeah, I know, because I go there several times a year and all this bullshit about San Francisco is just bullshit!” (My apologies to the Cow Palace!)”

Richard is a man who knows everything.

Linda Trawnik: “Your gift for seeing and writing about the many joys that are available to us when we choose to see them is such a welcome and refreshing perspective. I want to return to San Francisco now as I realize it’s been too long. Thank you for a great column!”

Thank you for an above average comment.

Orlando Davidson, Portland, Oregon: “Great column. Portland experiences the same somber mood, despite the wonderful ventures mingling with the real city issues.”

I love Portland too. Obviously urban issues don’t bother me.

Kevin Sammons: “Articles like this are the reason I subscribe. Otherwise, SCNG newspapers not only criticize California – both North and South – but downright vilify it so much that I often wonder why the current owners bought the company.”

Maybe our California bashing is why others are signing up.

Catherine Brundage: “I’ve just been to San Francisco for a week and stayed at Dolores Park, where I lived 40 years ago. The city may have its problems, but it’s still breathtakingly beautiful and full of charming little corners. Golden Gate Park is a treasure. Every restaurant meal I’ve had on this visit has been really good, if not outstanding. Wear layers and be prepared to walk. Take it all in.”

Good strategy. Of course, when people can’t park right in front of their destination in IE, they start crying.

John Stanford: “Thank you for a wonderful column about your trip to San Francisco. Fox News seems to want to convince everyone that places like Portland, Chicago and New Orleans are under siege, but in reality they express their enthusiasm when they cover everything negative when it comes to San Francisco. With that in mind, it’s refreshing to read a column that offers an honest account of the place.”

I’ll be in touch, you decide.

Icarus Jones: “Did it feel different for you? I’m going back in September and I’m a little scared.”

It just feels like SF to me. Maybe I’ll go back in September myself.

Point Cosentino-Phillips: “Great column, but I still don’t feel like visiting San Francisco today. I was there four years ago and just didn’t feel safe.”

Admittedly, city breaks are not for everyone. That just leaves more delicious croissants for the rest of us.

Michael mentor: “So you’re the one…”

…who likes to travel? Yes. And by the way, in 2022, 21.9 million people from all over the world visited SF.

John Phillips: “I agree with David Allen. No matter how big the pile of steaming, stinking, putrid horse manure, if you keep looking, chances are you’ll find a pony in there somewhere. San (Expletive) is nowhere near what it used to be when I was there, but the newbies will never know any better.”

Tell us more about the old days, grandpa.

Kit Miller: “I liked your story about San Francisco. I love The City too. I swore I would move there when I grew up, but circumstances never allowed it. I live near Berdoo and was thinking about flying there to have lunch and enjoy some culture. Your column today calmed my fears of the horrors (I hear) I might encounter.”

Good to hear. And if you’re going all the way, why don’t you stay for dinner?

For the books

Pat Lambert spent 29 years at Pomona Public Library, where she was senior librarian, advocate for reading and free speech, and always had a cheerful demeanor.

At her retirement party on Wednesday, there were cupcakes with the library’s logo on them and a number of well-wishers, including myself. What did Lambert do before she went home after her last shift? She borrowed a few books.

meager

A tribute band, Who Generation, performed at Chino Hills’ Concerts in the Park Wednesday night. I imagine a naïve Who fan showing up hoping to see the real Who, learning that the cast are copycats, and yelling, “Don’t be fooled again.”

David Allen (who?) writes Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Email dallen@scng.com, call 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.

The post Even Inland Empire readers love San Francisco (largely) – Each day Bulletin appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

— William Boucher

“I grew up in South County, in Morgan Hill to be precise. I attended high school in San Jose and spent my first career there. After a while, it just got too much—too much traffic, too fast a pace, too many plastic people, too much division between haves and haves, the old ethnic neighborhoods were shrinking… When my wife had the opportunity to move to Sonoma County, we jumped at it the opportunity. Sonoma County reminded me a lot of Santa Clara County growing up. More than thirty years later we’ve built a network of friends and really feel a sense of community rather than a speed-dating group of superficial acquaintances. I’m really glad you found the kind of environment where you can thrive. From my very biased point of view, the city is great to visit, but I don’t want to live there. Thank you for sharing so much about yourself in the article, it took strength and courage, and I commend you for it.”

– Lee Cretin

“While I’m proud to live in Santa Rosa and proud to have the SRJC and the Schultz Museum, Ms. Torres is right. As a non-foodie and non-wine drinker, there isn’t much to do here. I remember watching the Crushers baseball team in high school. And I miss the convenience of the robust public transport in big cities. What I like to see in Sonoma County is an improvement in the public education system. Not only from a safety point of view (in view of the recent violence in schools), but also in terms of content. I would like to see more hands-on courses and skills development courses. Maybe there could be a project with the SRJC. A semester/year course that gives a general overview of the different types of jobs and explains the basic skills in each individual job. Maybe speakers from local industry with demonstrations. Also Growing Up 101: how banking and homeownership work, what it takes for a car to work, how city, state, and local government works, how to sew on a button. Real World, Practical Preparation; Not everyone goes to college. Given the cost of living, I probably won’t be moving to San Francisco or any other major city, so I’m finding things to do. And Santa Rosa, like most cities, has a lot to deal with in terms of homelessness, public roads/construction, and crime/recidivism. I think that working on improving education – after several years – can help with that.”

– Anne Lee

“I absolutely agree. Apparently more than half of my high school seniors had moved to LA. I answered before reading the whole question, so I plan on leaving. It’s very difficult to start a new life here to create new events and things to do. It was beautiful to look at but too quiet.”

– Ben Lash

“Wow, are you driving around with your eyes closed? Take a look at the Union Square and VanNess Ave areas. City hall. Tourism has declined in SF for good reason. If SR is too boring, maybe you should try Petaluma, it’s closer to your beloved San Francisco.”

– Gary Doolittle

“Born and raised in Santa Rosa and will never leave Sonoma County. And yes, San Francisco has become a gross place. I couldn’t imagine starting a family there. In fact, our family stopped going to San Francisco altogether because of how bad things got there. I never thought an entire city could smell like urine. Sonoma County strong!”

