Cal State East Bay Alumni Association announces 2020 recipients of 40 Under 40 award
Submitted by Kimberly Hawkins
Each year Cal State East Bay (CSUEB) and the Alumni Association recognize young alumni who have made significant contributions toward improving and uplifting their communities and beyond. The 40 Under 40 award program identifies alumni age 40 or younger who have demonstrated dedication, excellence, and development in their professional, philanthropic and personal endeavors.
“Recognizing exceptional alumni is an integral part of building our brand in the communities we collectively reside and serve,” said Allen Kwan, president of Cal State East Bay Alumni Association. “Each recipient uniquely represents the future for our current CSUEB students and inspires Pioneer Pride in our more seasoned alumni base. We are proud to honor these outstanding professionals.”
The 40 under 40 Virtual Awards Ceremony was held on Friday, October 16 via Zoom.
The inaugural class of 40 Under 40 Award recipients (in alphabetical order):
• Nadira Helmand Akbari ’04, B.A. Art
• Sana Ali ’16, M.S. Computer Science
• Angelica G. Allen ’17, B.A. English
• Dr. Shaily Arora ’08, B.S. Biological Science
• Mohammed Beig ’11, B.S. Business Administration
• Rahul Chandra ’08, B.S. Engineering & Mathematics
• Raven Davis ’14, B.A. Communication
• Christina de Leon ’14, B.S. Criminal Justice Administration
• Brad Dugan ’06, B.S. Business Administration
• Anuradha Dwarakanath ’11, Master of Business Administration
• Melvin Faulks ’17, B.A. Sociology & Ethnic Studies
• Chad M. Galvan ‘11, ’13, B.S. Health Sciences; M.S. Healthcare Administration
• Takija Gardner ‘05, ’09, B.A. Sociology & Criminal Justice Administration; MPA
• Srikanth Guttikonda ’10, B.S. Physics & Mathematics
• Riza Khalil Hernandez ’06, B.S. Finance
• Peter Hladun ‘05, ’10, B.S. Industrial Engineering; M.S. Engineering Management
• Samuel Huckaby ’13, M.S. Construction Management
• Prince Jackson ’14, B.A. Multimedia Design
• Eric Lau ’06, B.S. Business Administration
• Alexandria Leavenworth ’13, B.A. Communication
• Peter Limata ‘15, ’16, B.A. Liberal Studies; Teaching Credential
• Aaron Lin ’18, B.S. Computer Engineering
• Nicole Mason ’19, Master of Business Administration
• Kristine Massey ‘04, ‘06, ’07, B.A. British Literature; Teaching Credential; M.A. English
• Belen Menjivar ’12, B.A. Spanish & Human Development
• Geoffrea Morris ’09, Master of Social Work
• Ashnika Narayan ’09, B.S. Health Science
• Tamara Osivwemu ’13, M.S. Educational Leadership
• Raj Prasad ’03, B.S. Business Administration
• Dr. Michelle Rippy ’02, B.S. Forensic Science
• Ambrosio Sacramento III ’10, B.S. Business Administration
• Rebecca Scheer ’09, B.S. Business Administration
• Michelle Scheumeister ’17, Master of Business Administration
• Dorothea Sieber ’10, Master of Business Administration
• Amandeep Singh ’18, Master of Business Administration
• Dr. Miku Sodhi ’10, M.S. Health Care Administration
• Sharifa Sparks ’17, B.S. Business Administration
• Sergio “PowerSerge” Suarez ’12, B.A. Theatre Arts
• Sabrina Washington ’05, B.A. Mass Communications
• William Wong ‘12, ’15, B.A. Communication & Business Administration; MBA
https://www.csueastbay.edu/alumni/pioneers-of-distinction/40-under-40/index.html.
New AC Transit feature offers onboard crowding information
Submitted by Robert Lyles, AC Transit
The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) is continuing its reNEW Plan commitment — developing technologies to safeguard against the risk of COVID-19 transmission — by launching the ACT RealTime Rider Capacity Feature, exclusively on Tempo Line 1T. The feature is being introduced in beta mode, and offers live and real-time onboard crowding information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The automated passenger counter (APC) sensors, embedded on each door of all 27 Tempo buses, power the Rider Capacity Feature. APC sensors are digitally linked to ACT RealTime technology — the transit district’s GPS tracking of each bus and refreshed every 15 seconds — which processes and transmits data each time a rider boards or exits the Tempo coach. Tempo’s onboard rider count is then digitally sent to the AC Transit website and a third-party partner’s Transit App, Google, 511, and Moovit.
Tempo Line 1T is serving as the fleet for the beta launch of the Rider Capacity Feature, because its buses are some of the newest in the AC Transit fleet and manufactured with APC sensors. Tempo has also consistently attracted new riders along its 9.5-mile corridor, and is in high demand, particularly during peak travel hours. Although Tempo’s 60-foot hybrid technology coaches contain the fleet’s second-highest seating capacity, onboard seating is limited to 16 riders maximum because of social distancing mandates. These health guidelines are resulting in onboard crowding.
To address Tempo rider capacity demands, AC Transit software engineers initiated proof-of-concept trials that spanned three months. The trials separately tested APC sensors, in-person manual rider counts, and video-based rider counts. The results overwhelmingly demonstrated that APC sensors consistently and reliably captured onboard crowding data each time the Tempo bus docked at a station.
As AC Transit officials proceed with evaluations in beta mode, the engineering team will able to evaluate the APCs’ scalability for potential activation across the AC Transit bus fleet. Rider feedback is also essential to success and can be offered through AC Transit customer services channels by logging onto actransit.org, emailing rideact@actransit.org, or calling Customer Services at (510) 891-4777, and selecting option 2.
Although onboard computers have been installed throughout the entire fleet, most AC Transit buses still require APC sensor retrofitting, which is forecasted for completion in late 2021. The retrofit is also costly; while in beta mode, AC Transit will actively pursue funding sources to modernize its entire fleet with the Rider Capacity Feature.
The ACT RealTime Rider Capacity feature is simple to access at actransit.org or on mobile devices. The onboard capacity icons are simple: green indicates “not crowded,” yellow “some crowding,” and red represents “crowded” or maximum capacity.
For more information on Tempo Line 1T and ACT RealTime, visit the AC Transit website at www.actransit.org.
Alameda County Fire Department Log
Submitted by ACFD
Wednesday, November 4
• At 2:15 a.m. firefighters responded to a report about a retail structure fire on the 16000 block of E. 14th St. in San Leandro. Arriving units quickly contained the blaze to the area where it started. There were no injuries.
Advanced Math Stars shine in California District’s accelerated summer program
Submitted by Angela Chambers of Hayward Unified School District
While attending a NMSI (National Math and Science Initiative) Leadership Summit, Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) counselors, teachers and administrators noticed a gap in the number of students reaching AP Calculus and AP Statistics by their senior year. Students who don’t take advanced math courses in high school often fall behind their peers in college.
“We have really strong students that had never been fast-tracked in math,” says Paul Gonsalves, school counselor at Hayward High School.
The HUSD leaders sought help from NMSI to overcome this obstacle. This led to a successful summer Geometry for Acceleration program that now has almost 100 students from HUSD’s three high schools on a path to reaching advanced math courses before graduation.
“At first, I was hesitant because I thought I wouldn’t be able to catch up with all the stuff we were going to learn in one month, but Ms. (June) Hong made it really easy, and she was really flexible and understanding,” shares a Tennyson High student. “Overall, I enjoyed the class very much, and it was a good learning experience.”
Gary Dragon Cao, who taught the Mt. Eden High summer geometry students, was impressed by the students’ dedication to the course. “These students were all ears all the time – no matter how difficult the lesson,” Dragon Cao says. “Students asked for extensions on office hours, which I’ve never had happen in my life.”
NMSI helps schools create leadership teams consisting of counselors, teachers and administrators. A key goal of NMSI’s College Readiness Program is supporting students who are typically underrepresented in STEM fields in taking advanced math and science courses in high school, which gives them a higher likelihood of succeeding in college and careers.
Gonsalves says “Teachers do the selection [for the accelerated geometry course] and look at the whole child – not just those scoring the highest in Algebra I. They looked at multiple measures.” Dragon Cao says equity is something he’s always thinking about when working with students. “I tell my students that I don’t care if you’re male, female or what ethnic background you come from,” he says. “Math is a universal language, and students thousands of miles away are doing the same thing.”
While the plan was for in-person geometry courses, the pandemic made that quickly change to completely online coursework. Despite this added challenge, almost 100 percent of students consistently attended the class, and more than 90 percent passed the course so they can move on to Algebra II.
HUSD leaders are hoping to continue the success of the accelerated geometry course by implementing a second program next summer.
https://www.husd.us/
Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
By Marcia Dunn
AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP), Oct 23 – A NASA spacecraft is stuffed with so much asteroid rubble from this week's grab that it's jammed open and precious particles are drifting away in space, scientists said Friday.
Scientists announced the news three days after the spacecraft named Osiris-Rex briefly touched asteroid Bennu, NASA's first attempt at such a mission.
The mission's lead scientist, Dante Lauretta, said Tuesday's operation 200 million miles away collected far more material than expected for return to Earth – in the hundreds of grams. The sample container on the end of the robot arm penetrated so deeply into the asteroid and with such force, however, that rocks got sucked in and became wedged around the rim of the lid.
Scientists estimate the sampler pressed as much as 19 inches (48 centimeters) into the rough, crumbly, black terrain.
“We're almost a victim of our own success here,” Lauretta said at a hastily arranged news conference.
Lauretta said there is nothing flight controllers can do to clear the obstructions and prevent more bits of Bennu from escaping, other than to get the samples into their return capsule as soon as possible.
So, the flight team was scrambling to put the sample container into the capsule as early as Tuesday – much sooner than originally planned – for the long trip home.
“Time is of the essence,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, chief of NASA's science missions.
This is NASA's first asteroid sample-return mission. Bennu was chosen because its carbon-rich material is believed to hold the preserved building blocks of our solar system. Getting pieces from this cosmic time capsule could help scientists better understand how the planets formed billions of years ago and how life originated on Earth.
Scientists were stunned – and then dismayed – on Thursday when they saw the pictures coming from Osiris-Rex following its wildly successful touch-and-go at Bennu two days earlier.
A cloud of asteroid particles could be seen swirling around the spacecraft as it backed away from Bennu. The situation appeared to stabilize, according to Lauretta, once the robot arm was locked into place. But it was impossible to know exactly how much had already been lost.
The requirement for the $800 million-plus mission was to bring back a minimum 2 ounces (60 grams).
Regardless of what's on board, Osiris-Rex will still leave the vicinity of the asteroid in March – that's the earliest possible departure given the relative locations of Earth and Bennu. The samples won't make it back until 2023, seven years after the spacecraft rocketed away from Cape Canaveral.
Osiris-Rex will keep drifting away from Bennu and will not orbit it again, as it waits for its scheduled departure.
Because of the sudden turn of events, scientists won't know how much the sample capsule holds until it's back on Earth. They initially planned to spin the spacecraft to measure the contents, but that maneuver was canceled since it could spill even more debris.
“I think we're going to have to wait until we get home to know precisely how much we have,” Lauretta told reporters. “As you can imagine, that's hard. … But the good news is we see a lot of material.”
Japan, meanwhile, is awaiting its second batch of samples taken from a different asteroid, due back in December.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Toyota RAV4 Prime: Small Plug-in Crossover with Power and Range
By Steve Schaefer
The compact crossover market is at the heart of the auto business in the United States. Toyota’s RAV4, a segment leader for years, has given their hybrid version a plug and a bigger battery. Now, it can serve as a pure-electric vehicle locally and use gas only on long trips.
Plug-in hybrids are a transitional step to fleet electrification, blending an engine and motor plus a small chargeable battery. The RAV4 Prime enables 42 miles of EV range, which should serve most people’s daily needs. When they must drive farther, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine kicks in.
I tested a Supersonic Red and Black 2021 RAV4 Prime XSE for a week. For my cautious visits to the grocery store and my outdoor band rehearsal, the little SUV smoothly and silently negotiated the residential streets. But when I wanted to visit my grandkids (they are in my bubble), the 170-mile round trip put the engine to work.
Hearing the four-cylinder come to life makes you appreciate the car’s silence as an EV. On my family trip, I got all the way from Castro Valley to Novato (about 45 miles) before the engine sprang to life, as advertised. Working through a continuously variable automatic transmission, the engine noisily pushes the revs higher on hills.
The Prime’s engine and motor combine for 302 total horsepower—more than the regular RAV4; Toyota brags of a 5.8-second zero-to-60 acceleration time. Not bad for a 4,300-pound, tall, four-door family car.
The RAV4 Prime earns 94 MPGe when you charge up the battery and 38 MPG if you don’t (like a regular hybrid). The green scores are a 7 for Smog and a perfect 10 for Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas.
The RAV4 easily accommodates a family of five, and the high roofline makes it feel airy. An hour and a half of seat time showed the car’s freeway finesse, and the well-padded, deeply bolstered chairs were comfy. The fat steering wheel is leather-wrapped, and all the interior panels are padded, for a more upscale feel.
In a masculine black and silver, the RAV4’s angular interior conveys some of the truck feeling buyers seem to want in their tall car in daily driving. The rubber-coated control knobs on the center climate screen are easy to find, and the modern, tall center screen provides at-a-glance information.
