by Bay City News
BART crews have repaired a damaged piece of train control
equipment that was causing major delays systemwide this morning and are
working now to restore service on all lines, an agency spokeswoman said.
Work crews have found and replaced a damaged receiver coil in the
area between the West Oakland station and the Lake Merritt and 12th Street
Oakland City Center stations, according to BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost.
The coil, part of the train control system, appears to have been
struck by something, but it is unclear what caused the damage, Trost said.
The damage occurred at a point where trains cross from one track
to another.
"It's located at a very critical location for the BART system,"
Trost said. "It's located where all the lines but one basically converge, so
when something happens at this specific location, it causes systemwide
delays." Problems in the area were first reported at 4:14 a.m. today, but
BART officials waited until after the peak morning commute hours to start
repairs to avoid a larger impact on BART passengers. Crews arrived in the
area around 9:30 a.m.
Passengers have experienced delays of 20 minutes to one hour this
morning, Trost said. Service was suspended on the Richmond line in the
Millbrae direction and on the Fremont line between Bay Fair and Fremont. Some
trains were also turned back at the 24th Street and Embarcadero stations in
San Francisco.
UPDATE: BART service restored after damaged equipment repaired
↧
↧
Leap Transit halts luxury buses after cease-and-desist order
by Joe Fitzgerald RodriguezLeap Transit, a luxury bus service, was issued a cease-and-desist letter by regulators, the startup announced Wednesday.
The California Public Utilities Commission regulates Leap, along with mobile ride-hail apps like Uber and Lyft. The cease-and-desist issued a litany of safety violations and came as Leap attempted to finalize its permitting process to operate its buses with the regulator.
"Leap will be offline at least through the end of this week as we work through a regulatory issue," the transit company wrote on its Facebook page.
Leap runs a private bus service for $6 a ride that goes from the Marina to Financial District. The company has long held that its service was in response to complaints that the city-run 30-Stockton Muni bus was simply too crowded for some Marina riders.
The company gained nationwide attention earlier this year when it relaunched the bus service from beta testing with soft-purple lighting, plush seats and reclaimed-wood coffee tables. That same stylish presentation was made possible by the removal of wheelchair access devices in the buses.
In its letter, the CPUC said Leap started operating prior to “issue of their authority,” which is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or a year in jail, or both.
“Each day of continued violations is a separate and distinct offense,” Brian Kahrs, the CPUC supervising investigator, wrote to Leap.
The CPUC said Leap failed to provide public liability insurance, evidence of workers’ compensation insurance, evidence of compliance with alcohol and substance testing requirements for drivers, paying tariffs and providing “letters of acceptance,” all of which are violations of various public utilities codes.
Leap was required to meet the criteria following the CPUC’s March approval for it to operate buses between San Francisco and San Mateo County. Leap was denied its request to operate between San Francisco and Marin County in the same March decision.
Leap also failed to list its drivers in the DMV’s “pull notice program,” essentially a database allowing government to check driver records to ensure safety, according to the cease-and-desist letter from the CPUC.
This litany of violations culminated in a stern warning by the CPUC: “Failure to immediately cease all operations until all licensing requirements are met will result in the Commission initiating enforcement actions to ensure compliance with applicable laws.”Leap responded quickly, offering a rebuttal to the allegations.
"While we believe that our service is in full compliance with all state and local laws, we have decided to halt operations until we clear this final hurdle," Leap wrote. "We know that this is extremely frustrating for you and — believe us — it kills us to do so."Leap is offering refunds for those who purchased its recent "ride pack" discount tickets, which can be obtained by writing to support@leaptransit.com.
"We hope to be back on the road in no time," Leap wrote. "Thank you for your incredible support."
↧
Mother's Day assault in Chinatown leaves elderly woman hospitalized
by Michael BarbaA 77-year-old woman spent Mother’s Day in the hospital when one of her frequent Muni rides between Chinatown and Japantown turned violent. The assault is among a rising number of such crimes in the area, according to police.
As she exited a bus at mid-afternoon in Chinatown, the elderly woman was struck across the head at least twice by a suspect described only as a black female, Officer Grace Gatpandan said.
The woman’s attacker was not apprehended, but a good samaritan came to the elderly woman’s aid, helping her away from the Muni bus and onto a nearby sidewalk on Stockton Street.
She is still hospitalized more than a week later with life-threatening injuries.
The woman is a Muni-regular who is known to ride the 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, 30 Stockton and the 45 Union lines, police said.