– Joy Roybal

“Santa Rosa and Sonoma County are communities of community. Each of them has a special connection to the residents. No reason to go unless you are looking for a different community. For fanboys like me, no city ever “needs” Batman. The whole parable of the cloaked crusader says that the city has lost its way. Furthermore, the extreme state of hopelessness produces a necessary agent of change outside of failed systems. SF has hope. Sonoma County has hope. Because people have hope. That’s why I live here.”

– Jim Leddy

Sevastopol

“Having not grown up in San Francisco 50 years ago, she has no real understanding of how the city has changed. As for her assessment of Santa Rosa, playing up the trauma we’ve all experienced from the fires while implying that it’s boring is lazy. Chappelle made a couple of brief visits to Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, but since she probably wasn’t at the show and it wasn’t making the news, she may have mistakenly assumed he hadn’t said anything negative or critical about the area. It’s nice to be here, it’s a slower pace but if I want some action I can go to the city. If I want to see a Broadway show, musical, comedy or concert, it’s an hour away.”

– Matt Schweifler

“I agree with her – San Francisco is magical! I like Santa Rosa – for all the fun happenings and curiosities, the amazing views, the great food and the wineries, breweries etc and it’s quieter – which I appreciate now but maybe didn’t when I was young. I couldn’t bear to live in a full throttle place like SF right now, but that’s not SF’s fault. It’s just a stage of life thing – maybe I would feel different if I was loaded down and could live anywhere in the city I wanted. Unfortunately, SF isn’t all that affordable for young people – or for people of any age without quadrupling, but I appreciate their defense of SF to all its naysayers. It’s not perfect – but it’s magical – no question about it!”

– Lori

“I definitely agree. i love the city The energy was amazing in my twenties, but after getting married and having kids, Sonoma is my home. We go into town and yes there are homeless people and it’s very sad but it doesn’t stop me. I wish there was an answer. We took the train and the ferry and spent a few days walking around, and when you walk out of a Giants game and hear Tony Bennett singing, my heart is gone and tears come to my eyes.”

– Candice Mick

san francisco

“Born in San Francisco in 1957, moved to Santa Rosa when he was three months old. I grew up in Santa Rosa, but my parents worked and played in the city. I did my residency at Community Hospital in Chanate and worked there part-time for 18 years before becoming Sutter and then Sutter Mark West Springs. Moved back to San Francisco after Tubbs fire, retired from Sutter Santa Rosa three years ago. I miss Santa Rosa every day, but the city is also my home. I will defend both; They are two sides of a beautiful coin.”

– Peace the crown

“What do you say about the approximately 240 deaths from fentanyl OD? It is sad that some progressives either overlook the crisis entirely or simply refuse to acknowledge it and continue to point to crime statistics to distract from the problems we face. PS-SFPD data shows that the number of homicides has increased by 26% this year. The money Breed invests goes to corrupt non-profit organizations that benefit from the status quo (if they fix the problem, their source of money disappears). So please, if you really love SF (as you do), it’s tough love time. We must acknowledge and accept the situation and work together to resolve it. Getting on the defensive, getting involved in politics, and blaming Republicans (I’m a left-leaning independent) and that’s bad for our city.”

– Smile

The post Press Democrat readers reply to column about Dave Chappelle and San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, April 14.

Last week, I wrote to you about California’s population ebbs and flows, which grew even stronger through the COVID-19 pandemic. More populous urban counties were hit hardest early on, but the exodus slowed between July 2021 and July 2022. While some counties are seeing a slight increase in population, some others that gained residents during the early part of the pandemic are seeing a dip.

People move for a whole host of reasons, and we wanted to get a sense of those experiences from you. So we asked: What’s driving those of you who have moved — or plan to move — to, from or around the state?

A few common reasons emerged from the responses we got: the soaring cost of living; skyrocketing rents and home prices; growing concerns over local crime; a desire to be closer to family; dissatisfaction in the state’s government.

“It’s gut wrenching!” wrote Carlos P., whose family is the process of moving out of L.A. County due to the high cost of living. “I feel like I’m forced to choose and there’s no winning.”

Some former Californians shared their experiences moving out of the state — and as far away as New Zealand and Portugal (a growing haven for California expats).

Climate change was also a factor for some, with years of drought and the risk of worsening wildfires making a move more palatable.

Here are more voices from people who changed counties, left the state altogether or moved to California (edited for clarity and brevity). While we don’t have the space to include all of your responses, I want to thank everyone who spent time writing to us.

Alberto E.
Moved from Alameda County to New Mexico

“Despite my PhD degree and a desire to return to California to be near friends and family, I knew I would not be able to afford to buy a home if I moved back. I ultimately went somewhere with a much lower cost of living and good weather — despite being a fully remote worker. I had no connections in Albuquerque before coming, but it was the right choice given the housing crisis back home.

My quality of life is better than it has ever been, both because I’ve advanced in my career but also because I can live comfortably, save money and have a mortgage in a place that is more affordable. I do miss California dearly, but not enough to move back.”

Bruce J.
Moved from Orange County to Riverside County

“Our long-term plan had always been to move to Palm Springs for retirement in the future. With both of our in-office jobs shifting to remote during the pandemic, we were able to accelerate our time schedule. We purchased a new home in May 2020 and made the move permanent, selling our Orange County home of 25 years in April 2021.

I had continued to work remotely until July 2022, when I was laid off due to a staff reduction, and have since retired. My spouse’s job has required him to now be back primarily in the office, which is located in Orange County. He will frequently drive in on Monday mornings, stay with his mother in Los Angeles during the week and drive back out on Friday evening. This has resulted in excessive commuting and time apart. It’s taking a toll on time, resources and well-being.”

Catherine F.
Moved from Santa Cruz County to Indiana

“We are progressive Democrats who feel that California has undermined its liberal promise and has failed to address the growing gap between rich and poor, housed and unhoused residents. [We left due to the] absurd cost of living, terrible traffic, skyrocketing property crime, poor public amenities (parks, bike paths, etc.), unresponsive and obstructionist city and county government.”