You can drive the RAV4 as an EV or as a hybrid. In Hybrid mode, you can save your battery power, for example, while on the freeway, and use it later in town. Select Eco, Sport, or Normal mode with a button on the center console. Eco saves gas, Sport is more fun, and Normal is in between. As a plug-in hybrid, the car is designed for frugality and environmental sensitivity, but with 302 horsepower, Sport might be just the thing on a curving rural two-lane road.
The XSE features standard Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive. It uses a second small electric motor on the rear axle to add traction and give extra hill-climbing performance off-road. Predictive Efficient Drive is a high-tech feature that works with the navigation system to evaluate where you are going and regulate charging and discharging of the hybrid battery for maximum electric range.
Charging the 18.1 kWh battery is easy. Because this is plug-in hybrid, you will never have to visit a charging station if you don’t want to. At home, using standard 120V household current, you can expect to fill an empty battery in 4.5 hours. If you happen to have 240V level 2 charging handy, it’ll cut that to 2.5 hours.
The Prime comes as an SE or an XSE. My top-level XSE was loaded with standard equipment, and featured Premium Audio, the Weather Package, and the Premium Package. The premium audio system ($1,620) flaunts 11 JBL speakers, including a subwoofer and amplifier, which entertains during intercity jaunts. The Weather Package ($375) adds a heated leather-covered steering wheel and rain-sensing intermittent wipers. The Premium Package ($3,765) brings a 10-inch head-up display, panoramic glass roof, Softex (animal-free leather) seating, a power liftgate, and lots more (see Toyota’s website for the long list). Toyota dings you $425 for the “special color” paint.
All this moves the car into Lexus pricing territory–$49,577–while still retaining a Toyota-level feel. Base prices are $38,100 for the XE and $41,425 for the XSE, plus $1,120 for the “Delivery Processing and Handling Fee.”
The RAV4 sits in choice territory in the auto market, and with the new Prime it can be an extremely clean and efficient option if you stay local. While it is not as environmentally heroic as a pure electric model, depending on where and how much you drive, it can act a lot like one.
BART Police Log
Submitted by Les Mensinger and BART PD
Tuesday, November 3
• At 9:20 a.m. a man identified by police as Cory Legler, 35, of San Francisco was arrested at the Bay Fair station in San Leandro on suspicion of fare evasion. A record check showed he had an outstanding California Department of Corrections warrant. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.
Wednesday, November 4
• At 9:21 p.m. a woman identified by police as Nichole Schlosser, 31, of Oregon was arrested at the Milpitas station on four warrants. She was booked into the Santa Clara County Detention Facility.
Bay Blow Bar opens in Downtown Hayward
Submitted by Hayward Chamber of Commerce
Jessie Rodrigues, owner of the new Bay Blow Bar in downtown Hayward, has been in the beauty industry since 2007, and has brought her unique talents, and those of her team, to downtown Hayward at 22632 Main Street.
Jessie’s clientele has included the Oakland Raiderettes and the Golden State Warrior’s Dance Team as well as other performers and many customers who just want to look great for a special event or night on the town. In locating downtown and joining the Hayward Chamber of Commerce, Jessie has brought her talent back to her hometown. Bay Blow Bar has quickly become the place to go for blowouts, hair braiding, curling, styling and other services.
As Jessie says, her business is available for “any style, any hair type, any occasion.” Learn more about the business on their website at http://bayblowbar.com/.
Walk or bike? Check out this digital meeting
Submitted by Corinne Winter
Members of the Union City Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) are inviting walkers and bikers who are interested in learning about updates to the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to join them at a digital meeting set for Monday, November 16.
During the two-hour meeting, which starts at 6:00 p.m., team members will deliver updates on recent activities and solicit public input on related topics. Participation is free. For meeting login details, send an email to Corinne Winter at corinne@winterconsultaants.com.
Luxury vehicles, booming sales in China boost BMW profits
By David McHugh
AP Business Writer
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP), Nov 04 – German automaker BMW said third-quarter net profit rose 17% to 1.81 billion euros ($2.22 billion) as sales boomed in China and highly profitable luxury models such as the 8 Series coupe and X7 large sport-utility vehicle helped fatten the bottom line.
The improved earnings report was darkened by a downbeat outlook that said future risks from the coronavirus spread were “high” and that “the pandemic is now clearly gaining momentum,” although the company stayed with its financial forecast.
The profit figure improved on the 1.55 billion euros recorded in the same July-September quarter a year earlier. Earnings bounced back from a loss of 212 million euros in the second quarter of this year, when the pandemic closed dealerships and factories.
The company said it benefited from regional upturns in demand as well as from strict cost and cash management. Chief Financial Officer Nicolas Peter said an earlier decision to focus on the upper luxury segment was paying off as more-profitable vehicles occupied a larger share of the company's sale, citing the X7 made at the company's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The company saw a strong performance from its BMW Brilliance Automotive Lt. joint venture in China, which was hit earliest by shutdowns related to the coronavirus but which has recovered faster. BMW sales in China, its largest market, rose 31% compared with a year earlier. Unit sales in Europe rose 7% while U.S. deliveries fell 16%. Revenues fell 1.4% to 26.28 billion euros.
Operating margins on sales came in at 9.4%, a key financial figure that shows how much the company is making per car. That was better than the 8.4% recorded a year earlier before the pandemic.
The company reduced both research and development spending and capital expenditure on plants and equipment during the quarter, but said spending on new technology remained at a high level, including for future electrified models. The auto industry is facing pressure from long-term change such as government regulation in Europe and China requiring more zero local emission electric cars to fight pollution and global warming, and from a move toward digital services.
Munich-based BMW said it planned to spend more than 30 billion euros on research and development by 2025.
BMW kept its earnings forecast for the full year, saying it assumes demand in key markets will be significantly reduced by the pandemic and that full-year profits will be “significantly lower” than in 2019 in light of the pandemic. It said the forecast excluded another severe worsening of the pandemic. The company said the level of risk from the pandemic “is assessed as high,“ adding that “the pandemic is now clearly regaining momentum.” It said the company was “well prepared to act swiftly and decisively.”
BMW shares were down 1.8% in midday trading in Europe.
California sticks to cash bail, rejects nation-leading move
By Don Thompson
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP), Nov 4 – California voters stuck with the state's traditional cash bail system in this year's balloting, rejecting a nation-leading move to rely instead on risk assessments to decide which suspects should remain jailed awaiting trial.
Voters in the most populous state overturned a 2018 law that stalled when the bail industry challenged it at the ballot box through Proposition 25. With more than 11 million votes counted, the measure failed Wednesday with 55% opposing and 45% favoring an end to the current bail system.
Supporters of the change had said the traditional bail system punishes the poor – often racial minorities – because they lack the money to buy their freedom or can least afford to pay a bail bondsman.
Opponents included some prominent civil rights groups who said the alternative's risk assessment tools also are racially and socioeconomically biased.
Majority of states have significantly altered their pretrial release laws or policies in the last decade, but all retained cash bail for at least some kinds of criminal cases, said Amber Widgery, a criminal justice expert with the National Conference of State Legislatures who tracks state laws.
Voters' approval of the measure would have made California “the only state with a complete prohibition on fiscal conditions of release,” she said.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward ending cash bail,“ state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, a Democrat from Los Angeles who wrote the 2018 law, said in a statement. “Millions of dollars from the predatory bail industry may buy them some time, but it can't overpower our movement toward justice.”
He had argued that the current system “makes it a crime to be poor” and ending it would put California “on the path to a more fair and more safe justice system that treats everyone equally under the law.”
Reform groups including the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Californians for Safety and Justice, and the Western Center on Law & Poverty all backed the shift.
But it wasn't only the bail industry in opposition: Human Rights Watch, the ACLU of Southern California, the NAACP, and The Bail Project all said the current system is broken but the proposed fix might be even worse.
“The entire architecture of the law rests on the use of flawed statistical tools that codify systemic racism and could lead to higher rates of incarceration in some jurisdictions,” The Bail Project, which provides free bail assistance across the nation, said in a news release.
Changing to the new system would release more suspects more quickly, “but does not address existing racial inequity in release decisions,” particularly for Black people, researchers at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found.
The California Policy Lab at UC Berkeley similarly predicted that the change would increase release rates for Blacks more than for other groups, but Blacks would still be seven- to 10 percentage points less likely to be freed before arraignment than Latinos and whites, so racial and ethnic disparities in release rates would remain.
Under the new system, no one would pay bail and most misdemeanor suspects would remain free.
Those charged with felonies or misdemeanor domestic violence, sex offenses or driving while intoxicated would be evaluated for their perceived risk of committing another crime or not appearing in court. Most would eventually be released, unless they are accused of certain crimes like murder or arson, or if a judge finds there are no conditions like electronic monitoring that could assure their appearance at future hearings.
Hertzberg had said lawmakers added safeguards against racial biases in the statistical models that would help court officials decide who could be safely released.
Flash of luck: Astronomers find cosmic radio burst source
By Seth Borenstein
AP Science Writer
Nov 04
A flash of luck helped astronomers solve a cosmic mystery: What causes powerful but fleeting radio bursts that zip and zigzag through the universe?
Scientists have known about these energetic pulses – called fast radio bursts – for about 13 years and have seen them coming from outside our galaxy, which makes it harder to trace them back to what's causing them. Making it even harder is that they happen so fast, in a couple of milliseconds.
Then this April, a rare but considerably weaker burst coming from inside our own Milky Way galaxy was spotted by two dissimilar telescopes: one a California doctoral student's set of handmade antenna s, which included actual cake pans, the other a $20 million Canadian observatory.
They tracked that fast radio burst to a weird type of star called a magnetar that's 32,000 light-years from Earth, according to four studies in Wednesday's journal Nature.
It was not only the first fast radio burst traced to a source, but the first emanating from our galaxy. Astronomers say there could be other sources for these bursts, but they are now sure about one guilty party: magnetars.
Magnetars are incredibly dense neutron stars, with 1.5 times the mass of our sun squeezed into a space the size of Manhattan. They have enormous magnetic fields that buzz and crackle with energy, and sometimes flares of X-rays and radio waves burst from them, according to McGill University astrophysicist Ziggy Pleunis, a co-author of the Canadian study.
The magnetic field around these magnetars “is so strong any atoms nearby are torn apart and bizarre aspects of fundamental physics can be seen,” said astronomer Casey Law of the California Institute of Technology, who wasn't part of the research.
There are maybe a dozen or so of these magnetars in our galaxy, apparently because they are so young and part of the star birth process, and the Milky Way is not as flush with star births as other galaxies, said Cornell University Shami Chatterjee, who wasn't part of either discovery team.
This burst in less than a second contained about the same amount of energy that our sun produces in a month, and still that's far weaker than the radio bursts detected coming from outside our galaxy, said Caltech radio astronomer Christopher Bochenek. He helped spot the burst with handmade antennas.
These radio bursts aren't dangerous to us, not even the more powerful ones from outside our galaxy, astronomers said.
The ones that come from outside our galaxy and travel millions or billions of light-years are “tens of thousands to millions of times more powerful than anything we have detected in our galaxy,” said co-author Daniele Michilli, an astrophysicist at McGill and part of the Canadian team.
Scientists think these are so frequent that they may happen more than 1,000 times a day outside our galaxy. But finding them isn't easy.
“You had to be looking at the right place at the right millisecond,” Cornell's Chatterjee said. “Unless you were very, very lucky, you're not going to see one of these.”
Even though this is a frequent occurrence outside the Milky Way, astronomers have no idea how often these bursts happen inside our galaxy.
“We still don't know how lucky we got,” Bochenek said. “This could be a once-in-five-year thing or there could be a few events to happen each year.”
Bochenek's antennas cost about $15,000. Each is “the size of a large bucket. It's a piece of 6-inch metal pipe with two literal cake pans around it,” the doctoral student said. They are crude instruments designed to look at a giant chunk of the sky – about a quarter of it – and see only the brightest of radio flashes.
Bochenek figured he had maybe a 1-in-10 chance of spotting a fast radio burst in a few years. But after one year, he hit pay dirt.
The Canadian observatory in British Columbia is more focused and refined but is aimed at a much smaller chunk of the sky, and it was able to pinpoint the source to the magnetar in the constellation Vulpecula.
Because the bursts are affected by all the material they pass through in space, astronomers might be able to use them to better understand and map the invisible-to-us material between galaxies and “weigh” the universe, said Jason Hessels, chief astronomer for the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, who wasn't part of the research.
Astronomers have had as many 50 different theories for what causes these fast radio bursts, including aliens, and they emphasize that magnetars may not be the only answer, especially since there seem to be two types of fast radio bursts. Some, like the one spotted in April, happen only once, while others repeat themselves often.
Michilli said his team has traced one outburst that happens every 16 days to a nearby galaxy and is getting close to pinpointing the source.
Some of these young magnetars are only a few decades old, “and that's what gives them enough energy to produce repeating fast radio bursts,” Cornell's Chatterjee said.
Tracking even one outburst is a welcome surprise and an important finding, he said.
“No one really believed that we'd get so lucky,” Chatterjee said. “To find one in our own galaxy, it just puts the cherry on top.”
Does weather affect the spread of the coronavirus outside?
Nov 03
By The Associated Press
Does weather affect the spread of the coronavirus outside?
Not really.