When compared to last year, the Central Station has recorded a 13 percent uptick in aggravated assaults between January and April. In March, there were 30 percent more aggravated assaults than in April
↧
SF teachers union elects first new president since 2003
by Laura Dudnick
San Francisco’s teachers union has elected new leadership for the first time in more than a decade.
Lita Blanc, an employee of the San Francisco Unified School District since 1986, narrowly defeated incumbent Dennis Kelly, garnering 419 votes from United Educators of San Francisco members while Kelly received 394 in the election that concluded Monday.
Blanc has taught at George Moscone Elementary School for 27 years and is a member of the San Francisco Labor Council. She served on the union’s executive board for six years.“I ran [for president] because I want to see the union be able to take a stronger stand, involve more members,” Blanc told The San Francisco Examiner on Wednesday.
Blanc said she plans to bring a more progressive approach when she assumes office July 1.“There are progressive teacher caucuses in Chicago, L.A., St. Louis that have taken over the leadership of unions and are pushing harder for a more progressive union politics,” said Blanc, who also ran for president in 2012. “We’re glad to be part of that movement. We think the teachers and paraprofessionals of San Francisco are ready for that.”
The election results, however, caught some by surprise.
Kelly, who has held the post since 2003, is “widely regarded … as a founding father of UESF,” reads a statement from the union. “Throughout his tenure as president, Kelly has had a string of successes … and [established] UESF as a powerful voice for students, educators and working people throughout San Francisco.”
Last year, Kelly led the union in its negotiations for new teacher and paraprofessional salaries, successfully achieving a double-digit raise for teachers of 12 percent over three years in what was considered one of the largest recent contracts for an urban school district in California.
But some union members, including Blanc, felt the new contract fell short.“We thought that the union should have held out for a higher raise for everybody, teachers and paraprofessionals,” Blanc said. “Two-thousand members voted for a strike in August. I thought that a strike would have resulted in a better contract for us.”
Blanc said she will work to gain support from teachers and parents to establish a greater consensus for a possible strike in the future, when the next contract is negotiated in three years. There is also room to reopen the current contract.“We will do our best to get the best possible deal to bring the dollars to our members,” Blanc said.
Superintendent Richard Carranza said he is grateful for Kelly’s work over the years and looks forward to working with Blanc to support teachers in The City.“In collaboration with current UESF President Dennis Kelly, SFUSD has improved the compensation and professional learning opportunities available for our teachers,” Carranza said in a statement. “I appreciate the progress we have made together and look forward to working with President-elect Lita Blanc to ensure San Francisco Unified educators receive the support they need to equitably serve each and every one of our students.”
Meanwhile, Susan Solomon was re-elected to serve as vice president of the union.
↧
SFPD discipline cases get more transparent, but still leave out names
by Jonah Owen Lamb
An officer allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old, another officer was convicted of statutory rape and lied to investigators to hide it; a third came to work drunk. A fourth was convicted of a felony.
Such were the cases where disciplinary action was taken by San Francisco Police Commission in the first part of this year.
In the past cases like these may have gone before the commission, but the public had little knowledge about the allegations.
The level of detail given in these cases is a new step under the police commission’s current President Suzy Loftus. She told The San Francisco Examiner she wants to give the public as much information as can legally be divulged in the disciplinary process. “This amount of detail is allowable, and I asked for it and that is why we got it,” said Loftus, who noted these were the first disciplinary cases where action was taken under her presidency.
Every quarter the San Francisco Police Commission, tasked with administratively disciplining police officers in all cases that warrant serious punishment, report the number and type of cases they handle.
Often those cases involve violations of Department General Orders, which govern police conduct.
In the first four months of 2015, the four cases mentioned above were the total dealt with by the commission. Those cases included three that ended in resignation and a fourth that was returned to Chief Greg Suhr to be handled administratively.Recent cases in which police commission took action
While the names of the officers cannot be released by law, the result of their discipline and the administrative offenses they were charged for have been made public: — The first officer, who was alleged to have violated three department general orders, was charged with being wanted on a felony arrest warrant, having sex with an underage juvenile, giving that juvenile alcohol and using his status to avoid arrest and questioning. That officer resigned and his case was filed in 2013. While the commission didn’t release the officer’s name, according to media reports a 37-year-old San Francisco police officer named Richard Hastings was arrested in 2013 for molesting a 15-year-old boy in Concord. —The second officer who faced serious charges and allegedly violated three general orders was charged with the following: allegedly contacting a minor in order to commit a felony, committing statutory rape, lying about the existence of his daughter in order to conceal that fact, lying to an Internal Affairs officer; engaging in prohibited relations with a felon and failing to return a seized ID from a citizen. He also resigned and his case was filed in
2013. — The third officer’s case was brought to the commission in 2014. The officer, who was convicted of a felony, wasn’t named by the commission. However, according to media reports, Officer Arshad Razzak in January was convicted of four felony counts related to his federal corruption trial.
n The fourth officer who faced discipline for coming to work drunk, and whose case was finalized by the commission, had his case sent back to the chief for discipline. His case was opened in 2014.