Katie B.
Moved from Santa Barbara County to Yolo County

“My family moved from Santa Barbara to Davis at the start of 2023 for a job opportunity and a better cost of living. We love it here and are so glad we can afford a home and connect with other families, but SB is a pretty magical place and we miss it there, too. We are enjoying first-time homeownership and many of the joys of Yolo County and neighboring Sacramento, but missing the beaches and the community we left behind. It’s hard to start over, but we’re grateful for the opportunities we have here.”

Beth N.
Moved from Los Angeles County to Riverside County

“Remote work gave us the opportunity to live in an area where we could afford a larger house and be near cleaner parks and better schools. I very much miss the diversity, vibrancy and culture of living in Los Angeles. but having small children, I recognize the many ways that Corona is better for our family.”

Sophie H.
Moved from Alameda County to Humboldt County

“We moved a year before the pandemic started. My husband has a job at a large software company in San Francisco. The commute got harder and longer. Our house was crammed between two others. You always had to watch your back. We lived in a desirable neighborhood, but in nine years there were several muggings, a guy roaming the street with a knife and lots of car break-ins.

We craved space, nature, working from home and no crime, and we found it. But the biggest difference is a sense of community in a small college town. People are super friendly. You can make friends easily. It’s quiet, the air is clean. All the hassles of city life are gone.”

Suzanne N.
Moved from Washington state to Riverside County

“Being able to work remotely meant I could return to California and not be tethered to a Seattle office for work. I moved to Palm Springs, which is exactly between my sister in L.A. and my parents in El Centro — with none of the traffic and all of the great offerings that are here in the desert.”

Debra J.
Moved from El Dorado County to Mendocino County

“We moved to help our daughter and her partner with child care for their newborn. When the baby was 6 months old they had to return to work and all day-care options were closed due to the pandemic.

We’re sort of still moving. We decided to sell our family home of 35 years to our other daughter. She moved from Sacramento County to El Dorado County. Now everyone in our nuclear family is in transition. We’re exhausted. We ended up buying a dumpy house to renovate as our permanent residence. We’re participating in a robust economic sector of professional painters, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc. — plenty of tasks for us!”

Randi H.
Moving “in the near future” from Solano County to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

“With my husband retiring (I am already retired), we can no longer afford to live in California without severely restricting our lifestyle. We expect that our living costs will reduce dramatically in some categories —food, drink, home costs, and the amount we pay for housekeeping and yard maintenance. We have visited the area for many years and are very familiar with the costs we have experienced when visiting.”

Shenee S.
Moved from Los Angeles County to New Mexico

“We moved out of L.A. in July 2022. My husband and I are both educators and we have two small children. We couldn’t afford to buy a home in L.A. County, so we moved to a place with four seasons and more affordable housing. And as a bonus, it’s closer to my family in Texas. We are very happy in Santa Fe. We got to experience a real winter and a lot of snow. It’s very beautiful here and there’s a lot of outdoor activities. We do miss our previous jobs and our friends and all of the excellent food options and cultural opportunities that L.A. has to offer. But overall, we know that we made the right decision. We’re homeowners now after all!”

Cody L.
Moved from Orange County to San Diego County

“Our primary reason for moving from one county to another was to afford a nicer house. We were mostly priced out of Orange County but found more options in north San Diego County. We’re really glad that we moved. It’s only 45 miles but the gains are larger. For the first time ever, we know our neighbors and enjoy a real sense of community. We’re closer to the beach and find that there’s a lot more going on in our new city.”

John P.
Moved from Santa Cruz County to Sonoma County

“I had been living in the Santa Cruz Mountains for 15 years after leaving L.A. after 60 years. But multiple evacuations (one lasting six weeks), the fire risk, the constant power outages and road closures, terrible to zero access to the internet, lousy landline service, etc. got to be more than I could handle. At 75, I no longer had the pioneer spirit.

The move itself was exhausting, as I did much of the packing and moving myself. I now live in a quiet, semirural town. My daughter, grandson and son-in-law come up from S.F. almost every weekend. The only thing missing is easy access to my friends in Santa Cruz and the weekly jam sessions, poetry groups, the coffee shop and organic market, and the abundant wildlife and starry nights. So there has been a trade-off (Zoom and FaceTime have helped me stay in touch).”

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing.

L.A. STORIES

(Jess Hutchison / Los Angeles Times)

City leaders vowed to save lives by launching a mental health crisis response system that didn’t rely on cops. But the rollout of L.A.’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has so far fallen short of its goals, a Times investigation found. Los Angeles Times

Arnold Schwarzenegger terminated some potholes in his Brentwood neighborhood this week, saying the city was taking too long to fulfill a service request. But according to the L.A. Department of Public Works, at least one of the holes was a service trench meant for gas line repairs. Los Angeles Times

Check out “The Times” podcast for essential news and more

These days, waking up to current events can be, well, daunting. If you’re seeking a more balanced news diet, “The Times” podcast is for you. Gustavo Arellano, along with a diverse set of reporters from the award-winning L.A. Times newsroom, delivers the most interesting stories from the Los Angeles Times every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is facing fresh calls to resign after an extended absence that’s put her left-aisle colleagues in a bind, given their slim control of the Senate. The 89-year-old senator was diagnosed with shingles in February and has asked for a replacement to temporarily take over her committee assignments. Los Angeles Times

A growing number of California cities are cracking down on homeless camps, enacting ordinances that limit where unhoused residents can set up tents — or banning them altogether. At the state level, liberal lawmakers have been reluctant to follow suit, wary of appearing to criminalize homelessness. CalMatters

CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING

The state Capitol was shut down early Thursday after a threat by a man suspected in two shootings in Sacramento and Placer counties the day prior. No injuries were reported in those shootings and the suspect, identified as Jackson Pinney, was arrested later that day. Sacramento Bee

The fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee shocked many in the tech community, some of whom claimed the killing was endemic of rising street crime in San Francisco. But on Thursday, authorities arrested a fellow tech entrepreneur who knew Lee on suspicion of his murder, piercing that narrative. San Francisco Chronicle

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Wildflowers aren’t the only thing popping up in SoCal thanks to all that rain. Wildlife experts are expecting the local populations of squirrels, rabbits, rats and snakes to surge in the coming months. “Everything is just exploding right now,” one biologist told The Times. Los Angeles Times

With a 9 1/2-foot wingspan, the California condor is the largest scavenging bird in the nation and a majestic icon of coastal California.