The World Health Organization says the virus can be transmitted in any kind of weather and that there is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill it.
The U.N. health agency says the virus is mainly spread between people. Rain and snow might dilute any traces of the virus on benches or other outside objects, but transmission from surfaces is not believed to be a major contributor to the pandemic.
Scientists say the real concern about cold weather is that lower temperatures are more likely to keep people indoors – potentially in more crowded spaces where the virus can spread more easily.
Studies have shown that a significant percentage of spread happens within households when people are sharing common areas like kitchens and bathrooms.
WHO and others have also warned that in indoor spaces with poor ventilation, transmission happens more easily because the virus can be spread in the air and infectious particles might remain suspended in the air for several hours.
Superspreader events have been traced to nightclubs, gyms and even choir practices. The coronavirus does not transmit as often outdoors because fresh air disperses the virus particles and people are more easily able to keep their distance from others. But experts caution that if people spend extended periods of time outdoors close to others without wearing masks, coronavirus spread is still possible.
Health officials say the best way to stop transmission of the virus is to wear a mask in public, stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from people not in your household and frequently wash your hands.
California Dungeness crab season delayed to protect whales
AP Wire Service
SAN FRANCISCO (AP), Nov 04 – California wildlife regulators on Wednesday postponed the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season to protect whales and sea turtles from becoming entangled in fishing gear.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that it was pushing back the scheduled Nov. 15 start of the season to Dec. 1.
The recreational fishing season will be allowed to open on Saturday.
The postponement affects fishing zones from Mendocino County north of San Francisco to the Mexican border.
The move came after biologists found 50 humpback whales in one week last month off the coast of San Francisco and another 25 in the Monterey Bay area, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The crab season can be delayed when 20 whales are sighted, the paper said. The commercial season was delayed for a month last year to protect whales.
There have been a record number of whale injuries and deaths in recent years as the whales, which normally are migrating south to Mexico by the start of the crabbing season, have stayed off the California coast longer.
They may be hanging around to feed on anchovies that have been pushed into shallower waters because of warming ocean temperatures, scientists have said.
“The theory is the whales don't seem to know it's fall yet. With the first storm, it might clue them in that it's time to boogie south,” Mike Conroy, executive director of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, told the Chronicle.
The group supports the delay, he said.
“If we had rushed to go fish now with the high number of whales in the area, and if we had entangled the whales, that … could have resulted in a zone closure for the entire season,” he said.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife will reevaluate the risk of entanglement in mid-November to see whether the Dec. 1 opening date will stand or should be delayed.
Darlene Josephine McCaslin July 4, 1933 – October 11, 2020 Resident of Fremont, CA
Darlene McCaslin passed away October 11th at Aegis in Fremont after an eleven year battle with brain cancer. She was born in Wayzata, MN, on July 4, 1933, to Everett Squiers and Josephine (Stein) Squiers and grew up on the Squiers family farm on Oakland Road. After graduating from Wayzata High in 1951, Darlene married Boyd McCaslin and joined him in Watertown, SD, where he was teaching and coaching basketball at the high school. In the summer of 1952, Boyd was hired as a teacher at Bellingham High, WA, and the couple moved out west. Darlene was kept very busy with a growing family of three young boys as well as managing the household. California came calling in the summer of 1960, and the family moved to Fremont in the Bay Area when Boyd took a new job at Arroyo High in San Lorenzo. Darlene did many activities with the boys including Cub Scouts den mother, CYO basketball, Sunday mass at Holy Spirit, and organizing summer vacation trips to Minnesota and Washington state. She always had some of her favorite music playing on the Zenith stereo in the living room, running the gamut from Sinatra to Nat King Cole to Dixieland to Top 40 to her favorite polka tunes from her youth. In the seventies, Darlene became a teacher’s aide with the Fremont School District and got her degree in early childhood education from Ohlone College. She later took a teaching position at the pre-school at Fremont Congregational Church, and known as “Miss Darlene” to the children, she spent hours creating innovative material for her young students. It gave her so much joy to be with her “kids” and with great regret, she retired in 2009. She will be greatly missed by her family and all of the students she “mothered” over the years. Darlene is survived by beloved sons Jim (Anita), Tom, and Ted (Deborah), and grandchildren, Scott and Erin. The McCaslin family expresses its sincere appreciation for all of the love and care she received at Aegis Living. A private graveside service will be held.
California voters approve expansion of data privacy law
By Jocelyn Gecker
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP), Nov 4 – In the state that is home to Silicon Valley and serves as the headquarters for Google, Facebook and other tech titans, voters strengthened data privacy protections by approving a ballot measure that supporters tout as a model for other states.
California became the first state to pass a sweeping digital privacy law in 2018, viewed as the strongest of its kind in the United States. It gave Californians the right to know what information companies collect about them online, get that data deleted and opt out of the sale of their personal information.
Proposition 24 is aimed at expanding that law and closing some of the loopholes that big businesses have found to get around it, supporters say.
The measure had more than 56% support out of over 11 million votes tallied Wednesday.
“We will now be able to stop businesses from using our most intimate, most personal information – our health information, our religion, our sexual orientation, our race,” said Alastair Mactaggart, a San Francisco real estate developer who led support for the 2018 law and is behind the effort to update it. Proposition 24, he says, will “put a floor under privacy.”
The new measure triples the fines for companies that violate kids' privacy or break laws on the collection and sale of children's private information. It creates a dedicated state agency to enforce the new law, with an annual budget of $10 million.
“There will now be much, much more robust enforcement of the law,” Mactaggart said.
The measure was criticized by some privacy and consumer advocates who said it wasn't tough enough on big business and made concessions that didn't fully benefit consumers.
The Consumer Federation of California, one of the measure's opponents, said Wednesday that big tech companies benefited from its passage.
“We will continue to champion the privacy rights of Californians, work with our allies to reverse the harmful portions of Prop. 24, and oppose its adoption as a model for the nation,” the federation said in a statement.
Supporters raised nearly $6 million, most of it from Mactaggart. The campaign to defeat the measure raised just $50,000.
Supporters included Consumer Reports, Common Sense Media and Consumer Watchdog, which said it will make the existing privacy law stronger and take important steps toward holding big business accountable.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang chaired the advisory board for expanding the law and says it would be a model for other states.
Dinosaur Adventure comes to Alameda County Fairgrounds
By staff
Photos courtesy of Pinnacle Production Group social media
Bring the entire family to a Dinosaur Adventure Drive-Thru where you can take a prehistoric tour featuring 80 life-sized dinosaurs! See a 40-foot T-Rex, 30-foot Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptors and more – all from the comfort and safety of your vehicle.
Tickets for this prehistoric event are limited and must be purchased online. The Bay Area Audio Tour will be available the week of the event and will be posted on the Alameda County Fairgrounds website.
This is a Drive-Thru event. Tickets are sold on a per-day/per-time slot basis and are valid for one vehicle of up to 8 people. No large vehicles allowed. If you would like the flexibility of arriving at any time, you may purchase an “any time” ticket. (Limited quantity available) All vehicles will enter at Gate 12 off of Valley Avenue and follow the same one-way route through the fairgrounds.
Dinosaur Adventure
Thurs, Nov 12 – Sun, Nov 29
Alameda County Fairgrounds
Enter at Gate 12
4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton
Purchase tickets in advance online
Thurs/Fri: $49 per vehicle
Sat/Sun: $69 per vehicle
Anytime: $69-89 per vehicle
Sunset falls on a historic season for the drive-in
By Jake Coyle
AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP), Nov 02 – Julia Wiggin was still shivering after running out to hang up the weekend's marquee – “Ghostbusters,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” – at her Northfield Drive-in near Hinsdale, New Hampshire.
“It's cold,” Wiggin said on a bitter, wet morning. “It's definitely time we closed.”
After a historic season, winter is coming at the drive-in. Summer and early fall have seen their simple, old-fashioned lots transformed into a surprisingly elastic omnibus of pandemic-era gathering. It has hosted concerts and comedy shows, business conferences and Sunday services, graduations and weddings. Dodger fans watched their team win the World Series from a drive-in in their stadium's parking lot. Red-carpet premieres that would normally consume Lincoln Center uprooted to drive-ins. (At one, Bill Murray joked that he'd visit every car.) Even the campaign trail joined the trend, leading to the first ever presidential race that included a mini-referendum on the drive-in. “You know, people in cars. I don't get it,” said Donald Trump after Joe Biden's Atlanta drive-in rally.
Yet the drive-in has undeniably saved a small slice of 2020, offering socially-distanced salvation at a time when most large gatherings are off the table because of the pandemic. But, well, it's starting to get pretty cold – at least in much of the country. Drive-ins in Texas, California and Florida can keep humming all year but most of the U.S.'s roughly 300 drive-ins are seasonal. They aren't built for the cold, and they're definitely not built for the snow.
With temperatures dropping – and even some flurries this past weekend – one of the pandemic's few bright spots is running low on time. But many drive-ins are staying open well beyond normal closing, stretching a season that might usually end around Labor Day much later. Some are selling a lot of hot chocolate.
“I don't think people mind the cold,” says Wiggin. “I've seen people bring sleeping bags and, like, a tarp. They're die-hards. Well, OK, if you're willing to come out, I'm willing to come out.”
The Northfield Drive-in went over by two months before its Halloween-weekend finale. That's mainly because the drive-in has turned into what Wiggin calls “a major community service project,” hosting graduations for everyone from fifth-graders to doctors of internal medicine. On Sunday, a Shakespeare theater group was on the schedule.
John Vincent, president of the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association, estimates more than 200 drive-ins were still operating through Sunday. Showing movies is only part of it, especially since Hollywood studios aren't releasing their big films. Marcella Snyder who runs the Tibbs Drive-in in Indianapolis, usually hosts one or two private events a year. This year, she hosted 50. The requests are still coming for November or December.
“We're looking at frost warnings but the people are still coming,” says Snyder, who has seen hot chocolate sales skyrocket as temperatures have plummeted. “If it starts snowing, what am I going to do?”
Like indoor theaters, drive-ins have been operating at 50% capacity to space people out. So ticket sales in the summer, even during sell-outs, wasn't necessary off-the-charts for many locations. This fall, though, most are seeing much higher attendance than normal. Drive-ins like Tibbs have adapted to not just online ticketing and concession ordering by app but have rethought what the drive-in – so unchanged by time – can be.
“We built our whole business on nostalgia and it's nice that we've turned a corner. We've kind of brought it into the 21st century,” says Snyder. “It's been crazy and wild but we've loved every minute.”
That's made drive-ins want to keep rolling as far into the cold as they can. But how long can they hold on? For Jude DeLeonardis, owner of the 700-car Delsea Drive-in, New Jersey's last remaining drive-in, the limit is “stupid cold.” Before the pandemic, she had planned to close around Halloween. Now she expects to go at least to Thanksgiving.
“How far into December we can go will depend on Mother Nature and turnout,” says DeLeonardis. “We would keep it going all year if we knew it wasn't going to get stupid cold and snowing.”
Some drive-ins have advantages that others don't. The five-screen Ford Wyoming Drive-In just outside Detroit never closes. Their owner also runs a construction company, so they have snowplows on site. The Ford Wyoming runs from dusk to dawn, selling tickets as late as 2:30 a.m.
“I will concede the fact that we are unusual,” chuckles co-owner William Clark. He judges ticket sales this October have been twice what's typical. “We never close except with the caveat if there's a 10-inch snowstorm right before the movie goes on the screen,” says Clark.
Bengies Drive-In, outside Baltimore, rents electric in-car heaters. That not only keeps moviegoers warm into November, but it prevents car engines from idling. “Modern America doesn't understand carbon monoxide,” says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel.
Echoing other drive-in owners, Vogel emphasizes that drive-ins, even though they've enjoyed having the spotlight this year, need indoor theaters to be open. Exhibitors indoor and outdoor need new movies to survive, yet the studios have largely given up on 2020.
“We're trying to protect what we call the theatrical window. And it doesn't exist right now, or rarely does it exist,” say Vogel, whose drive-in touts the largest movie screen in the country. “Even the best players who were good to us before are buying into that. It makes me wonder: What is theatrical about watching a movie on your TV or your phone?”
Vogel will keep Bengies open as long as the weather holds and moviegoers keep turning up. Not that he couldn't use a break after a season unlike any other.
“I haven't seen my family since February, so I could use a little rest,” said Vogel, laughing. “I'm not sure we're going to do it, but we've already had offers for New Year's.”
Those drive-ins that are locking up for the season do so with the knowledge that they've never played a more vital role in their communities. Jay Mowery, owner of the Cumberland Drive-in in Newville, Pennsylvania, hosted his first wedding, along with drive-thru trick-or-treating, fundraisers and a creature-feature weekend rented by some horror fans. Halloween weekend was his last of the season, but Mowery – like others – has the feeling his drive-in might be called on for graduations and other socially-distanced events next spring.
“It's been a lot better than being closed, and it's certainly helped the community. It's given them a place to gather,” says Mowery. “We put a 44-foot-long plastic shield along the snack bar. It's just high enough that we can slide a big tub of popcorn under it. I can't wait to take this thing down but now I'm thinking I might need it next year.”
EARTHTALK
Do wild animals have rights?
By Sophia Jacobs
Dear EarthTalk: Do wild animals have any rights under the law in the U.S. (or other countries) the way human citizens do?