All discipline cases that result in a 10-day suspension or less are handled by the chief, while discipline cases with a higher degree of punishment are arbitrated by the commission.
↧
↧
San Mateo deputies arrest man for allegedly brandishing gun
by Bay City News
San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 19-year-old man Tuesday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after two people said he pointed a handgun at them and broke the window of a vehicle belonging to one of them.
Officers received a call from two of the three victims at 10:13 p.m. Saturday reporting a man had assaulted them at a house party in the 900 block of Lakeview Drive in unincorporated Redwood City.
Sheriff’s officials said the victims admitted they’d shown up at the suspect’s house uninvited for a party Suspect Jason Jones allegedly said they were unwelcome and an argument ensued.
When the victims began to leave, Jones chased them down the driveway with a gun sheriff’s officials said. He allegedly pointed the gun at one of the victims and broke the vehicle window.
Deputies issued a warrant for Jones’ arrest and arrested him Tuesday. His bail’s $60,000.
↧
SF art dealer convicted of mail and wire fraud
by Michael Barba
Works of art by Willem de Kooning, Pablo Picasso and Edgar Degas, to name a few, were shipped from New York City to a San Francisco art dealer last year.
The problem was, the Sea Cliff art dealer never picked up the tab for them. And it was a big bill: about $11 million.
For that Luke D. Brugnara, 51, was found guilty by a federal jury Tuesday on charges of mail and wire fraud, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office press release.
Brugnara refused to pay for the famous art sent to his home in April and May 2014, claiming later in court that an art auction house in New York City called and told him the artwork was fake. But evidence presented proved that was not the case.
The trial did prove to jurors, however, that the FBI found four crates of famous artwork at Brugnara’s residence. The fifth piece sent to him, an Edgar Degas sculpture, has not been found,” the release said.
Before his conviction, Brugnara was held in custody from May 28 last year until Feb. 5. He was filmed sprinting from the San Francisco Federal Building after a Feb. 5 hearing. But he was arrested six days later in Los Gatos by U.S. Marshals and FBI.
Brugnara will be sentenced for his convictions Sept. 8 in San Francisco. He faces more than 25 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 for wire fraud, false declarations to the court, escape and contempt of court.
↧
Same-sex marriage no longer called 'gravely evil' in revised Bay Area Catholic handbook
by Laura Dudnick
In the latest revision of a proposed handbook for Bay Area Catholic school teachers, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone no longer calls same-sex marriage “gravely evil.”
The change also removed the description for masturbation and in vitro fertilization, and it comes after months of negotiations to provide a new contract and handbook for teachers of the four high schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. But some in the school communities feel that those who do not align with certain Catholic teachings might still face discrimination.
Kathy Curran, whose son attends Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, said the latest revision, which was released May 10, is “much softer, but the attack against the community remains. It is still quite clear anyone who is gay in the school, whether teacher or student ... those kids and those teachers get the message that they are not okay in the school.”
When negotiations began in February for a new teacher contract that will take effect July 1, the archdiocese sparked outrage by announcing its intent to reaffirm that teachers publicly and professionally align with the Catholic mission. Cordileone has since established a committee to explore language in the proposed faculty handbook.
Cordileone also previously conceded that educators will no longer be referred to as “ministers,” a term the San Francisco Archdiocesan Federation of Teachers Local 2240 was concerned could potentially strip teachers of their legal rights.
“There’s been a dialogue about the handbook, and it’s a good dialogue,” said Larry Kamer, a spokesman for the archdiocese.
Meanwhile, the teachers union and archdiocese continue to negotiate the contract.“We definitely have not agreed to any language at this point,” said Paul Hance, a union representative and teacher at Serra High School. “We know where we work, we understand it is what it is to be a teacher in a Catholic school, but the archbishop is going out of his way to get that in print.”