(San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

More than dozen California condors in Arizona have died from a highly contagious strain of avian influenza, raising alarms in the Golden State. Biologists say they’re preparing for “a worst-case scenario” for the local species, which is slowly recovering from the verge of extinction. Mercury News

Free online games

Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at latimes.com/games.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California landmark is from Fred Schumacher of Shell Beach: Morro Bay’s towering trio of smoke stacks.

Morro Bay’s trio of 450-foot smoke stacks.

(Fred Schumacher)

Fred writes:

The 450-foot smoke stacks were built in the 1950s by PG&E as a part of a thermo electric generation plant, since closed. Their imposing presence — alongside Morro Bay’s big rock and picturesque marina — is a unique California landmark. According to a recent agreement, the three stacks are due to be removed by 2027, leaving the 580-foot Morro rock as its sole signature piece.

What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter.

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

The post Shifting to, from or round California: Readers share their causes appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

CINCINNATI – Somehow Joe Burrow’s press conferences have become more known for reactions to coughs these days than the actual answers he gives.

For people who actually care about the content of his thoughts instead of viral reactions, an important line snuck into the conversation this week.

He was asked about this stretch of Atlanta, at Cleveland on Monday Night Football and Carolina coming up leading into the bye.

“The three games stretch,” Burrow said, “I think will determine how our season goes.”

From the same producer who brought you, “let’s all just take a deep breath and relax,” and “nobody is panicking” we have this midseason run determining the direction of the year.

Yeah, that’s notable.

Every week feels like it means more in the moment. That’s just the nature of the intense scrutiny on the league. Consider the tone around these parts last week compared to this one: Pitchforks to praises.

In this particular case, it’s tough to argue with Burrow’s assessment.

The failures of the first quarter of the season have put the Bengals in this position. Anything worse than 5-4 at the bye (which would be the same as last year) would offer legitimate reason to wonder if they took on too much early water to bubble back up against a much tougher schedule on the horizon.

Through the first nine games the Bengals will have faced just one quarterback higher than Tier 4 in Mike Sando’s preseason QB tiers. That’s Lamar Jackson.

Burrow was one of six Tier 1 QBs in the league.

After Kenny Pickett or whoever ends up starting for Pittsburgh in Week 11 finishes off the run of unheralded QBs, the final seven games of the year expect to feature every quarterback in Tier 3 or higher.

A hiccup or two over this current stretch and the team will spend much time bemoaning the need to beat Allen and wondering how they lost to Cooper Rush, Mitch Trubisky and, say, Marcus Mariota.

That brings us to Sunday. The Falcons and Bengals looked like very different teams on paper before the season started. On the field through six weeks, you can find striking similarities. Both have won three of four. Both could easily have been better than 3-3. The three Falcons’ losses are by a total of 11 points. The Bengals are by eight.

The primary difference is the expectations the football world placed upon them. Atlanta clearly has deficiencies. The Bengals should be able to tear up a secondary that is both beat up and understaffed. This should be the type of game Burrow puts up monster numbers as you saw last week in New Orleans or during his hot stretch in the second half of last year.

Tradition suggests in this league, that should be enough. Yet, the league is shifting this year. The rise of these power running teams asserting their style back into the winning conversation has been the trend of the year. Atlanta is at the head of that with a line that can run block as well as anyone and diverse run scheme capable of taking over a game.

The number to determine a win or loss will be the Falcons’ rushing yards. Allow them to pound Paycor for 150 or more on the ground and the Bengals will be in jeopardy. Keep it under and this could be one where the Bengals breathe easy in the final minutes for a change.

Attrition up the defensive spine and recent results suggest this will be easier said than done.

I still think the Bengals and Burrow do it. Cincinnati’s red zone defense feels like the determining factor again.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Falcons 23

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) calls a play at the line against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Stephen Lew-USA Today Sports

On Tap

The Bengals host the Falcons this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium — the first 1 p.m. Sunday home game since the opener against Pittsburgh. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The game will air on Fox with Brandon Gaudin and Robert Smith in the booth and Jennifer Hale on the sideline. Will be a treat to see Devon and Leah Still back in Cincinnati as Rulers of the Jungle. Leah is cancer-free and it’s such a joy to see a success story that started in such a difficult place come full circle. The way this city and the Bengals’ organization rallied around Devon and Leah in 2014 was one of the greatest storylines involving the team in 13 years I’ve been covering the club.

This Week in Burrow

I wrote extensively about Burrow on third downs and high-leverage situations this year, a major talking point around him as the Bengals offense starts to find its footing.

So, I’ll just say that this section has already been checked off.

I will, however, offer a bit of a deleted scene from the story.

I wanted to dive a little into the importance of Burrow’s knowledge of protections in the piece, but it ended up being one thing too many. But it was pointed out how important his relationship with the gregarious captain Ted Karras has been.

Karras and Burrow have really connected. Partly because of how much Karras just absolutely loves football and line play. That prompted this anecdote from head coach Zac Taylor when asked about it.

“We finished a walkthrough and I heard him talk about ‘Okey Double Bugs’ with passion,” Taylor said of a unique protection call. “That’s the highest level of passion you could imagine about ‘Okey Double Bugs’ and different looks he saw. He wanted to make sure he got his points across. I walked away, those are player moments where he clearly wanted to take it over. He made me feel really good about how we would handle those looks the next day. The (offensive line) meeting ended. It was over. He decided to have another meeting. It’s 8:39 p.m. probably, right before the team meeting Saturday night.”

Quotable

There was an otherwise forgettable play in Sunday’s game at New Orleans that stuck out to me all week. Joe Mixon caught a checkdown midway through the second quarter. As he pushed up the sideline cornerback Paulson Adebo made a flailing attack of Mixon’s legs trying to take him down.

Mixon snapped off a nasty jump cut to the outside that made the entire dome crowd go, “oooh,” in unison. The electric and loud nature of the crowd made it an even more noticeable reaction and Mixon deserved it.

I asked him about it this week and his answer was great.

“I’ll be real, I was running, and I tune everything out,” he said. “It’s literally me focused. I hear nothing. That was one play where I could really hear the whole crowd like, ‘ooooh.’ Then after the play, I was like, ‘Did the whole crowd just say oooh?’ It was a cool thing.”