— John Hamilton, Raleigh, North Carolina
Winnie the Pooh said it best: “Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.” While attention to animal rights has increased over the past few decades, animals are still largely underrepresented and unprotected under the law. Most laws that protect animals do not recognize their “sentience” — the capacity to feel and perceive, and show awareness — but rather protect them as property.
If a living thing can hear, see, touch, smell, or communicate, it is considered to be sentient. But whether that applies to all animals depends on whom you ask. Aside from our pets, animals are almost exclusively considered not to be sentient in the court system or under U.S. law. In a court, an inanimate company or corporation has rights and privileges (“corporate personhood”), but a living, breathing creature does not.
In the eyes of the law, animals are treated as property. Domestic animals belong to their owners, animals in labs and agricultural industries belong to the company or institution that owns them. Wild animals belong to the state or federal institution which presides over the land they live on. When animals are harmed, it is considered “property damage.” The real dilemmas in the courts arise when those with ownership over these animals are the ones hurting or abusing them. That is usually when “animal rights” are called into play.
Progress for animal rights under the law has been slow moving. In the U.S., the movement for animal rights began in 1866 when Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The New York State legislature authorized the organization to investigate cases of animal cruelty in the state and make arrests. By 1888, almost every state had joined New York and passed laws against animal cruelty.
The first federal animal rights laws in the U.S. were the “28 Hour Law” of 1873, the Lacey Act of 1900, and the Animal Welfare Act of 1966. The first two regulated animal transport and banned illegal wildlife trafficking. The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was created to regulate the research, transport, exhibition and dealing of animals in the U.S., but farm animals in agricultural laboratories are excluded from protections under the AWA. The AWA is still considered the minimum standard for acceptability today.
Another federal law for animal rights was the Humane Slaughter Act first passed in 1958 and then amended in 1978. While chickens, turkeys and other birds feel pain as any other animal, they are excluded from protections from this law. The most recent federal law that has passed has been the PACT (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture) Act of 2019 which makes crushing, burning, suffocating, impaling and sexually exploiting animals a federal crime.
Globally, animal protection and rights laws vary widely. European countries along with Australia and New Zealand have the strongest animal rights laws because they formally recognize non-human animal sentience. Countries with no official recognition of animal sentience or suffering are ranked lowest for their animal rights, such as Russia and a number of East African countries.
EarthTalk is produced by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss for the nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at https://emagazine.com. To donate, visit https//earthtalk.org. Send questions to: question@earthtalk.org.
Park It
By Ned MacKay
Now, both wildlife and people have a beautiful, newly restored place to roam – Bay Point Regional Shoreline in eastern Contra Costa County. Through an extensive and environmentally sensitive restoration project, East Bay Regional Park District has returned the shoreline to its former natural state, with habitat for a multitude of animals and plants, and an accessible trail from which park visitors can observe them.
Bay Point Regional Shoreline is at the north end of McAvoy Road in the community of Bay Point, adjacent to McAvoy Boat Harbor. The park provides important shoreline access to tidal marshlands and waterfront open space. It’s one of the few public access points to shoreline on the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta between Martinez and Oakley.
The park is at the approximate midpoint of the San Francisco Bay Estuary and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Convergence of saltwater and freshwater there creates a rich and varied ecosystem.
The project involved restoring 30 acres of wetlands and grasslands back to their original state before dredging and marine use. High areas that had been filled during sand dredging operations were lowered to restore tidal marsh. Material excavated was used to raise the level of the park’s existing Harrier Trail.
The Harrier Trail was redesigned for disabled access. It was also designed to prevent flooding, even during potential sea level rise due to climate change. A bridge was installed over a newly excavated tidal channel.
Another habitat improvement was a tidal marsh – a ponded area subject to ebbs and flows, surrounded by pickleweed, providing habitat for the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and fish including delta smelt and longfin smelt.
Park visitors will benefit from the project as well. Interpretive panels have been installed with information on the park’s natural history. The Harrier Trail is a paved, 1-mile loop, easy for walkers and people who use wheelchairs. There are picnic tables with shade structures, flush toilets, drinking water, benches, and trail overlooks for wildlife viewing at the variety of habitats created by the project.
The area including Bay Point Regional Shoreline has a varied history. The first inhabitants were Native American tribes, of whom the last was the Chupcan, occupying the shore of Suisun Bay between what is now Port Chicago and Oakley.
From the 1850s, the site was between two Mexican land grants. It remained largely undisturbed until the 1950s through the 1980s, when its owners diked a section for settling ponds and the sand-dredging operation. In 1978, a California District Court decree required that the J-shaped channel along the park’s eastern edge be dug to open the area to tidal action as mitigation for the sand dredging. East Bay Regional Park District acquired the property in 1996. A portion of the purchase price was provided by the Shell Oil Spill Litigation Settlement Trustee Committee.
Funding for the marsh restoration came from a variety of sources. The California Department of Parks and Recreation put in a total of $950,000 from its Land and Water Conservation Fund and Habitat Conservation Fund. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy’s Proposition 1 Water Bond contributed $2.1 million. Other funding came from Contra Costa County, the National Fish and Wildlife Service, and the park district’s voter-approved measures, WW, and AA. Total cost of the project was $5,362,912.
Completion of the marsh restoration and site improvements will be celebrated with a ceremony on Friday, November 20, which will be viewable online at www.ebparks.org. The park will be open to the public officially after the ceremony. The newly reopened park is a gateway to the Delta’s abundant natural world and a great place to go for a relaxing shoreline walk. Check it out; you’ll be glad you did.
The November-December edition of Regional in Nature, the park district’s bi-monthly calendar of events, is now available online at www.ebparks.org/RIN. This issue contains lots of articles about natural and cultural history of the regional parks. There are also games, food recipes, and fun, and self-directed activities for classrooms, kids, and families.
A section on the Regional Park Foundation’s goal, “Bridging the Nature Gap,” is also part of the issue. The foundation is a private nonprofit with the sole purpose of supporting park district programs and facilities.
“We see a future moving beyond simply facilitating access, and more toward creating a truly inviting and inclusive park experience, particularly for all Black, indigenous, and people of color,” said Jess Brown, foundation board president.
Editorial
The 3-2 Pitch
In the world of baseball, there is nothing more exhilarating and terrifying as the final out of a close game when the outcome is on the line. When a seasoned batter faces an accomplished pitcher and each has battled to a stalemate of 3 balls and 2 strikes, the next pitch (barring fouls) and consequence of a hit, walk or out, will determine who prevails. In all circumstances, the result is not certain; as the incomparable New York Yankees star catcher Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Sports records are filled with seemingly miraculous finishes that take a sudden and unexpected turn in the last moments of a contest. Results are never guaranteed until the final seconds of a contest have elapsed.
We have just witnessed one of the most tumultuous election cycles of modern times with inflammatory rhetoric touching all levels of government – even local contests. The 3-2 pitch of the 2020 General Election came on November 3rd and now, in the aftermath, it is time to put these differences aside and concentrate on the issues that really matter… our collective safety and welfare. In many cases, local residents decided to continue to put their faith in those that previously served, but there will also be new faces in consequential positions. Democracy at the ballot box has presented its verdict; the people have spoken.
A basic lesson from elections is relatively simple and straightforward. There are many political decisions within the choice of candidates, measures and propositions that affect our daily lives. The best time to pay attention is in the intervening months between elections rather than assuming whatever happens, especially on the local scene, is just background noise of no consequence. With the advent of instant communications and access to agendas, meetings and office holder behavior, being an informed community is not an arduous task. As Yogi said, “You can observe a lot by just watching.”
On the other hand, rapid and easy communication can also result in a plethora of information that stretches the truth or propagates outright falsehoods. The best way to guard against misinformation that comes with a tricky 3-2 pitch is preparation beforehand. In the midst of a hotly contested election, it is often difficult to separate inaccurate propaganda from fact, but if the discussion begins before the hype, a clear distinction can be made. Again, Yogi comments, “It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.”
As one election cycle ends, another begins. For our communities, it is time to renew our commitment to close observation of our new and returning representatives. The next election cycle 3-2 pitch is closer than many realize, so now is the time for community action and observation. We will again hear the same demands, pleas and exhortations by candidates, As Yogi says, “It’s like déjà vu all over again,” adding a cautionary note, “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.”
Congratulations are due to all who participated – voters, candidates, election officials – and a warning for those who were successful: elections do not guarantee continued voter confidence, rather a limited opportunity to perform as promised. If those promises are unrealized, there is little prospect of continued public service. Yogi has advice for those who may not have been on the winning end of the latest 3-2 count, “I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to get better.”
Asia Today: South Korea OKs single test for COVID-19 and flu
AP Wire Service
SEOUL, South Korea (AP), Nov 04 – Health officials in South Korea have approved a new test that's designed to detect both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza from the same samples, which would help prevent disruption at hospitals as the pandemic stretches into the flu season.
The country has struggled to stem the coronavirus, which some experts say could spread more broadly during cold weather when people spend more time indoors.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday reported 118 new cases of COVID-19, most of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. The national caseload is now at 26,925, including 474 deaths.
People have been increasingly venturing out in public after the government eased social distancing restrictions last month to support the weak economy.
“Despite efforts by health authorities to trace contacts and suppress transmissions, such efforts have been outpaced by the speed of viral spread,” senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said during a virus briefing.
The new test, which targets genes that are specific to both COVID-19 and seasonal flu, is an evolved version of PCR tests that are used to detect COVID-19 from samples taken from noses or throats. Laboratories use machines to amplify genetic materials so that even tiny quantities of the virus can be detected.
The illnesses are hard to tell apart by their symptoms, so having a diagnosis for both in three to six hours “would be convenient for patients and also reduce the burden of medical workers,” Yoon said.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
– India's capital reported a record high 6,725 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, hit by its worst wave of coronavirus infections since March. New Delhi has averaged more than 5,200 cases a day this past week, a spike the Health Ministry attributes to the festival season. India overall added 46,253 cases, raising its total past 8.3 million. The ministry on Wednesday also reported another 514 fatalities, raising the overall death toll to 123,611. The ministry has warned the virus situation in New Delhi could worsen due to people crowding markets for festival shopping, coupled with the onset of winter and high air pollution levels in the capital.
– New Zealand's unemployment rate rose to 5.3% in the September quarter, a better result than predicted amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus, government figures show. The rate was up from 4% in the previous quarter. Back in May when the government's budget was announced, the Treasury was predicting unemployment would rise to almost 10% by now. Since then, the government has borrowed and spent billions of dollars on wage subsidies as it tries to mitigate job losses. Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the better-than-expected figures show its recovery and rebuild plan is working. The figures show women's employment has been disproportionately affected. New Zealand has been largely successful in its efforts to eliminate the virus from its shores.
– More than 200 Sri Lankan policemen have been infected with the coronavirus and another 2,213 have been quarantined as cases surge in the capital and its suburbs, police said Wednesday. Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said 221 police officers have tested positive for the virus. Health authorities have linked the infections to a cluster that emerged from the country's main fish market near Colombo. Sri Lanka experienced a new outbreak of the disease last month when two clusters emerged – one centered on a garment factory and other on the fish market. Confirmed cases from the two clusters have grown to 8,265. Sri Lanka's total number of cases since March have reached 11,744, including 23 fatalities. The government has imposed a curfew in densely populated Western province, where the capital is located. Authorities have also closed schools and key public offices, banned public gatherings and restricted public transport.
Halloween Coloring Contest Winners
Submitted by Cheryl Golden
City of Fremont’s Recreation Services in partnership with the Fremont Police Department and Fremont Police Association held their inaugural coloring contest — Halloween Edition. Fremont families were invited to enter the contest. Coloring pages were separated into four age categories: ages 3-6, ages 7-12, ages 13-17, and ages 18+. The free contest opened the first week of October and closed October 23.
The city received more than 500 entries physically and electronically. One winner and two runners-up were chosen from each age group. Winners were selected based on creativity, neatness, and use of color. Each of the winners received a gift card to a local store.
Next, be sure to check out our Holiday Coloring Contest to start December 1. For more information on current recreation programs and upcoming events, visit www.Fremont.gov/Recreation or call (510) 494-4300.
Fremont Police Log
Submitted by Geneva Bosques, Fremont PD
Tuesday, October 27
• A male was awakened by someone poking a flashlight through a window as he slept in his bedroom on the 2700 block of Union St. in the Irvington district. When he saw a person coming through the window he yelled out, prompting the intruder to flee into the yard and jump over fences. Officers called to the scene quickly located and arrested a suspect, identified by police as Julian Dupes, 19, of Fremont
Friday, October 30
• Officers responded to a report about an armed robbery at the Little Caesars pizza restaurant, 4376 Thornton Ave. in the Centerville district. A man reportedly pointed a gun at a victim and demanded money. He fled before officers arrived; the victim was not injured.
Saturday, October 31
• Officers responded to a report about a man throwing rocks and starting a fire near a residence on Nolan Terrace in the Irvington district. The resident put out a fire near his wooden patio while an officer extinguished two small vegetation fires nearby before Fremont Fire Department personnel arrived. Officers scouting the area detained a man who admitted he started the fires with a lighter he had in his possession. After the community member who reported the incident identified the suspect, he was arrested. The suspect, identified by police as Martin Pitts, 40, of Fremont, had an outstanding felony grand theft warrant and now faces an arson charge.