↧
Arrests made in fatal hit-and-run
by Jonah Owen Lamb
Three people were arrested Wednesday in connection to a high-speed chase that resulted in several hit-and-runs, including one that killed a San Francisco woman in the Financial District last month.
Bridget Klecker was run over by a car that was evading police April 10 near the intersection of Kearney and California streets. The suspects were allegedly attempting to escape from police after committing the final robbery of a crime spree. After the black Toyota Corolla hit Klecker, it struck another pedestrian and car.
Police believe they committed multiple armed robberies throughout The City the week before the fatal hit-and -run and at least three that night.
The three San Francisco residents were arrested after law enforcement — San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Daly City, and Hayward police and the FBI — served several search warrants in San Francisco, Hayward and Santa Rosa.
Robert Pelesauma, 19, Hunter Sagaiga, 19, and Favvesi Koka, 18, were booked into County Jail on suspicion of murder, conspiracy, evading police, possessing a stolen vehicle and multiple robbery charges.
↧
↧
Friends, family question death of prominent Peninsula realty leader
by Brendan P. Bartholomew
Realtors and civic leaders on the Peninsula and in the South Bay are mourning the unexpected death of industry spokesman Paul Stewart, who died last week after being hospitalized due to a suspected heart attack. Friends and family members believe possible mistakes allegedly made by hospital staff could have contributed to his death.
Stewart’s wife, Tess Crescini, said she brought him to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Jose on May 8 because his knees were painfully swollen. He was admitted to the hospital when a doctor determined he had suffered a heart attack.
Shortly after being hospitalized, Stewart choked on a piece of food. Hospital staff fought for at least 20 minutes to clear the obstruction, Crescini said. He was transferred to the intensive care unit, but couldn’t be resuscitated.
Stewart’s upper teeth were artificial and on a temporary, removable bridge that hospital staff had taken from him, Crescini said. She added that Stewart was given an injection of the painkiller Dilaudid right before he was served the hamburger that he choked on.
The fact that Stewart’s artificial teeth hadn’t been returned to him might have prevented him from being able to chew his food adequately before attempting to swallow it, Crescini speculated.
In a prepared statement, Kaiser representatives said: “We expressed our condolences to Mr. Stewart’s family. Out of respect for patient privacy laws, we cannot discuss individual cases. Quality and safety are Kaiser Permanente’s highest priorities. We take any concerns brought to our attention seriously, and investigate them thoroughly.”
Born in Oakland on April 14, 1952, Stewart grew up in San Jose. He met his first wife, Stephanie Honeywell, at the church he attended in Santa Clara.
While majoring in journalism at San Jose State University, Stewart served as a linebacker on the school’s football team, and once intercepted a pass from future NFL great Jim Plunkett during a game with Stanford University.
After completing his studies, Stewart worked as a newspaper reporter in Lodi and Gilroy. He then became a legislative analyst for the construction industry in Sacramento.
Honeywell and Stewart were married for 30 years and had two daughters, Robyn and Jana.
Stewart was CEO of the Santa Clara Association of Realtors when he met Crescini in 2001. She credits him with transforming the organization from one run by “old white guys” into a group that better reflected its members’ diversity.
Stewart’s final job was with the San Mateo County Association of Realtors, where he served as the organization’s government affairs director.
Steve Blanton, CEO of the Peninsula association, said Stewart was a “huge” fan of “Doctor Who” who had a model T.A.R.D.I.S. on his desk.
Stewart was a tireless advocate for homeowners and Realtors, Blanton said, and his accomplishments include convincing several Peninsula city governments to reconsider proposed point-of-sale ordinances that might have placed new financial burdens on home sellers and given city inspectors increased access to people’s homes.
Stewart may have embodied progressive values when it came to his commitment to diversity, but Crescini said he was a chivalrous, old-fashioned romantic who arranged a lot of lucky “coincidences” when he became interested in her. “He was definitely old school in his courtship,” Crescini said. “He lobbied all my friends about how he would be a good partner for me.”Clarification:The timeline from when Stewart was admitted to the hospital and when he choked on the hamburger was originally incorrect.
↧
SF hospital among those fined for botched procedures
by Bay City News
The California Department of Public Health today announced
penalties against 12 California hospitals for errors with the potential to
kill or injure patients including three in the Bay Area and one in Monterey
County.
Seton Medical Center in Daly City, California Pacific Medical
Center in San Francisco and Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae were among
the hospitals ordered to pay fines for violations of licensing requirements.
Seton was fined $50,000 in connection with a July 2012 incident in
which a patient with cardiac issues and a history of falls fell in a shower
while hospitalized and suffered a bump to her head, health department
officials said in a report on the incident.