Sure was. Cool to hear. Cool to watch. And for the Bengals, cool to see coming from Mixon, who struggled to make plays in space the first four weeks of the season. Against Baltimore and New Orleans, some of the old Mixon energy and playmaking has started to show up. He enjoyed his two best games for yards after contact. After only two rushes of more than 10 yards through the first four games, Mixon had four such rushes the last two weeks.

“That’s what I can do,” he said. “If I get the opportunity like that in space, I got to make them pay. When given that opportunity in those one-on-one situations, I got to make it count, no matter what.

“I’ll be honest, if I can get in space where it’s clear as daylight one on one, there’s no question I’ll win 10 out of 10 times. I’m supposed to feel like I’ll win 10 out of 10 times. That’s the type of player I’m capable of being.”

Quotable, Part II

Offensive line coach Frank Pollack is always one for quotability. He offered another on Thursday in reference to left tackle Jonah Williams.

Williams, notably, dislocated his kneecap just before halftime against the Ravens. He played through that pain, only missing six snaps in the “Sunday Night Football” game. Not only that, in Pollack’s eyes he played incredibly well.

“He hurt his knee in Baltimore and he had probably the best half I’ve seen him play,” Pollack said. “He went out and played with a bum knee this last week and played great. I told him I’ll take a bat to your knee every week if I need to.”

No word on the Bengals hiring offensive line consultant Jeff Gillooly anytime soon.

Twitter Question of the Week

@pauldehnerjr I must have missed it, when will Reader be back? They miss him in the worst way

— Doug (@doug_c_67) October 16, 2022

For one, Doug, you are spot on. The Bengals do miss Reader in the worst way. Jay Morrison detailed that well in his story on the struggling rush defense this week. He pointed out the Bengals gave up an average of 86 yards per game the first three weeks at 3.7 yards per carry. In the last three weeks, it’s 156 yards per game and 5.6 per rush.

Does it all direct back to Reader? No. They’ve played more talented rush offenses the last three weeks, but his absence represents a big slice of the pie.

As for when he will be back, his presence on the rehab field and the sideline this past week suggest he’s tracking in the right direction. He couldn’t even travel with the team to Baltimore because they don’t want players lacking in mobility on the sideline in case they need to move to avoid a play spilling out of bounds.

As for a more specific timeline, the probabilities still shade toward a post-bye return. He’s first eligible to come back for “Monday Night Football” against the Browns and the Bengals and Reader are obviously hopeful, not closing the door on it. However, understanding the big picture of the season with an extremely winnable game against Carolina then a bye after, it means Nov. 21 at Pittsburgh is a realistic aiming point.

Stories from the inside

There are two ping-pong tables inside the Bengals’ locker room. There’s an ‘A’ table and a ‘B’ table. When we are in there — typically during the Bengals’ lunch break — there are always games happening on them. Anybody hearing the sound of the balls hitting paddles in the background of our interviews posted on the podcast is well aware.

The two best players on the team are Mitchell Wilcox and Trent Taylor. They are regulars on the ‘A’ table. Their battles are wild. Both standing far back from the table, ripping shots from deep as you might see in Olympics highlights. An idea struck me while watching this and discussing how every team seems to have ping-pong tables in the locker room (that inevitably become some kind of storyline about a loose team when it arrives or a return of discipline when it’s removed).

It’s time to replace the coin toss before games.

Instead, each team sends its best ping pong player to the 50-yard line, where a table and two paddles await. They play a quick game to seven to determine who gets to decide to defer or receive. It’s like when the XFL tried rolling out the football in a fumble recovery drill to determine the winner, just without the injuries.

You’re welcome.

This will be submitted to the competition committee in March.

Degenerate corner

This game presents a spread rarity. This year Atlanta is 6-0 against the spread. Nobody expected them to be as feisty as they’ve been, and it’s shown in the final scores.

The Falcons come to Cincinnati as 6.5-point underdogs.

Considering Atlanta covering every game, the Bengals’ penchant to playing in close contests and neither team losing by more than a score, 6.5 feels like a generous number.

However, there’s not much history to suggest the Falcons’ momentum will continue the trend.

There are eight teams — including Atlanta — that started the season 6-0 against the spread since the turn of the century. Four of them covered the spread again in their seventh games, three did not. Winners include the 2021 Cowboys, 2018 Chiefs, 2007 Patriots and 2008 Titans.

There’s little reason to believe the Bengals would be taking Atlanta lightly considering how the Falcons dismantled San Francisco last week, 28-14. Still an interesting trend to ponder.

Overly researched stat of the week

The Bengals’ red zone defense continues to be among the best in the NFL, currently ranking third allowing a touchdown 35.3 percent of the time. It saved them in New Orleans. The Saints entered that game boasting the second-best red zone offense in football (80 percent) but left just 1 for 5. In a matchup of strength on strength with the game in the balance, the Bengals prevailed.

Meanwhile, Atlanta now comes to town riding similar red-zone success. The Falcons rank fifth in the league with a 66.7 percent touchdown rate.

The difference between the two would be the approach to pushing it over the goal line.

New Orleans threw the ball in the red zone 62 percent of the time prior to last week, ninth most.

Meanwhile, Atlanta has the second-highest run rate among all teams in the red zone at 69 percent.

When those crucial downs take place, look for extra linebackers to end up part of three-down alignment to play tendencies.

Either way, it does play into what has also been a strength of this defense. Of the 40 plays run against Cincinnati in the red zone this year, 15 have been runs. Only one went for a touchdown (a 1-yard plunge by Tony Pollard in Dallas) and only a six-yard sweep by CeeDee Lamb went for more than four yards.

The Bengals rank second in the league in yards allowed per carry in the red zone.

More strength on the strength coming Sunday.

Bengals post of the week

Fans might not think much about the investment in the content team that’s been made by the Cincinnati front office, but for somebody who has been close to that world for a long time, I can tell you it’s a mind-boggling shift.

That’s the NFL world we live in now. Behind-the-scenes video, extra content, documentaries, you name it. In-house content has become valuable to the league, teams, fan bases and the NFL has its arms hugged tightly around its rights.