• Officers were dispatched to a report about an attempted carjacking at a Chevron gas station at 37635 Blacow Rd. near the Centerville district. A vehicle had pulled behind the victim’s vehicle and two males exited and pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded his keys. The victim walked into the gas station store uninjured and the suspects fled the scene.
Friday, November 6
• Shortly after 8:00 a.m. a truck overturned in the area of northbound Mission Boulevard and Highway 680. Southbound Mission Boulevard was closed to traffic at Via San Dimas for several hours while traffic exiting from southbound Highway 680 was redirected to northbound Mission Boulevard. The driver of the truck was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Community input matters
Submitted by City of Fremont
City of Fremont is in the early development stages of revamping its website – www.Fremont.gov. The new design is scheduled to roll out late 2021 and will focus on more convenient access to online city services, easy navigation and search, increased transparency and community engagement, and enhanced mobile responsiveness.
To build the most effective website and achieve the above goals, the city needs input from the public. The community is encouraged to respond to the survey at www.Fremont.gov/WebSurvey. The survey consists of 11 questions and will take participants approximately three minutes. The deadline to provide feedback is Tuesday, November 17.
City of Fremont Website Survey
Deadline: Tuesday, Nov 17
www.Fremont.gov/WebSurvey
Cal-Washington game canceled after positive coronavirus test
Nov 05
By The Associated Press
The season opener scheduled for Saturday between California and Washington was canceled following a request from the Golden Bears due to a positive coronavirus test for one of their players.
California does not have “the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of a positive football student-athlete COVID-19 case and resulting isolation of additional football student-athletes under contact tracing protocols,” the Pac-12 said in a statement Thursday.
Pac-12 guidelines require at least 53 scholarship players to be available for a game to be played. The conference said the game would be declared a no-contest.
“Our students, coaches and staff have put in an incredible amount of hard work to get to this point and we are deeply disappointed they won't have the opportunity to compete Saturday in Berkeley,” Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen said in a statement.
About an hour before the announcement from the conference, Washington coach Jimmy Lake had said the team was still preparing as if the game was going to be played.
“We had a big-time practice today,” Lake said. “The guys are dialed in, they're juiced, and you could just see it in their eyes.“
California coach Justin Wilcox had said Wednesday night that the game was in jeopardy because of the large number of players needing contact tracing. California said the player with a positive test is asymptomatic. He took his regular daily antigen test and then a supplemental PCR test, which also showed a positive result. This marked the first positive test on Cal's football team since practices began last month.
The game is the fifth FBS game this week and the 42nd since Aug. 26 to be postponed or canceled. Conference USA this week rescheduled seven games that have been postponed for mid-December.
Earlier Thursday, the American Athletic Conference postponed the Tulsa at Navy game scheduled for Saturday because of positive COVID-19 cases and contact tracing at Navy.
A makeup date has not been announced. Tulsa and Navy do not share a common open date the rest of the season, so the conference will “consider a number of options with regard to the playing of the contest.“
Also Thursday, Minnesota announced defensive coordinator Joe Rossi would not coach Saturday against Illinois because he had tested positive for COVID-19.
This is the fourth time a Tulsa game has been postponed or canceled because of COVID cases. Tulsa's game against Oklahoma State was pushed back a week to Sept. 19 because Tulsa had COVID issues. The Golden Hurricane were supposed to play Arkansas State on Sept. 26, but the Red Wolves couldn't put a two-deep lineup together. That game has not been rescheduled. Tulsa was set to play Cincinnati last month, but the Bearcats said they couldn't play, and the game was moved to Dec. 5.
“We knew that this season would be different in the face of the pandemic, and unfortunately has forced another weekend without football for our team,” Tulsa athletic director Rick Dickson said. “I'm disappointed for our football student-athletes and coaches who continue to work and practice diligently, but it reinforces the challenge facing all programs.”
Navy halted all football activities after positive COVID-19 cases among players and players being placed in quarantine after contact tracing determined they had high-risk contact with an infected person. Navy did not specify the number of players affected.
“Protocols and guidelines are very comprehensive both at the Naval Academy and within the American Athletic Conference,” Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said. “An administrative decision has been made that clearly reflects the safety and welfare of all involved with both institutions.”
Last look at Halloween decorations
By Staff
November has come, but Tri-City Voice is still hearing about creative, socially distanced, Halloween decorations around our community. Carol Snyder of Fremont wrote in about her neighbors Samantha and John, who decked out their front yard like a Pirate Ship. Although few trick-or-treaters came out this year, the couple’s display was perpetually surrounded by cars. Hand sanitizer was provided, and candy dispensed through a chute. We love seeing the ingenuity of our Tri-City residents!
Hayward Police Log
Submitted by Hayward PD
Tuesday, October 27
• At 8:08 p.m. an unidentified male entered a business on the 1000 block of A Street armed with a weapon and demanded money. He quickly fled with the money and was not located.
Wednesday, October 28
• At 12:09 a.m. a shooting occurred on the 26000 block of Tyrrell Ave. There was damage to a residence but no report of injuries.
• At 1:26 p.m. a man was driving in the area of Miami Avenue and Decatur Way. He stopped his car, and two men armed with weapons demanded the man exit his vehicle. The suspects drove away in the man’s vehicle.
Saturday, October 31
• At 5:44 p.m. a road rage incident occurred in the area of Jackson Street and Soto Road, which led to one person shooting at another. There were no injuries.
Honor Roll
The Citadel, South Carolina
Class of 2023 Distinguished Scholar
• Austin Miles-Curtsinger of Newark
Police kick off holiday toy drive
Submitted by Hayward PD
Although the holiday season isn’t quite here yet, it’s never too early to get ready. With that in mind the Hayward Police Department (HPD) is busy planning its Annual Toy Drive set for Saturday, December 12.
This year, there are many Hayward families in need because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, so donations are especially needed to help boost holiday cheer. To participate in the Toy Drive, people can bring new unwrapped toy donations to the Hayward Police Department at 300 W. Winton Ave. anytime during business hours through Friday, December 1.
For those who would like to shop online, HPD has set up an Amazon Wish List account at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2LVRTEYPUJ5AM. Use the link to order a gift from Amazon and use the gift registry address for shipping.
Monetary donations also are being accepted. Checks should be made payable to: City of Hayward, with HPD Toy Drive written on the check memo line. For details, call (510) 293-5051 or send an email to haywardpolicetoydrive@hayward-ca.gov. Donations also can be made using VENMO accounts by sending an email to @Delia-Muniz-1 at the Hayward Police Officer’s Association. Be sure to type “Toy Drive” under the notes of the VENMO donation.
Hayward Police Annual Toy Drive
Saturday, Dec 12
Toy and monetary donations accepted daily through Dec 1
Hayward Police Department
300 W. Winton Ave., Hayward
(510) 293-5051
haywardpolicetoydrive@hayward-ca.gov
Amazon Wish List available at:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2LVRTEYPUJ5AM
It’s A Date
CONTINUING EVENTS:
Monday – Saturday
Free COVID-19 Testing
M-F: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Sa: 9 a.m. – 12 noon
Drive through, drop-in, and walk-up testing by appointment
Bay Area Community Health
39500 Liberty St., Fremont
(510) 770-8040
Mondays and Wednesdays
Parenting During COVID R
Tue: 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Wed: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual support group to help families cope with challenges encountered during COVID
To register: www.fremont.gov/3060/Caregiver-Support
(510) 574-2100
Tuesdays
Free Virtual Sing-Along
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zoom choir meeting hosted by Mission Peak Chamber Singers
https://www.chambersingers.org/
Contact: info@chambersingers.org
Wednesdays thru November 18
Live Science
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Join Chabot Science Educators for a fun and interactive science experiment!
Join via Facebook Live
https://chabotspace.org
Wednesdays and Sundays
McNevin at The Mudpuddle
6 p.m.
Dinnertime tunes, oddservations, and bad jokes
Via Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/mudpuddlemusic
Thursdays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Virtual Youth Group
6:30 p.m.
Youth and young adults, students welcome
Contact: brian@newarkpress.org for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org
Sundays
Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church Family Service
10 a.m.
Via ZOOM
For link, call (510) 471-2581
https://sacbc.org/
Sundays
First Presbyterian Church of Newark Virtual Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Sunday School, Ages K – 6th grade
Contact: office@newarkpres.org for Zoom Meeting ID#
www.newarkpres.org
Saturdays
Virtual Town Hall
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
With Supervisor Dave Cortese
Via Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/davecortesegov
Saturdays
Virtual Telescope Viewing R
9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Free on Facebook Live
Join resident astronomers live from Chabot’s observation deck
https://chabotspace.org/calendar/
Saturdays
Online Comedy Shows R$
8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Made Up Theatre’s interactive comedy has gone to YouTube!
Monday, September 14 – Saturday, November 14
Dominican Sisters Online Holiday Boutique
Shop artwork, cookies, honey, afghans, and of course olive oil!
Curbside pickup available November 21-22
https://dsmsj-boutique.myshopify.com/
Mondays and Wednesdays, October 19 – November 18
Food Entrepreneurial Training Academy
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Free online seminar on succeeding in the food business
To register: www.acsbdc.org
Thursdays, October 29 and November 12
Common Skin Conditions R
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Presentation and discussion with experts in the field
Via Zoom: https://bit.ly/35r6Y99
Fridays, November 6 – December 4
OSHA Compliance Training $
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Learn everything you need to know to receive your OSHA certificate
DeVoe Construction
2278 American Ave, Unit 5, Hayward
(800) 433-9819
Saturday & Sunday, November 14 – 15
Niles Canyon Railway Train Rides $
10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Ride a steam train or historic diesel and enjoy the fall weather
www.ncry.org
Thurs, Nov 12 – Sun, Nov 29
Dinosaur Adventure $R
Alameda County Fairgrounds
Enter at Gate 12
4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton
Purchase tickets in advance online
Thurs/Fri: $49 per vehicle
Sat/Sun: $69 per vehicle
Anytime: $69-89 per vehicle
Thursdays, November 12 – December 10
Virtual 4-Part Book Series $
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Spiritual Guides for Today – Winter Grace: Spirituality and Aging, by Kathleen Fischer
Register by 11/10: http://bit.ly/2020_WinterGrace
(510) 933-6360
Saturday, November 14 – Saturday, November 28
Girls’ Tech Day
Explore web coding, virtual reality, robotics, and more! For girls ages 8-24
To Register: https://bit.ly/37aK9Zy
More info at https://bit.ly/341JgAQ
UPCOMING
Tuesday, November 10
AMC 8 Online Math Contest $
8 a.m.
Multiple-choice math test for Fremont students (6-8 grades)
Register by 10/30
https://bit.ly/31udOcv
Wednesday, Nov 11
Virtual Veterans Day Ceremony
9:00 A.M.
View on the City website, YouTube, or Virtual Community Center
www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/vcc
Wednesday, Nov 11
American Legion Flag Presentation
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Park
Intersection of Paseo Padre Pkwy & Walnut Ave
Wednesday, Nov 11
Cocktails & Conservation: Arcas Rescue
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Join Via Facebook Live
https://www.facebook.com/OakZoo/
https://www.oaklandzoo.org/programs-and-events/cocktails-conservation
Thursday, November 12
SAVE Volunteer Information Session
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Learn about the DV movement, impact of the pandemic, and how to make a difference
Via Zoom
https://bit.ly/3l5bBfJ
Thursday, November 12
The Choir of Man $
7:30 p.m.
High-energy, foot-stomping musical goes virtual
www.livermorearts.org
(925) 373-6800
Thursday, November 12
Oh My Aching Feet!
6:30 p.m.
Learn how to recognize common foot and ankle problems
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonHosp/live
YouTube: www.youtube.com/whhsinhealth/
Friday, November 13
Live Long & Love LIFE $
4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Virtual panel discussion on ageism and racism
http://tiny.cc/lifeeldercare
info@LifeElderCare.org
(408) 859-3218
Saturday, November 14
Talkin’ Dirt
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Informative gardening chat hosted by LEAF
Via Zoom
https://bit.ly/366WrjI
Meeting ID: 955 4716 6934
Passcode: 005112
Monday, November 16
Milpitas Rotary
12 noon
Justin Le, Event Support Specialist, SF/Bay Area
Via Zoom: https://bit.ly/33mfczA
Meeting ID: 896 1186 2310
Passcode: 760442
Tuesday, November 17
Hernia: Causes, Symptoms and the Latest Treatment Options
3:30 p.m.
Hernias are common – they cause a localized bulge in the abdomen or groin
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonHosp/live
YouTube: www.youtube.com/whhsinhealth/
Tuesday, November 17
Improving Strength and Balance
7 p.m.
Lecture and discussion regarding how these issues affect women
Via Zoom
https://www.whhs.com/Events/Event-Details.aspx?Event=11441
Tuesday, Nov 17
‘We are still here:’ Wukchumni basketweaving presentation R
Tutorial on basket materials, types, and uses by Wukchumni tribe member Jennifer Malone
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Via Zoom, registration required
https://www.sanleandro.org/depts/library/calendar.asp
Wednesday, November 18
Immigration Overview
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Free info session from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Webex Link: https://bit.ly/3enceyJ
Meeting number (access code): 199 461 5592
Meeting password: VCpwsYaM*232
Wednesday, November 18
Ride-On Tri-City!