The hospital did not have a policy in place for dealing with
patient falls, as required by state law, and nurses did not conduct a
thorough check of the patient after the fall, according to the report. The
next day she began to show signs of changes in her gait, followed by mental
and physical deterioration. She was declared brain dead just a few days
later.
California Pacific Medical Center was fined $75,000 for a May 2013
incident in which an item was left inside a patient following a hysterectomy.
The surgeon and other operating room personnel failed to count the item or
notice it was missing after the surgery.
The error was not discovered until the patient came to the
emergency room a week later complaining of abdominal pain and fever. The
object was removed and the patient was hospitalized for three days for
treatment with antibiotics.
Marin General Hospital was fined $100,000 for an August 2013
incident in which a disposable scalp clip was left inside a patient's skull
following cranial surgery. The clip was discovered in a brain scan after the
surgery and removed in a second surgical procedure two days later.
Hospital staff did not have a procedure in place counting the
disposable scalp clips, according to a health department report on the
incident.
In Monterey County, Community Hospital of Monterey was fined
$50,000 for an incident reported in November of 2013 in which a patient was
accidentally given a dose of an intravenous drug called Neo-Synephrine after
surgery to remove plaque from her carotid arteries. The accidental dose
occurred when a nurse opened a clamp in an IV that had been left attached to
a bag of the drug.
The Neo-Synephrine, which was intended for use with anesthesia
during the surgery, caused an increase in the patient's blood pressure and
contributed to major complications she developed including bleeding and brain
damage. The patient died 11 days later.
Penalties levied on hospitals vary depending on the date on which
the violation occurred and the number of violations a hospital has had during
a given time period, health department officials said.
Hospitals can appeal an administrative penalty by requesting a
hearing.
↧
Mission housing moratorium should extend to the Bayview, group says
by Joshua Sabatini
The hotly debated proposal to temporarily halt the development of market rate housing in the Mission is expected to receive support Thursday from a group of residents in another San Francisco neighborhood, the Bayview.
A rally Thursday in the Bayview, organized by the San Francisco chapter of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, will call on Bayview representative Supervisor Malia Cohen to vote in favor of the proposal and also propose the same plan for the Bayview.
Pastor Yul Dorn knows firsthand the impacts of the housing crisis. He’s fighting an eviction as a result of foreclosure. “We have seen many of our black families leave San Francisco — priced out, pushed out,” Dorn said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a state of emergency for our community. The question is whether The City is going to do something about it or if this is their plan — total removal of the black community.”
Evictions, soaring rents and the rapidly changing faces of neighborhoods have dominated the political discourse since the local economy turned around largely on the back of the tech sector five years ago.
Perhaps no proposal to address the housing crisis has generated as much attention, at least in recent months, as the proposed Mission neighborhood housing moratorium, which on June 2 the Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to enact for an initial 45-days. Should it fail, there’s also a November ballot measure under review by the City Attorney’s Office, submitted by a tenant rights attorney this week.
Cohen’s among the four undecided votes on the board needed to approve the moratorium proposed by Supervisor David Campos, who represents the Mission.
Thursday’s rally was scheduled following a neighborhood on housing and jobs town hall meeting held by ACCE last week, attended by about 80 residents, according to ACCE organizer Grace Martinez.
Last year, ACCE called attention to the foreclosures in the Bayview. They called on The City to use eminent domain to help but that proposal was defeated. Residents are still looking for answers.
The moratorium is viewed as a way to force The City to focus on existing residents who are being displaced from the neighborhood, Martinez said.
“Do we have to just accept what’s happening to us? I don’t think anyone wants to,” she said.
The rally begins at 3 p.m. at Dorn’s home, 3 Las Villas Ct.
↧
Broke-Ass City: Why I’m getting into the mayor’s race
by Broke-Ass Stuart
There is something truly amazing happening in San Francisco. It has nothing to do with The Giants or The Bay Lights or even a particularly good strain of weed that’s going around.
It has to do with City Hall and it is
fascinating: everyone is afraid of Mayor Ed Lee.
If you’re not paying attention it’s hard to notice. I mean, Lee’s public demeanor is that of a friendly, well meaning uncle, the kind who’s always quick with a smile and an encouraging pat on the back. So I don’t mean people are physically afraid of Ed Lee, nobody thinks he’s going to give them a wedgie or a noogie. But people are terrified to run against him and this is particularly strange considering that a KPIX poll in December had his approval rating at 47 percent. Read that again: the mayor’s approval rating is 47 percent and nobody wants to run against him. I mean the KPIX weather person is probably correct more often than 47 percent of the time … and she predicts weather … in San Francisco.