The Bengals have piled resources of all varieties into that world in recent years and the perfect example was the 15-minute look at Ja’Marr Chase and his family returning home that Marisa Contipelli and Shea Stephenson put together. They were even able to convince NFL Films to help out by dropping a mic on Chase during that game that has turned out to be a treasure trove of incredible content.

Chase was breaking ankles thanks to the return of his grill @Real10jayy__ | @Bengals pic.twitter.com/tcoYa7qcZj

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) October 20, 2022

Contipelli and Stephenson went to New Orleans earlier this season for background content then were all over the place this past Sunday capturing the sights and sounds of a special moment for one of the premier personalities on the team and in this league.

Just excellent work, impressive hustle, an efficient plan and a perfect example of what hiring great people and supporting them can do for connecting a fan base to its players.

Highly recommend watching the full-length feature (the trailer was awesome, too).

Watch the full feature here: https://t.co/VZs2byry5r

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 20, 2022

Opponent

Atlanta (3-3): Josh Kendall joined HTPG this week with fantastic insight on Atlanta. He also wrote why the Bengals are a bad matchup for the Falcons.

Around the division

Steelers (2-4): Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and halftime altercations, all the fun is happening in Pittsburgh.

Browns (2-4): Cleveland is ‘headed nowhere soon’ according to Zac Jackson. A man very familiar with teams heading nowhere.

Ravens (3-3): Baltimore’s running game is coming together just in time for a critical stretch.

The Athletic Wormhole

The Christian McCaffery trade to the 49ers was a fascinating one from both sides. First, the latest cautionary tale about paying running backs. As the Panthers basically paid $27 million for six games of an extension. The Bengals will be contemplating this situation with Mixon contract in coming years. These things rarely work out well. In fact, Mixon might be one of the most successful examples and his contract hasn’t exactly been a jewel of the Bengals salary cap situation.

These backs nearly always start to break down and see health situations ruin them. This has been known and discussed at length for nearly a decade now. Yet, teams still keep piling money into the position instead of picks. Joe Person wrote about how that is essentially the legacy of McCaffery in Carolina.

On the flip side, the Rams’ “F— them picks” model shows back up. This time in San Francisco. I’m actually stunned the 49ers would give up the 2023 2,3,4 and 2024 5th for McCaffery. The guy can play. He’s a star, no question. But that is a significant ransom to turn over for any running back, particularly one with injury history. Those are the types of trades that eat at the core of your future. Tim Kawakami wrote an enlightening piece about how this was the 49ers showing their hand about this season.

Dad Life

The first draft of my story about Burrow and his third-down magic this week included multiple Frozen (and Frozen II) references, including an ideal analogy involving an ice palace on the North Mountain.

I eventually decided they all needed to be edited out. As a girl dad, it was a deep cut.

I’ve developed a real appreciation for Frozen and Frozen II in watching it 94 times over the last few years. A Disney tale where two sisters stand up for each other is great messaging compared to “You better get a man and become a princess or you will be cleaning chimneys and organizing the attic the rest of your life” from the Cinderella days.

Equally, Encanto has become the new house favorite around here. My girls are obsessed with it. Again, another new Disney movie with a significantly better message than the early days. The concept that it’s OK not to be perfect and being yourself is all you need is a far cry from, ‘Hey look at this cute deer, bang, she’s dead.’

Unbelievably, found a Disney on Ice Show about Frozen and Encanto together is coming to Heritage Bank Arena. It’s almost as if my girls were in charge of planning this year’s tour. The excitement level will be at its peak come March.

This has also prompted me to go on record with my top five ranking of songs from those three movies because I’ve had way too much time to think about this over the past few years.

1. Let it Go, Frozen: There’s a reason it’s so popular. One of the best individual songs from any Disney song in history.
2. Lost in the Woods, Frozen II: Let’s be honest, this one was for the parents. When all the reindeer show up in true 80s style is a top three moment in the entire Frozen series.
3. Surface Pressure, Encanto: The chorus is incredible. Lin Manuel-Miranda’s style showing up in a big way. Sometimes after dropping the girls off somewhere the phone will revert back to when Encanto was playing before. If it’s Surface Pressure, I let it finish before switching back.
4. All of You, Encanto: Perfectly pulls all the themes of the movie together and the line, “OK, so …. we gonna talk about Bruno?” is one of my favorites.
5. In Summer, Frozen: More Josh Gad in our lives, please.

OK, I feel better getting that off my chest. Hopefully, it makes up for axing my line about Grand Pabbie explaining the inherent danger of magic.

(Top photo of Joe Burrow: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

The post This Week in Bengals: Sunday prediction, D.J. Reader’s return and Okey Double Bugs appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

What’s Best of the Bay? Beyond thousands and thousands of voters expressing their love for the local people, places, and things that make this the Best Place on Earth, the annual Bay Guardian Best of the Bay (our 47th!) takes a temperature of the times. This is the 17th Best of the Bay I’ve edited, and I’ve seen the booms, busts, shifts, and slants of the city reflected in each one. This one was tough. So many winners from years past have tragically closed or left, so many categories had to be reconfigured so that they could be properly competitive in this time of online shopping, working from home, chain monopolies, not to mention stress about what’s happening in the world .

But it was so beautiful. So many of you voted for brilliantly San Francisco and Bay Area things, showing how much you care, and how much local businesses, arts organizations, music-makers, cocktail shakers, and everything else inside the Golden Gate matters to who we are and how we live. We have so many new and classic winners. We’re still here, dammit. Please join us to celebrate the winners and the runners up—as well as our sister site 48 Hills’ 9th anniversary!—at our Case Fling, Nov 3, 6pm-9pm at El Rio, SF. (More info here.) We’d love to party with you all, the true Best of the Bay. And hey, if you’d like to see this Bay Area tradition continue, please join 48 Hills as a member or donate today.