10 a.m.
Learn about transportation options for the elderly
Via Zoom
To register: email name, address, and phone # to rideontricity@fremont.gov
Friday, November 20
India Community Center 17th Annual Fundraising Banquet (Virtual) R
7 p.m.
Live auction, silent auction, entertainment
https://bit.ly/3dThHwO
www.indiacc.org/banquet2020
Saturday, November 21
From Bach to Rock $
4 p.m.
Music at the Mission virtual concert: Matt Szemela, violin; Aileen Chanco, piano
www.musicatmsj.org
Saturday, December 5 – Sunday, December 6
Niles Canyon Railway Train Rides R$
9 a.m.
Photographer’s special: historical freight train
www.ncry.org
Friday, December 11 – Saturday, December 12
Parrhesia 2020: A Community of Voices, Identities, and Diversity
8 p.m.
Online theatrical piece about COVID based on local interviews
www.ohlone.edu/parrhesia
Saturday, December 19
An Afternoon at the Opera $
4 p.m.
Music at the Mission virtual concert: Michael Graham, cello; Bill Everett, double bass
www.musicatmsj.org
Jessica Lynn (Fuhrman) Gonzalez
Resident of Fremont
February 20, 1955 – October 14, 2020
Jessica Lynn Gonzalez passed unexpectedly on October 14, 2020. Jessica was born February 20, 1955 in Placerville, California, the third of eight children of James and Elizabeth “Betty” Fuhrman. Beloved wife of Baldemar Gonzalez Jr., mother to Baldemar Fernando Gonzalez and Roberto “Bert” Gonzalez, and grandmother to James David Baldemar Gonzalez, Evan Hartley Gonzalez and Abigail Virginia Gonzalez.
Jessica grew up in East Palo Alto as a child and moved with her family to Redwood City. Jessica met her husband Baldemar while working together at WESGO in Belmont. They wed on May 6, 1978 and spent over 42 years together happily married in Fremont. Jessica was actively involved in her children’s lives, serving as youth baseball team mom, coach, and snack bar worker through the Fremont Babe Ruth league. She regularly volunteered to drive for field trips and sports for her boys and their friends.
In 1995, Jessica began working in childcare and eventually opened her own home daycare in 1996. Many of the children she watched have grown up and started families of their own. She loved caring for children and continued providing childcare for the last 25 years, in addition to caring for her own grandsons.
Jessica was an avid sports fan, supporting the Oakland A’s, San Francisco 49ers and USC Trojans. Before every game, Jessica proudly hung her A’s, 49ers or Trojans flag outside her home. She loved taking her grandsons to A’s games the last few years. In her free time, Jessica enjoyed walking, shopping, and gardening. She was a beloved fixture in her neighborhood, and always kept a watchful eye out for her own kids, grandkids and neighborhood kids.
She is survived by her husband Baldemar, sons Fernando and Bert, daughter in laws Gina and Casaundra, grandchildren James, Evan and Abigail, her sisters Lucille Guillena and Susan Thompson, and brothers Jay Thomas Fuhrman, John Fuhrman and Mike Fuhrman. She was preceded in death by her father and mother James and Elizabeth Furhman, and brothers James “Bear” Fuhrman Jr. and Jeffrey Fuhrman.
The family will be having a private service for Jessica at Fremont Memorial Chapel. The family will host a Celebration of Life at a later date when it is safe to do so.
Fremont Memorial Chapel
510-793-8900
Sky is the limit for local artist
Submitted by Grace Karr, Fremont Cultural Arts Council Board Member
Photos courtesy of Bhavna Misra
Fremont resident, artist and techie Bhavna Misra had to conquer her fear of heights when faced with the job of painting a large mural at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. Painting on this scale required her to use a scissor lift, and periodically lower the lift so she could step back and see the work as a whole. She was willing to brave both heights and a heatwave because, as she said, “Mural painting offers a larger platform for your work, especially when your work dives deep into a theme or social issue. It visually engages the audiences and invites dialogue around it – which is indeed a rewarding and fulfilling experience.”
Misra was painting a mural of Los Gatos called “Reflections of Heart,” part of the County’s 75th anniversary series of 15 murals representing each of its cities. Given ample freedom over content and design, she chose the landmark Lexington Reservoir with its distant wooded hills in the background, painted in eye-catching shades of purple, green, and blue. Misra included a small cat in the corner as an ode to the city’s name.
Misra also worked on a giant mural in San Jose called “100 Block,” organized by nonprofit “Local Color.” This project brought a large group of both new and established artists together to create a work composed of 100 smaller murals, both beautifying the SoFA (South First Area) district and reducing graffiti. Organizers are waiting to find out if the mural made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most collaborative murals on a single wall.
For “100 Block,” Misra chose a nature theme for her section that she called “Sunburst.” The 100 murals were arranged by color on the wall, creating a striking visual impact. This required extensive coordination, since it was painted from top to bottom, so each muralist had to take turns. At one point, heavy rains caused painting to stop and already complicated logistics had to be redone. Still, the benefits of working on a collaborative mural were many. Misra said, “Any type of art bonds artists together – working in groups or sharing a space. Public murals have helped me to foster friendships and introduced me to the joys of networking like no other.”
Misra has an Electrical Engineering degree and has worked for years in the technology sector. Her interest in art began at a young age, and she became a professional artist about ten years ago. She explained “Growing up I had a keen interest in art and had no doubt that I will be an artist one day. I did not have any professional artists in my family, but my parents were creatives at heart. They supported my passion, and I learned very early on that practice makes perfect.” She values both her corporate work and her art, so regularly heads to her art studio after a full workday.
In addition to the various murals and other public art projects under her belt, she owns Bhavna Misra Art studio and has created a substantial body of paintings and illustrations. She especially enjoys painting landscapes, portraits and commonplace objects with a style she describes as a “careful balance of accuracy and expressionism.” She is intrigued with the idea of bringing her different interests together by incorporating technology and science into a mural.
Misra noted that many aspects traditional painting and murals were quite similar, such as composition, color palette, and technique. Large-scale murals can differ in that they require larger brushes, and outdoor house paints that are pre-mixed at the store. She also pointed out that while traditional painting is similar to reading in that it can be best accomplished in solitude, “mural-making is a social activity that connects the artist to the surroundings, the community, and the audience in a deep and direct manner. It thrives on interruptions by curious questions, or stories shared by the passersby.” Sometimes these interruptions have even influenced her artistic decisions; for example, comments from a regular visitor can lead her to change mural colors.
Today murals are increasingly recognized as a valuable asset for making a location more attractive and desirable. They can beautify both new and run-down developments, reduce graffiti, and act as artistic landmarks and symbols of neighborhood pride. They can also promote economic development through tourism, jobs for artists, and attracting foot traffic to stores. One benefit of murals regardless of location and purpose is that they provide an engaging artistic experience to the public free of charge. We look forward to seeing more of Misra’s artwork in our local spaces.
Learn more about Bhavna Misra’s art at (https://bhavnamisra.com/).
Research on people’s behavior during the pandemic: Q & A with California State University East Bay Professor, Dr. Michael Stanton
By Miranda Jetter
Photo via Pixabay
Dr. Michael Stanton is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of Health Sciences at California State University East Bay. He is a co-investigator on an international study identifying psychological and cultural factors that affect the spread of COVID-19.
Tri-City Voice: How is the pandemic are affecting people with mental health disorders?
Dr. Michael Stanton: We know from some studies it looks like people are drinking more. In terms of my own research, some of the stress from both the coronavirus, as well as economic concerns, is contributing to poor diet, less exercise, possibly increased smoking, and poor sleep. You specifically asked about people who have mental illness. Hearing from patients my colleagues and I work with, it’s been really challenging. Some people had finished a program, were getting a job and occupying their time, but now they’re spending most of their time indoors. And, for some people, this is a real trigger for negative behaviors.
TCV: Are you seeing an uptick in people developing mental health issues?
M: It might be too early to know that right now. In past research we’ve seen that there’s actually been a delay in mental health crises. Right when [a crisis is] happening, people are engaged and the adrenaline’s running; they’re better able to cope immediately with stressors. But when it lasts for a while, the aftereffects are an increase in mental health disorders. Some studies suggest that although suicidal behavior is down, suicidal ideation, meaning thinking about suicide, is up, particularly in the young adult demographic.
TCV: You were saying that your research tracks physical activity, health, and substance use, and those issues could exacerbate mental health problems as well.
M: If you think about how people cope with stress or depression, a lot of what we coach people to do is to exercise more or spend more time with others. These are behaviors that have been potentially impacted by the pandemic. Getting a job and getting out of the house—that can be really challenging when someone has concerns about their health, or about how available jobs are. So yes, some of what we normally coach people to do to cope with mental health challenges has definitely been affected. And it really varies based on demographic. I’m a professor, so I see that my students are back living at home with their parents. Now, that probably doesn’t mean they’re drinking a whole lot more necessarily, but it does mean that they’re potentially in a tense situation.
TCV: What are your thoughts on public health messaging around coronavirus?
M: I’m teaching a class right now on health communication, and you can imagine this is exactly what we’re talking about every day. The directions we’ve given people—first not to wear a mask, then to wear masks, but now not to wear certain kinds of masks—it’s very confusing! If you look at some of the rules of good health communication, the two big ones are: consistent and simple. And that is not what we’ve done at all.
I don’t blame people for being confused and frustrated. Unfortunately, I think it’s probably contributed to some of that resistance. You know if you say “no shirt, no shoes, no service” that’s pretty clear, right? And you might hate that but you’re probably going to go along with it.
TCV: In terms of your coronavirus research, can you give me a summary of what you’re trying to achieve?
M: I’m a health psychologist, or a behavioral medicine researcher, which means I look at the intersection between medicine and psychology—particularly at health behaviors. Health behaviors (exercise, sleep, substance use, etc.), even though we think of them as less important to mental disorders, are incredibly important both as indicators and treatments of psychological disorders. We’re looking at health behaviors both as an indicator of how people are doing and also trying to understand if there might be a good way that people are coping with the stress of the pandemic. Also, we’re trying to find out whether the stress of this pandemic is contributing to poor health behaviors and whether coping actually protects people from the harmful effects of the pandemic.
TCV: What health behaviors do you suggest?
M: Basically, the research shows that resilience and coping really are bolstered by good health behaviors. Exercise, that’s probably the number one thing, and it doesn’t need to be a lot. Sleeping is really important. Diet and mindfulness—like breathing, that can be really helpful. There’s also monitoring your news intake. What we saw from 9/11 is that people who followed news day by day and tracked every little thing had worse PTSD symptoms than people who checked it once in a while. Also, if you need help, then actually seeking help from a trained professional.
To see more detailed recommendations for smart health behaviors to adopt during the pandemic check out Dr. Stanton’s Op-ed: https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/training-your-mind-for-the-new-normal/Content?oid=29840106
For more information about Dr. Stanton’s research visit Pyscorona.org
Veteran officer retires on a high note
Submitted by Milpitas PD
After serving the Milpitas community for nearly 22 years, Milpitas Police Officer Christopher Nicholas retired on Friday, November 6.
Nicholas joined the Milpitas Police Department (MPD) on February 1, 1999 after serving as a correctional officer and deputy for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department. During his MPD career Nicholas worked in many capacities. He served in Patrol, the Traffic Safety Unit as a Motorcycle Officer, Firearms Instructor, Arrest Control Team Instructor, Motorcycle Trainer, and Child Safety Seat Inspector.
During his 13 years with the Traffic Safety Unit, Nicholas was the lead investigator in numerous fatal traffic collisions, and he routinely assisted other investigators with similar investigations. Nicholas holds a Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Accident Investigation certificate and is trained in Accident Reconstruction.
Over the years Nicholas volunteered at many community events including Tip-A-Cop Fundraisers, Relay for Life, and Super Bowl 50. He authored the Traffic Matters column in the Milpitas POST newspaper, and he was an active participant in the Santa Clara County Allied Agency Enforcement focusing on traffic matters.
MPD officials described Nicholas, who held the department’s badge 225, as very enthusiastic about his job and extremely committed to traffic safety, and they stated he represented the department well when working with regional partners.
Milpitas Police Log
Submitted by Milpitas PD
Thursday, November 5
• At 3:21 a.m. officers patrolling a shopping center near the 200 block of Calaveras Blvd. spotted a man standing near the rear door of a closed business. When the man saw the officers, he dropped a pry bar and attempted to hide. Officers stopped and quickly took him into custody. The man, later identified by police as a 31-year-old transient from Fremont, had multiple tools and methamphetamine in his possession. He also was on Alameda County probation for vehicle tampering. The man was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Main. Jail.
Milpitas Strong Art Contest
By Staff
Milpitas Residents – there is still time to community spirit by entering the “Milpitas Strong” art contest. Submissions close on Friday, November 13.
To foster community pride, the Milpitas Community Educational Endowment, The Milpitas Beat, and Milpitas Chamber of Commerce are holding a contest for residents to express themselves through art by explaining what Milpitas Strong means to them.
There are three categories: artwork, logo, and kid’s design. Each category will assign cash prizes for 1st ($100), 2nd ($50), and 3rd ($25) place winners.
Learn more about the contest and enter at www.tinyurl.com/MilpitasStrong.