So how does this happen? How is it that someone with less than 50 percent of the voters’ confidence, is running basically unopposed? I’m not very good at math but those odds seem pretty good for anyone one who wants to challenge him.
Maybe I overstepped the line. Technically there are people running against Ed Lee. In fact there are something like 20 of them, but in the grand scheme of S.F. politics they are each considered at best, a protest candidate, and at worst, a fucking lunatic. So really he’s running unopposed.
Ed Lee is the champion of big business and downtown money. He’s giving free rein to developers so that they can do pretty much whatever the hell they want, and he’s letting huge tech companies slide by on taxes because they are funding his campaign. So where’s a progressive candidate to take up the cause and fight for the rest of us? Where’s the Matt Gonzalez of 2015?
I reached out to my buddy Nate Allbee, a political consultant who ran David Campos’ 2014 campaign, to find out. He told me, “Everyone is scared shitless of the mayor. Nobody wants millions of dollars of Ron Conway or Reid Hoffman’s money poured into smear campaigns accusing you of murdering women. These are like the Koch brothers of San Francisco.”
And Allbee knows what he’s talking about, Hoffman and Conway are on record spending hundreds of thousands of dollars wrongfully trying to paint David Campos as a supporter of domestic violence. Holy fucking shit, right?! That’s not just trying to win an election, that’s trying to ruin someone’s life. Considering Team Ed Lee has already raised over $2 million, it makes sense that candidates who we all thought would run, like Tom Ammiano and Mark Leno, have decided to sit this one out.
So I’ve decided to run for mayor instead. Yes, really.
Do I think I’m gonna win? Come on, I’m not as dumb as a I look, but I’m fascinated by all the shit I mentioned above. San Francisco is beyond growing pains, it’s getting stretch marks. And for me, as a writer and chronicler, there’s no better way to see this first hand than throw myself in the middle of it. I plan on exploring San Francisco’s ridiculously crooked political process from an outsider’s perspective. I wanna see the guts of the system and I wanna see how far I can take this whole thing without fully playing the game.
And I want you to come along with me, both in print and in person. From now until November I will be chronicling my exploits as a mayoral candidate right here in The San Francisco Examiner. And if you want to get involved in person email me at info@BrokeAssStuart.com and/or come to “Broke-Ass Stuart’s Bar Mitzvah Party: Celebrating 13 Years in SF” this Sunday night at Rickshaw Stop where I will be officially announcing my candidacy. Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is a travel writer, TV host and poet. Follow him at BrokeAssStuart.com. Broke-Ass City runs Thursdays in The San Francisco Examiner.
↧
↧
Former SF cop sentenced in corruption case
by Jonah Owen LambThe former San Francisco police officer who pleaded guilty to four federal counts in a police corruption trial and testified for the prosecution, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison today.
Reynaldo Vargas, who worked alongside former officers Ian Furminger and Edmond Robles in 2009 as part of a plainclothes unit in the Mission district, is required to surrender Aug. 7 and was not fined other than a $400 assessment.
Vargas faced up to a $20,000 fine.
The trio were part of several undercover teams whose actions at single-room-occupancy hotels in the Mission and Tenderloin and on Sixth Street -- including allegedly searching rooms without warrants -- were captured on video revealed by the Public Defender's Office in 2011.
In one incident, the three officers dug up $30,000 in a 2009 search of a Newark heroin dealer's house. They then split the cash, allowing Robles to pay for an expensive Belgian road bike and Furminger to buy new skylights, according to testimony.
A federal indictment against the three was filed in February 2014.
↧
Tenderloin fight ends with a man stabbed in the chest
by Michael BarbaA midnight argument in the Tenderloin turned into a stabbing early Thursday morning, when a 66-year-old woman cut a man’s hand and the side of his chest with a knife.
Police responded to Hyde and Turk streets at 12:15 a.m. to find a man who appeared to be 20 to 25 years old suffering from stab wounds.
The man was hospitalized, but his injuries were not life-threatening. The woman was arrested.
It was unclear what prompted the altercation.
↧
Muni rider struck in the face with cane, robbed
by Michael BarbaA cellphone conversation on a Muni bus Wednesday prompted some unwanted attention for a 19-year-old man, who was yelled at and struck across the face with a cane by another passenger.