CITY LIVING

BEST STREET FAIR
FOLSOM STREET FAIR
www.folsomstreetevents.org
Runners Up: How Weird, Haight Street Fair

BEST HOTEL
PHOENIX HOTEL
www.phoenixsf.com
Runners Up: Fairmont San Francisco, Argonaut

BEST TOUR
SKIP THE BUS
www.skipthebus.com
Runners Up: Blandina Farley’s Fabulous Tours, Rides By Me

BEST KIDS’ VENUE
EXPLORATORY
www.exploratorium.edu
Runners Up: Randall Museum, House of Air

BEST POLITICIAN
HONEY MAHOGANY
Runners Up: Dean Preston, Chesa Boudin

BEST NON-PROFIT
CREATIVITY EXPLORED
www.creativityexplored.org
Runners Up: Rocket Dog Rescue, Pacific Center for Human Growth

BEST LOCAL SITE
BROKE-ASS STUART
www.brokeassstuart.com
Runners Up: Mission Local, Funcheap

BEST PODCAST
BITCH TALK
www.bitchtalkpodcast.com
Runners Up: Storied San Francisco, East Bay Yesterday

BEST RADIO STATION
BFF.FM
www.bff.fm
Runners Up: KQED, KPOO

BEST ANIMAL RESCUE
ROCKET DOG RESCUE
www.rocketdogrescue.org
Runners Up: Muttville, SFSPCA

BEST DOG WALKER
DOG TALES
www.dogtalesunleashed.com
Runners Up: Sniff and Go, Citizen Hound

BEST DOG GROOMERS
VIP GROOMING
www.vipgroomingsf.com
Runners Up: The Pawber Shop, Kosita’s

BEST PLUMBING
SUGAR BEAR PLUMBING
www.sugarbearplumbing.com
Runners Up: Plumb ‘Em All, Heise’s

BEST ELECTRICIAN
PAURIC ELECTRIC
www.thesfelectrician.com
Runners Up: Ike’s Electric, Wells Electric

BEST MOVING SERVICE
DELANCEY STREET MOVERS
www.delanceystreetfoundation.org
Runners Up: One Big Man & One Big Truck, Shamrock

BEST HOUSE CLEANERS
LA COLLECTIVA
www.lacolectivasf.com
Runners Up: BerryClean, Immaculate Cleaning

BEST AUTO MECHANICS
PAT’S GARAGE
www.patsgarage.com
Runners Up: Noe Valley Auto Works, Action Auto Care

BEST BICYCLE REPAIR
BOX DOG BIKES
www.boxdogbikes.com
Runners Up: Valencia Cyclery, Missing Link Bicycle Cooperative

BEST TAILOR
AL’S ATTIRE
www.alsattire.com
Runners Up: Michelle’s Tailor, HB Alterations

BEST SALON
RAUL ANTHONY PRO
www.raulanthonypro.com
Runners Up: Ginger Rubio, Glamarama

BEST GYM
FITNESS SF
www.fitnesssf.com
Runners Up: Bay Club, JCCSF

BEST COACH
ACE MORGAN
www.acemorganfitness.com
Runners Up: Dudley Flores, Graylon Sanders

BEST YOGA STUDIO
MISSION YOGA
www.missionyoga.com
Runners Up: Yoga Garden, Love Story Yoga

FOOD AND DRINK

BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT
BLUE PLATE
www.blueplatesf.com
Runners Up: Original Joe’s, Flour + Water

BEST BUDGET RESTAURANT
TU LAN
8 Sixth St., SF.
Runners Up: 7 Mile House, Tommy’s Joynt

BEST TAKEOUT
SOUVLA
www.souvla.com
Runners Up: Local Kitchens, DNA Pizza

BEST FOOD TRUCK
AL PASTOR PAPI
www.alpastorpapi.com
Runners Up: Senor Sisig, Vegan Mob

BEST FARMERS’ MARKET
ALEMANY
sf.gov/location/alemany-farmers-market
Runners Up: Ferry Plaza, Clement Street

BEST VEGETARIAN
GREENS
www.greensrestaurant.com
Runners Up: Ananda Fuara, Gracias Madre

BEST VEGAN
WILDSEED
www.wildseedsf.com
Runners Up: Souley Vegan, Shizen

BEST PIZZA
TONY’S PIZZA NAPOLETANA
www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com
Runners Up: Little Star, Golden Boy

BEST BURRITO
EL FAROLITO
www.elfarolitosf.com
Runners Up: La Taqueria, Taqueria Cancun

BEST SANDWICHES
RHEA’S DELI
800 Valencia, SF.
Runners Up: Lou’s Cafe, Alimento

BEST BURGERS
SCOPO DIVINO
www.scopodivino.com
Runners Up: Super Duper, 7 Mile House

BEST BBQ
4505 Burgers & BBQ
www.4505burgersandbbq.com
Runners Up: Horn, Everett & Jones

BEST SUSHI
EBISU
www.ebisusushi.com
Runners Up: Elephant Sushi, Live Sushi

BEST CHINESE
ERIC’S
www.erics-restaurant.com
Runners Up: Eliza’s, Yank Sing

BEST ITALIAN
COFFEE MACARONI
www.caffemacaroni.com
Runners Up: Sodini’s, Vega

BEST INDIAN
MISSION CURRY
2434 Mission, SF.
Runners Up: Pakwan, Tilak

BEST MEXICAN
PUERTO ALEGRE
www.puertoalegresf.net
Runners Up: La Taqueria. SanJalisco

BEST BRUNCH
ZAZIE
www.zaziesf.com
Runners Up: Plain Jane, Plow

BEST CAFE
FARLEY’S
www.farleyscoffee.com
Runners Up: Milk, Pinhole

BEST BAKERY
ARSICAULT
www.arsicault-bakery.com
Runners Up: Jane the Baker, Arizmendi

BEST CANNABIS EDIBLES
INCREDIMEDS
www.incredimeds.org
Runners Up: Green Cross, Purple Star

BEST OVERALL BAR
MADRONE ART BAR
www.madroneartbar.com
Runners Up: The Factory Bar, Oasis

BEST DIVE BAR
ELRIO
www.elriosf.com
Runners Up: Bender’s, St Mary’s Pub

BEST SPORTS BAR
HI TOPS
www.hi-topssf.com
Runners Up: SF Athletic Club, Kezar Pub

BEST QUEER BAR
ELRIO
www.elriosf.com
Runner’s Up: Oasis, Wild Side West

BEST WINE BAR
SCOPO DIVINO
www.scopodivino.com
Runners Up: Bar Part Time, 20 spots