Milpitas Strong Art Contest
Deadline: Nov 13
Netflix raising US streaming prices amid booming growth
By Michael Liedtke
AP Technology Writer
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP), Oct 30 – Netflix is raising most of its U.S. prices by 8% to 13% as its video streaming service rides a wave of rising popularity spurred by government-imposed lockdowns that corralled people at home during the fight against the pandemic.
The increases imposed Friday boost the cost of Netflix's most popular U.S. streaming plan by $1 to $14 per month, while a premium plan that allows more people to watch the service on different screens simultaneously will now cost $2 more at $18 per month. Netflix's basic U.S. plan remains at $9 per month. It marks Netflix's first price changes in the U.S. since an increase rolled out early last year.
New U.S. subscribers will be charged the higher prices immediately, while the increases will affect existing customers in phases during the next few months. Netflix ended September with 73 million subscribers in U.S. and Canada, with the overwhelming majority located in the U.S.
The move had been widely expected after Netflix raised its prices in Canada earlier this month and then ended free 30-day trials in the U.S.
Netflix's price hike comes amid a surge in worldwide growth as efforts to contain the novel coronavirus closed down restaurants, theaters and other entertainment venues. The Los Gatos, California, company gained 28 million worldwide subscribers during the first nine months of the year, already eclipsing its growth for the entire year of 2019. This year's subscriber increases included an additional 5.4 million customers in the U.S. and Canada.
But the price increases may test the bounds of Netflix's popularity, especially if the pandemic-driven recession deepens and forces more U.S. households to curtail their spending.
After Netflix raised its U.S. prices early last year, the streaming service suffered a decline of 130,000 subscribers in the U.S. and Canada from the end of March to the end of June.
Netflix is also facing more competition than ever, including deep-pocketed rivals that include Amazon, Apple, Walt Disney, and AT&T. And several of those plans are far less expensive than Netflix's U.S. plan.
For instance, Disney's rapidly growing streaming service charges just $7 per month for access to a library that includes some of the most beloved films of all time.
Apple's year-old streaming service costs just $5 per month for a relatively small selection of TV series and films, but the iPhone maker is trying to extend its reach by pouring more money into programming and bundling with its some of its other services. For instance, a plan that includes video, music, video games and online storage is being offered for $15 per month, or just a $1 more than Netflix's most popular stand-alone plan.
“We understand people have more entertainment choices than ever and we're committed to delivering an even better experience for our members,“ Netflix said in a statement. “We're updating our prices so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films.“
The higher prices should help lift Netflix's profits, a prospect that investors like. But Netflix's stock fell more than 5% to close Friday at $475.74 amid another down day in the overall market. Netflix's shares have climbed by nearly 50% so far this year, thanks largely to its robust growth amid the pandemic.
Grant will help police boost traffic education and enforcement
Submitted by Sgt. Brian Simon, Newark PD
The safety of everyone traveling is the focus of a $70,000 grant recently awarded to the Newark Police Department (NPD) from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The funds are being used to assist police in their efforts to reduce deaths and injuries on Newark roads.
“These are trying times, and now more than ever, it is important that we are at the forefront of traffic safety,” NPD Lieutenant David Higbee said. “This funding allows us to educate and enhance the safety of all residents.” Higbee added, “Through education and behavior changes, we hope to create an environment that is safe and equitable for all road users in our community.”
The yearlong grant helps NPD to fund a variety of traffic safety programs through September 2021. Programs include:
• Patrols with emphasis on alcohol and drug-impaired driving prevention.
• Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of California’s hands-free
cell phone law.
• Patrols with emphasis on traffic rights education for bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of primary causes of crashes: speeding, failure to yield, failure to stop at stop signs/signals, improper turning/lane changes.
• Collaborative efforts with neighboring agencies on traffic safety priorities.
• Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE).
The focus of the OTS traffic safety program is to educate the public, promote safe driving habits, and deter motorists from violating traffic laws or engaging in other unsafe behaviors that lead to accidents, injuries, and fatalities. Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the OTS, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
US formally exits Paris pact aiming to curb climate change
By Frank Jordans and Seth Borenstein
Associated Press
BERLIN (AP), Nov 04 – The United States on Wednesday formally left the Paris Agreement, a global pact it helped forge five years ago to avert the threat of catastrophic climate change.
The move, long threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump and triggered by his administration a year ago, further isolates Washington in the world but has no immediate impact on international efforts to curb global warming.
Still, the U.N. agency that oversees the treaty, France as the host of the 2015 Paris talks and three countries currently chairing the body that organizes them – Chile, Britain and Italy – issued a joint statement expressing regret at the U.S. withdrawal.
“There is no greater responsibility than protecting our planet and people from the threat of climate change,” the statement said. “The science is clear that we must urgently scale up action and work together to reduce the impacts of global warming and to ensure a greener, more resilient future for us all. The Paris Agreement provides the right framework to achieve this.”
“We remain committed to working with all U.S. stakeholders and partners around the world to accelerate climate action, and with all signatories to ensure the full implementation of the Paris Agreement,” they added.
The next planned round of U.N. climate talks takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021. At present, 189 countries have ratified the accord, which aims to keep the increase in average temperatures worldwide “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5C (2.7 F), compared to pre-industrial levels. A further six countries have signed, but not ratified the pact.
Scientists say that any rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius could have a devastating impact on large parts of the world, raising sea levels, stoking tropical storms and worsening droughts and floods.
The world has already warmed 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial time, so the efforts are really about preventing another 0.3 to 0.7 degrees Celsius (0.5 to 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit) warming from now.
“Having the U.S. pull out of Paris is likely to reduce efforts to mitigate, and therefore increase the number of people who are put into a life-or-death situation because of the impacts of climate change: this is clear from the science,” said Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald, a co-author of U.N. science reports on global warming.
The Paris accord requires countries to set their own voluntary targets for reducing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, and to steadily increase those goals every few years. The only binding requirement is that nations have to accurately report on their efforts.
“The beauty of this system is that nobody can claim they were bullied into some sort of plan,” said Nigel Purvis, a former U.S. climate negotiator in the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. “They're not negotiated. They're accepted.”
The United States is the world's second biggest emitter after China of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide and its contribution to cutting emissions is seen as important, but it's not alone in the effort. In recent weeks, China, Japan and South Korea have joined the European Union and several other countries in setting national deadlines to stop pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than can be removed from the air with trees and other methods.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he favors signing the U.S. back up to the Paris accord. Because it was set up as an executive agreement, not a treaty, congressional approval is not required, Purvis said.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said the accord “shackles economies and has done nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Should the U.S. continue to remain outside the pact, it's likely that other countries will try to impose tariffs on U.S. imports – paving the way for fresh trade wars.
The European Union is currently debating a package of proposals, known as the EU New Green Deal, that would include a so-called carbon border adjustment, aimed at preventing companies from dodging emissions reduction efforts in the 27-nation bloc by manufacturing goods in places without stringent measures.
Germany, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said it was important for Europe to lead by example now that the United States had left the pact. German government spokesman Steffen Seibert noted Wednesday that the EU aims to became the first climate neutral continent by 2050.
Mahowald said she worries that with the U.S. out, China which initially agreed to emission curbs in a two-nation agreement with the Obama administrations, and other nations may decide they don't have to do as much to cut carbon pollution.
While the Trump administration has shunned federal measures to cut emissions, Seibert noted that U.S. states, cities and businesses have pressed ahead with their own efforts.
In addition to condemnation from abroad, environmental and public health groups in the United States criticized Wednesday's withdrawal.
Saucy Squirrel
By Pat Kite
Grey squirrel sits on my fence top calmly eating bird food. Below, tubby terrier stares up and yaps hysterically. Terrier says if it takes him all day and all night, he is going to destroy squirrel. Squirrel, who apparently lost some tail fur to Terrier, has cynical black button eyes. Squirrel throws down some more birdseed remnants. Terrier, furious, jumps up and down in leftover birdseed, barking yippy terrier barks. They have been in this duet all morning.
There are more than 200 squirrel species around the world. The smallest is the African pygmy squirrel at just five inches long. The Indian giant squirrel is three feet long. Also in India is the common Indian palm squirrel at seven inches long. It has a brownish back and three white back stripes. In Hindu mythology, the Palm squirrel helped Lord Rama collect sand, which Lord Rama used to build a bridge to his captured loved one. To show his gratitude, Lord Rama stroked the Palm Squirrels back. The three stripes are the marks of Lord Rama’s fingers.
In Norway, squirrels are called the forest postmen. Squirrels jump from one tree to another carrying messages. When squirrels flee from predators, they run in a zigzag pattern, which is great escaping from hawks and such — not so great for getting out of the way of cars.
Native Americans had many squirrel tales – one has Coyote stealing the invention of fire from the powerful Fire Beings. Finally, when they were asleep, Coyote managed to steal a burning stick. Then he ran quickly. Unfortunately, a Fire Being chased, so Coyote threw the burning stick to Squirrel. Fire Being got close enough to touch Squirrel’s back. Squirrel’s tail protectively curled up and over. As it does today. The squirrel gets great use from its tail, including balance, shade, protection from rain, and a blanket.
Squirrels are quite clever. This time of year, they are busy burying food for winter. Some species can sniff out food buried beneath deep snow. Once they are ready to eat it, they lock onto the scent. They then dig a tunnel to secure the nutty treasure. Of course, sometimes that treasure will not be theirs. Squirrels can lose 25 percent of their food to other squirrels. So, clever squirrels practice “deceptive caching.” To fool food robbers, they pretend to bury a tidbit by digging a hole and covering it up, but they do not drop in a nut. Other times they seem to forget where they have planted a nut. We can thank squirrels for their help in planting more trees, since many unrecovered nuts grow into trees.
Why do squirrels chatter? They do so to protect their territory from rival squirrels, to alert their neighbors of predators, and to scold and annoy a predator so it will leave the area.
Why do tubby terriers yap at squirrels? There is always hope.
$166 million in fines recommended for PG&E over power outages
AP Wire Service
SAN FRANCISCO (AP), Oct 30 – California regulators are being asked to fine Pacific Gas & Electric nearly $166 million for failing to properly inform customers before it cut power to millions of people last year.
The sweeping outages without proper notification were “a major public safety failure” that disrupted lives and posed a risk to medically vulnerable people who use electrical equipment such as wheelchairs, iron lungs and dialysis machines, according to a brief submitted Friday to the state Public Utilities Commission by the Public Advocates Office.
The office is an independent organization within the PUC that is charged with representing utility taxpayers' interests before the agency.
Two blackouts in October 2019 lasted several days and affected dozens of Northern California counties. The resulting chaos – phones and gas pumps, elevators, traffic lights and even water pumps stopped working – created furious criticism.
The PUC last November declared that PG&E – the nation's largest utility – had created risks to public safety by failing to communicate with customers and work with local governments before enacting sweeping Public Safety Power Shutoff blackouts from Oct. 9-12 and again from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1.
Altogether, the outages affected 1.67 million customers, which works out to more than 4 million people if each customer account serves between two and three people.
The outages occurred during hot, dry, windy weather and were designed to prevent PG&E power lines or other equipment from being knocked over or fouled and sparking catastrophic wildfires.
PG&E equipment caused several devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that killed more than 100 people and destroyed more than 27,000 homes and other buildings.
However, the Public Advocates Office said PG&E “put the lives of many vulnerable customers at risk, and either failed in or disregarded its obligations to public safety partners, local agencies, and essential service workers.”
Furthermore, PG&E continues to fall short in its notification efforts, the office argued.
The office laid out three possible fines, ranging from about $87.5 million to a high of $277.5 million but recommended the PUC adopt the middle range of $165.7 million.
An email to PG&E seeking comment wasn't immediately returned. The utility has until Nov. 11 to respond to the fine recommendation.
The utility did provide widespread notification to customers for each of five safety shutoffs it conducted this year, including one last week that affected about 1 million people in 34 counties.
However, the Public Advocates Office argued that the utility hasn't learned its lesson and added: “if left unchecked, PG&E's PSPS failures will result in loss of life.”
Blood donations urged amid coronavirus pandemic, and upcoming holidays
Submitted by Christine Welch
The American Red Cross is urging healthy donors of all blood types to band together to give blood or platelets and help ensure a stable blood supply for patients this holiday season.
The traditional slump in blood donations between Thanksgiving and New Year’s comes as the blood supply already faces challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic. Required medical treatments and emergencies don’t pause for the holidays or a widespread coronavirus outbreak.
Appointments can be made to give blood, platelets or plasma with the Red Cross by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-(800) 733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
In thanks for making time to donate around Thanksgiving, those who come to give blood November 25-28 will receive an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeve T-shirt, courtesy of Suburban Propane, while supplies last.
The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether an individual has developed COVID-19 symptoms. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood donation collected from COVID-19 survivors that have antibodies that may help patients who are actively fighting the virus.
COVID-19 antibody test results will be available within one to two weeks in the Red Cross Blood Donor App or donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. A positive antibody test result does not confirm infection or immunity. The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness. To protect the health and safety of Red Cross staff and donors, it is important that individuals who do not feel well or believe they may be ill with COVID-19 postpone donation.
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions — including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff — have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.
Here are in-person blood donation opportunities available in the Tri-City region from November 16-29.