After the altercation, the victim exited the bus at 16th and Mission streets about 3:20 p.m. A group of about eight people followed him, surrounding the man and digging through his pockets. They took his wallet, cash, and debit and Clipper cards.
The man was left red-faced and with pain to his neck and shoulder, but he refused medical attention.
Police did not get detailed descriptions of the suspects.
↧
Muni to implement double stopping at certain stations
by Bay City NewsSan Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials are implementing double stopping on Muni Metro trains at certain stations starting this weekend, according to the agency.
Double stopping means two trains will stop in the station at about the same time. The change is meant to ease congestion and allow riders to disembark more quickly, according to the SFMTA.
SFMTA officials said riders have expressed dissatisfaction with having to wait on the track while passengers disembark from the train up ahead.
Double stopping will start Sunday at the Montgomery, Powell and Civic Center stations. The platforms at these stations are long enough to allow double stopping, according to the SFMTA.
SFMTA officials said they will use double stopping only at times of congestion, such as during commute hours.
Double stopping will work by having the first train pull up to the front of the platform and let riders off and on. A second train will pull up behind the first and let riders off, according to the SFMTA.
After the first train departs, the second train will pull up for safety reasons and let riders board. SFMTA officials suggest that riders follow markers on the floor to locate the boarding area.
↧
↧
SF announces nearly $700M for public schools, children’s programs
by Laura Dudnick
The San Francisco Unified School District is poised to receive a substantial bump in funding from The City over the next two years as part of Mayor Ed Lee’s proposed budget.
The City plans to allocate $140 million for the district’s 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscal year budgets, of which $68.9 million will go toward the fiscal year that starts July 1. That money marks a 17 percent increase from The City’s contribution last fiscal year.
Lee announced the additional funding at the Tenderloin Community School on Thursday. The money is part of an overall $690.4 million that will be committed in Lee’s budget for children’s programs, made possible by the passage of Proposition C in November.“In these times of economic prosperity, we're going to share that with our school district,” Lee said. “That's where the talent is growing.”
Lee added, “Ultimately every successful industry in The City, whether it’s healthcare, tourism, hospitality or technology, or now the growing industry of local manufacturing, they’re going to all find that talent right here in our public school district.”
Also included in The City’s investment is another 860 slots in public preschools, and $4.3 million to eliminate the waitlists for summer and afterschool programs, Lee said.
Some $34.5 million will also go toward the SFUSD’s rainy day reserve. Another $513.9 million will go to various services for children over the next two years, including the Department of Youth, Children and Their Families’ Children’s Fund revenue, and money for for youths up to 24 years old who need support entering the workforce.
The creation of the Our City, Our Families Council will serve as an advisory committee of community members to increase data-sharing among city agencies and leverage resources for the school district.
Superintendent Richard Carranza said the district is grateful for the increased funding, which adds to the anticipated boost from Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised state budget.
“The budget that we take to the Board of Education [in June] is going to be reflective of some higher numbers,” Carranza said Thursday.
↧
I Drive SF: Guilty of driving a cab
by Kelly DessaintDriving a cab in San Francisco is like wearing a target around your neck. It's always open season on taxis. On good days, the contempt most people have toward the taxi industry misses the mark. But on the bad days, it's a shot straight to the heart.
In the four months I've been driving a cab, I've been disrespected as a matter of course. Honked at more times than I can count. As if I'm asking people to sacrifice their first born to let me change lanes in front of them. Nobody cuts me any slack. During rush hour, I have to fight for each one-fifth of a mile to get passengers where they're going.
I was driving up Kearny Street last Saturday night and a guy in an Uber SUV spit on my cab. The tourists in my backseat were horrified. "Oh, just part of driving a taxi in San Francisco," I joked.
A month ago, while picking up a fare on King Street, some joker knocked my side mirror off and drove away. I spent two hours at the police station filing a report. "Won't be the last time," the officer doing the paperwork nonchalantly told me.
This week I paid San Francisco $110 for "obstructing traffic" in front of a strip club at 1:30 a.m. The SFMTA mailed the citation to my cab company. Claimed I was a "drive away." Of course I drove away. I'm a taxi driver. That's what I do. I drive, I stop, I pick up passengers and then I drive away.
From City Hall to fresh-faced transplants, everyone hates cabs. And yet, I can't help but wonder: What happened to the mythology of cab driving?
My earliest memory is being in a taxi. The family station wagon was in the shop. I remember sitting in the backseat with my mother. The driver was listening to news radio. Something about President Ford.