ARTS & NIGHTLIFE

BEST MOVIE THEATER
ROXIE THEATER
www.roxiesf.com
Runners Up: Castro Theatre, Balboa Theater

BEST MUSEUM
DE YOUNG
deyoung.famsf.org
Runners Up: Asian Art Museum, Legion of Honor

BEST ART GALLERY
HAIGHT STREET ART CENTER
www.haightstreetart.org
Runners Up: Creativity Explored, Round Weather

BEST DANCE COMPANY
RAWDANCE
www.rawdance.org
Runners Up: ODC, David Herrera Performance Company

BEST THEATER COMPANY
BERKELEY REP
www.berkeleyrep.org
Runners Up: SF Neo-Futurists, Ray of Light

BEST PERFORMANCE SPACE
PIANO FIGHT
www.pianofight.com
Runners Up: Oasis, Z Space

BEST ARTS/MUSIC FESTIVAL
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS
www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
Runners Up: Stern Grove, Oaklash

BEST RECORD LABEL
BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS
www.brokenclover.com
Runners Up: Dark Entries, Storefront

BEST BAND
LOLLY GAGGERS
www.facebook.com/lollygaggers
Runners Up: Fantastic Negrito, Californicorns

BEST DJ
Charles Hawthorne
www.instagram.com/djcharleshawthorne/
Runners Up: Ion the Prize, The Tourist

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE
BOTTOM OF THE HILL
www.bottomofthehill.com
Runners Up: Great American Music Hall, The Chapel

BEST NIGHTCLUB
DNA LOUNGE
www.dnalounge.com
Runners Up: F8, Public Works

BEST QUEER NIGHTCLUB
OASIS
www.sfoasis.com
Runners Up: Jolene’s, Beaux

BEST DANCE PARTY
DEATH GUILD
www.deathguild.com
Runners Up: Swagger Like Us, Princess

BEST JAZZ CLUB
SFJAZZ
www.sfjazz.com
Runners Up: Mr Tipples, Club Deluxe

BEST OPEN MIC
THE RIPTIDE
www.riptidesf.com
Runners Up: Hotel Utah, Storefront Market

BEST KARAOKE
THE MINT
www.themint.net
Runners Up: Festa, Neck of the Woods

BEST DRAG SHOW
REPARATIONS
www.sfoasis.com/reparations
Runners Up: Princess, Monster Show

BEST DRAG PERFORMER
NICKI JIZZ
www.instagram.com/nicki_jizz
Runners Up: Lady Camden, Peaches Christ

BEST BURLESQUE
HUBBA HUBBA REVIEW
www.instagram.com/hubba_hubba_revue
Runners Up: Hex in the City, Baloney

BEST COMEDY VENUE
COBB’S COMEDY CLUB
www.cobbscomedy.com
Runners Up: Punchline, Pianofight

BEST COMEDIAN
MARGA GOMEZ
www.margagomez.com
Runners Up: Emily Van Dyke, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan

BEST STRIP CLUB
CONDOR CLUB
www.condorsf.com
Runners Up: Gold Club, center folds

BEST SEX CLUB
EROS
www.erossf.com
Runners Up: Steamworks, Power Exchange

SHOPPING

BEST OVERALL STORE
BIORDI ART IMPORTS
www.biordi.com
Runners Up: When Modern Was, Cliff’s Variety

BEST STORE STAFF
RAINBOW GROCERY
www.rainbow.coop
Runners Up: When Modern Was, The Green Cross

BEST BOOK STORE
GREEN APPLE BOOKS
www.greenapplebooks.com
Runners Up: City Lights, Dog-Eared Books

BEST COMIC BOOK STORE
MISSION COMICS AND ART
www.missioncomicsandart.com
Runners Up: Comix Experience, Isotope

BEST RECORD STORE
AMOEBA SF
www.amoeba.com
Runners Up: Vinyl Dreams, Tunnel Records

BEST GROCERY STORE
RAINBOW GROCERY COOPERATIVE
www.rainbow.coop
Runners Up: Gus’s Community Market, Berkeley Bowl

BEST CANNABIS DISPENSARY
THE GREEN CROSS
www.thegreencross.org
Runners Up: The Apothecarium, Purple Star

BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE
NOOWORKS
www.nooworks.com
Runners Up: Ambiance, Sui Generis

BEST MENS’ CLOTHING STORE
SUI GENERIS
www.suigenerisconsignment.com
Runners Up: Al’s Attire, Mr Lin

BEST STORE FOR KIDS
Fiddlesticks
www.shopfiddlesticks.com
Runners Up: Tantrum, Chloe’s Closet

BEST FLEA MARKET
ALAMEDA POINT ANTIQUES FAIR
www.alamedapointantiquesfaire.com
Runners Up: Alemany, Ashby

BEST VINTAGE STORE
RELIC VINTAGE
www.relicvintagesf.com
Runners Up: Held Over, Vacation, Mary’s Exchange

BEST THRIFT STORE
COMMUNITY THRIFT
www.communitythriftsf.org
Runners Up: Out of the Closet, Mission Thrift

BEST SHOE STORE
ON THE RUN
www.ontherunshoes.com
Runners Up: Nice Kicks, Shoes on Solano

BEST HARDWARE STORE
COLE HARDWARE
www.colehardware.com
Runners Up: Cliff’s Variety, Papenhausen

BEST BIKE SHOP
VALENCIA CYCLERY
www.valenciacyclery.com
Runners Up: Mike’s Bikes, Box Dog Bikes

BEST PET GOODS STORE
JEFFREY’S
www.jeffreyspets.com
Runners Up: Bernal Beast, Pawtrero

BEST GIFT SHOP
LOCAL TAKE
www.localtakesf.com
Runners Up: Rare Device, Wishbone

BEST PLACE TO BUY EYEWEAR
VEO OPTICS
www.veooptics.com
Runners Up: Optical Underground, Eye Gotcha

BEST SWEETS SHOP
CHOCOLATE COVERED
www.chocolatecoveredsf.com
Runners Up: Dandelion, The Candy Store

The post San Francisco Bay Guardian | Our 2022 Better of the Bay Readers’ Ballot Winners are right here! appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.