As a child of the '70s, glued to the TV set, I never missed an episode of "Taxi." I couldn't wait to see what shenanigans Latka and Iggy would get into. I'd laugh as Louie berated all the drivers who hung around the garage solving each other's problems. In "Taxi Driver," there was Travis Bickle, the loner moving through the streets of New York like a reluctant servant to the night and all its proclivities. Even "D.C. Cab" portrayed a struggling taxi company as the ultimate underdog, with Mr. T the baddest cabdriver who ever lived.
As fascinating as cabs were to me growing up, I didn't use them much until I moved to New Orleans, where most of the drivers doubled as tour guides, concierges of vice or therapists. I've sighed more than once in the back of a New Orleans cab and had the driver say, "Lay it on me, baby."
I never thought I'd drive a taxi myself. In my illustrious career as an overeducated slacker, I've worked as a cook, painter, flea market vendor, book dealer and personal assistant. Taxi driving wasn't much of a stretch. So when the wife and I ended up in Oakland last year, with no other prospects, I decided to do the Uber-Lyft thing.
Before I ever hit the road, I pinned a map of San Francisco to the wall. I studied the streets and how they intersected each other. For two weeks, the wife and I drove around The City figuring out major thoroughfares and how to get from one neighborhood to the next.
After a few months, it was obvious app-based transportation is only a simulacrum of taxi driving. But I'd learned enough to know I could do the real thing.
Switching to a taxi was an intimidating proposition, though, based on all the horrible things I'd heard from my passengers. San Franciscans love to complain about transportation. And the only thing worse than Muni and BART are taxis.
I thought it would be different for me. Despite the muddied reputation I'd inherited. I wanted to be a great taxi driver. I still do. But it doesn't matter who's behind the wheel. In this city, a color scheme and a top light will always be targets for disdain.
Kelly Dessaint is a former Uber and Lyft driver turned taxi driver. In his real life, he's the publisher of the personal narrative zine Piltdownlad and author of the forthcoming memoir "No Fun: How Punk Rock Saved My Life."
↧
New site for SF waste will not require environmental impact report
by Laura DudnickTransporting 1,100 tons of waste collected from San Francisco residents an additional 2,000 miles daily will not have a significant impact on the environment.
That's according to the San Francisco Planning Commission, which unanimously voted Thursday that changing the disposal site for San Francisco's waste from the Altamont Landfill in Alameda County to the Recology Hay Road Landfill in unincorporated Solano County will not require an environmental impact report. The proposal calls for Recology to transport up to 5 million tons of waste to the Hay Road site under a contract that would expire in 13 to 15 years depending on how long it takes to reach 5 million tons.
The commission upheld the Planning Department's decision to prepare a negative declaration as required by the California Environmental Quality Act for projects not expected to result in significant environmental impacts.
In its preliminary negative declaration published March 4, the department studied potential traffic and air quality impacts for the new site and concluded the move would not pose a significant strain on the environment.
"The impacts of this project would be well below established air controls for significant impact," said Paul Maltzer, a senior planner with the department. "When a project has no significant [environmental] impact, the negative declaration is the correct document."
But Josh Levine, an attorney for the Solano County Orderly Growth Committee that in April appealed the Planning Department's decision, said the sheer amount of waste expected to be trucked to Solano County is troublesome.
"This project will increase the amount of [carbon dioxide] that's put in the atmosphere every year because you're taking an extra 40-mile roundtrip with each garbage truck every day, which is going to translate to 600,000 miles," Levine said. "That is added to greenhouse emissions; that's got to be taken into account."
Jack Macy, commercial zero waste coordinator for the San Francisco Department of the Environment, contended that less waste will actually be brought to the Solano County landfill in that time because Recology and The City are developing programs to recover significant trash components such as textiles and recyclables.
"We are confident that disposal will not increase over the course of this project," Macy said.
The City's current contract with Waste Management, which operates the Altamont Landfill, will expire by 2016 based on the rate of disposal.
The City opted to switch to Recology's landfill after seeking bids for new sites in 2009. The Recology site will cost ratepayers about $13 million a year less than Waste Management's bid, said Eric Potashner, vice president and senior director of strategic affairs for Recology.
The agreement between San Francisco and Recology to change the disposal sites must still be approved by the Board of Supervisors. It is not expected to alter service for ratepayers.
Correction:The name of the commercial zero waste coordinator for the San Francisco Department of the Environment was incorrect in the original version of this story. That position is held by Jack Macy.
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