• Castro Valley
Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene
19230 Lake Chabot Road
Nov 24: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Newark
Fremont-Newark Blood Donation Center
39227 Cedar Blvd.
Nov 16: 11:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Nov 17-19, 23, 25, 30: 11:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Nov 20, 21, 27, 28: 8:15 a.m. to -3:00 p.m.
Nov 22, 29: 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
• San Leandro
Gate 510
1933 Davis St.
Nov 25: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Kaiser Permanente, San Leandro
2500 Merced St.
Nov 27: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ride-hailing, delivery giants win fight against labor law
By Cathy Bussewitz and Michael Liedtke
AP Business Writers
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP), Nov 4 – A group of technology-empowered rebels, including Uber, Lyft and Doordash, have dodged a potentially devastating blow to their industry by carving out an exemption for themselves from a California law that required them to classify their drivers as employees instead of contractors.
California voters passed Proposition 22, winning 58% of more than 11 million voters and delivering a stinging rebuke to state lawmakers and labor leaders who were fighting for better working conditions for a growing number of people who drive for ride-hailing and food delivery services in the nation's most populous state.
California has one of the strictest laws in the country for determining when a company must treat its workers as employees with benefits such as minimum wage, overtime and sick days. Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Instacart and others sought to get out of those requirements, and after failing in court, succeeded in convincing voters to give them an exemption from most of the year-old law's provisions.
A record $200 million spending spree by the companies and their supporters helped them win the vote. The investment yielded a huge return for Uber and Lyft, whose combined market value climbed by $8 billion on Wednesday.
Supporters applauded the outcome, saying drivers would be able to maintain their independence while accessing new benefits such as a guaranteed minimum wage and health care subsidies.
Don Pruitt, an accountant in Stockton, was relieved by Proposition 22's passage because it will allow him to continue to drive for both Lyft and Uber, as well as handle deliveries for Postmates and Instacart, as he has been during the past three years whenever he isn't busy filing taxes for his clients.
“If Prop. 22 had lost, I wouldn't have been able to keep doing that to make extra money. I couldn't work for all of them if I had to be an employee,” Pruitt said.
Others viewed the development as a major setback for gig workers.
“It should be a good wake-up call for us all, across the country, if these companies think they can buy their way out of having to comply with basic labor laws,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, a labor attorney who has been fighting for employment protections for app-based workers. “I'm worried about what these companies may try to pull off on a national basis.”
Edan Alva, a former Lyft driver, stopped driving during the pandemic because he was shelling out for disinfectant, risking his health and barely making money. He was hoping the proposition would fail, leading to better working conditions so he could consider driving again.
“Labor rights are human rights, and the fact that Lyft and Uber managed to basically trump human rights doesn't mean everyone should give in,” he said.
Investors were thrilled with the outcome, largely because it allows the companies to preserve the status quo and puts them in a better position to reverse their long history of losses after the pandemic is over. Uber's stock surged nearly 12% in afternoon trading while Lyft's shares gained 9%.
The triumph came at a high cost after the two opposing sides of the issues spent more than $220 million arguing their cases, making Proposition 22 by far the most expensive initiative in California history. Uber, Lyft and, DoorDash, Instacart and their supporters accounted for roughly $200 million of that amount, underscoring how badly the companies wanted to preserve their business model.
Still pending in Alameda County Superior Court is a case brought by California's labor commissioner against Uber and Lyft in August, which accuse the companies in separate complaints of engaging in “wage theft.“ The suit seeks to recover unpaid wages and other penalties for the 10 months that California's law had been in effect before Proposition 22's passage.
Among the labor concessions embedded in Proposition 22 are requirements that Uber, Lyft and the other app-based companies provide 120% of minimum wage for “engaged” time such as when a driver is heading to pick up a passenger, a health care subsidy and expenses reimbursement per mile.
Some drivers supported the proposal out of fear that if it didn't pass, they would lose their working flexibility, if not their entire jobs.
Bussewitz reported from New York.
San Leandro City Council
November 2, 2020
Recognitions:
• Proclaimed November 2, 2020 as Law Enforcement Records and Support Personnel Day in San Leandro. In an address to the council San Leandro Police Department Chief Jeff Tudor described employees as “unsung heroes” of the department.
Public comments:
• Numerous citizens commented about the city’s quick action in handling the recent embezzlement case in the San Leandro Police Department, but also expressed concerns about the slow process in responding to a fatal police-involved shooting earlier in the year, and that the officer has not been disciplined. Another citizen reminded the council that the city sits on Ohlone land and asked that the city acknowledge the Ohlone people during Indigenous People’s Month.
Resolutions:
• Work accepted for pedestrian crossing improvements including rectangular rapid flashing beacons at the intersections of Bancroft Avenue at Haas Avenue, and Williams Street at Dolly Avenue; installation of speed feedback signs along Benedict Drive and miscellaneous storm drain repairs citywide.
• Appropriate additional funding from the General Fund Unrestricted Fund Balance Reserves of $60,000 to complete the design phase of the Neptune Drive Shoreline Protection Project.
• Ordinance amending sections of the San Leandro Municipal Code related to penalties for code violations.
• Amend the adopted Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget for General Fund and Capital Improvement Projects Fund Revenues and Expenditures.
Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter Aye
Vice Mayor Pete Ballew Aye
Victor Aguilar, Jr. Aye
Ed Hernandez Aye
Benny Lee Aye
Deborah Cox Aye
Corina Lopez Aye
San Leandro Police Log
Submitted by San Leandro PD
Friday, November 6
• At 4:40 a.m. officers responded to a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian near the intersection of 145th Avenue and E. 14th Street. An early investigation indicated a motorist was driving north in the 14500 block of E. 14th Street when a 20- to30-year-old man suddenly walked into the street outside a pedestrian crossing and was struck by the motorist who did not see him. The pedestrian died at the scene. Traffic investigators said excessive speed or alcohol did not appear to be factors in the incident; the motorist stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Traffic on E. 14th Street between 143rd and 146th avenues was closed for about an hour during the investigation.
San Francisco advises self-quarantine after travel
By Olga R. Rodriguez and Amy Taxin
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP), Nov 04 – Health officials in San Francisco said Wednesday that residents who travel outside the area during the upcoming holiday season may be asked to quarantine when they return home to try to prevent a spike in coronavirus cases.
San Francisco officials said in a statement that they are recommending a two week quarantine for people who interact with individuals from outside their households at less than 6 feet (1.8 m) of distance and without wearing masks. They are discussing with five other Bay Area counties whether to issue a regional advisory.
The proposal comes as California has seen coronavirus cases inch up recently, though the infection rate in the nation's most populous state remains much lower than the country as a whole.
The goal would be to prevent a rise in infections in the Bay Area, which has lower case and infection rates than many areas in Southern California. San Francisco, for example, has a positivity of less than 1 percent, compared with 3.3 percent for the state, which state health officials say is about half that of the nation overall.
“The last thing we need is people traveling outside to higher prevalence areas and bringing the virus back,” Dr. Matt Willis, the Marin County health officer, said during a recent public meeting about school reopenings.
California has not seen a surge in coronavirus cases like many other states in recent months, but infections have been inching up, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's secretary of health and human services. The state reported a 7-day average of 4,471 cases, which is up from a month ago but nowhere near the levels reported after a spike in infections over the summer following a series of business reopenings.
Virus hospitalizations also rose 13.5 percent over the past 14 days, he said.
Ghaly said he believes California has been able to keep infections relatively low by moving businesses outdoors and slowing down the pace of reopening. As the weather cools and days grow shorter, he said he hopes people can bundle up and keep activities outside wherever possible.
“Although we're seeing some trends up here in California, those trends are modest, steady. We're watching them closely,” he said during a weekly briefing. “I think our approach to keeping as much of our activities outdoors even in the formal business sectors as much as possible has contributed quite a bit to keeping transmission low.“
State health officials expect to release guidance in the coming weeks ahead of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Officials are concerned cases could rise as families and friends mix more to celebrate and the weather turns colder, and that both could occur as flu season begins.
–
Taxin reported from Orange County, California. Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
Plant Trees Now for Decades of Shade and Beauty
By Melinda Myers
Photos Courtesy www.MelindaMyers.com
Cooler temperatures and warm soil make fall a great time to add trees to your landscape. Make the most of this investment of money and time and give your tree its best chance at survival with proper planting and care.
Select a tree suited to your growing conditions, landscape design, and available space. Make sure it tolerates the sunlight, soil, and temperature extremes. Check the tag for the mature height and spread. You will have a better-looking plant that always fits the space with minimal pruning.
Avoid planting near overhead utilities since trees and power lines make for a dangerous combination. Contact your underground utility locating service at least three business days before placing the first shovel in the ground. It is free, and all you need to do is call 811 or file an online request.
Once the area is marked, you can get busy planting. Ensure your tree thrives for many years to come with proper planting. Dig a saucer-shaped hole three to five times wider than the root ball. It should only be as deep as the distance from the root flare to the bottom of the root ball. The root flare, where the roots bend away from the trunk, should always be at or slightly above the soil surface.
Set the tree in the hole, then peel back and cut away any burlap and wire cages. These can eventually constrict root growth. Roughen the sides of the hole and backfill with the existing soil. Water thoroughly to moisten the roots and surrounding soil.
Continue to water thoroughly whenever the top few inches of soil are crumbly and moist. Proper watering, especially during the first two years, is critical for establishing trees. Watering thoroughly as needed encourages deep roots and a more drought-tolerant and pest-resistant tree.
Monitor soil moisture near the trunk and beyond the root ball. Since many containerized trees are grown in soilless mix, the root ball dries out more quickly than the surrounding soil. Adjust your watering technique and schedule to accommodate this difference.
Mulch the soil surface with a 2- to 3-inch layer of woodchips or shredded bark to conserve water, suppress weeds and improve the soil as it decomposes. Pull the mulch back from the trunk of the tree to avoid disease problems. Remove any tags that can eventually girdle the tree and prune out any broken or rubbing branches. Wait a year to fertilize, and two years, once the tree is established, for additional pruning.
Continue providing tender loving care for at least the first two years. Make regular checkups, prune to create a strong structure, and keep grass, weeds, and lawn care equipment away from the trunk throughout the lifetime of your tree. Your efforts will be rewarded with years of beauty and shade.
Gardening expert Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. Myers is the host of The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ website is www.melindamyers.com.
Loans for Small Businesses
Submitted by City of Union City
California Rebuilding Fund (the “Fund”) is a public-private partnership that aggregated funding from private, philanthropic, and public sector resources. The Fund is backed by California’s iBank Loan Guarantee Program, which covers 95 percent of any losses, or will benefit from a $25 million “first loss commitment.” This guarantee makes loans available to small businesses that might not be available through conventional lenders.
Interested businesses can apply for a loan through a centralized online portal that will collect standard information to determine eligibility. Applicants will be matched with a participating lender. One of the lenders will assist the small business with the application and provide hands-on support to ensure the small business is able to navigate the process or be redirected to a more appropriate product.
This is a statewide program, and funds are limited; however, the Fund will prioritize equity in distribution and access of funds by setting program wide targets to ensure diversity. The loan applications will not be processed first-come first-served. Applications will be prioritized to maximize support for businesses that traditionally lack access to credit.
To apply use the Connect2Capital platform to get started: connect2capital.com/partners/california-rebuilding-fund/
Social Security Matters
Ask Rusty – Why Isn't My Wife Getting Half of My Benefit?
By Certified Social Security Advisor Russell Gloor
Association of Mature American Citizens
Dear Rusty: My wife isn't getting half of my Social Security benefit amount. Shouldn't she be? Signed: Feeling Cheated
Dear Feeling Cheated: A spouse does not always receive 50 percent of the husband's Social Security benefit, because it depends on the age at which both of you claimed Social Security, and whether your wife was entitled to benefits from her own lifetime work record.
If your wife is entitled to Social Security on her own work record and claimed that before she reached her full retirement age (FRA), she would never get half of your benefit amount as your spouse because she claimed her own benefit early. Your wife's spousal benefit consists of both her own benefit and a “spousal boost,” so claiming her own reduced benefit early would also result in a lower spousal benefit. Her spousal boost, which was based upon her full retirement age (FRA) benefit amount compared to half of your FRA benefit amount, will also be reduced if she claimed the spouse benefit before her full retirement age.
If your wife wasn't entitled to her own benefit (from her own lifetime work record), but instead claimed her spouse benefit from you before reaching her FRA, her spouse benefit would be permanently reduced, again because she claimed it before her full retirement age. A basic Social Security rule is that any time any Social Security benefit is claimed before full retirement age, that benefit is permanently reduced.
The spouse benefit is based upon each spouse's benefit amount at their full retirement age. So, for example, if you delayed beyond your FRA to get a higher personal benefit for yourself, your wife's spousal benefit would still be based upon your FRA benefit amount, not the increased amount you received by delaying past your FRA to claim. Which would again mean a spousal benefit which is less than 50 percent of your actual benefit.
So, as you can see, a spouse doesn't always get half of the higher earning spouse's Social Security benefit. Your wife's benefit will be less than 50 percent of your FRA benefit if she took any SS benefit before reaching her full retirement age. And it will also be less than half of the benefit you are now receiving if you delayed past your own FRA to claim a higher benefit for yourself.
This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation's staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
Terry Lee Tressell
February 15, 1945 – October 13, 2020
Resident of Fremont
Born in Stark County, Ohio at Aultman Hospital, Terry was the son of Janice Beck Tressell and George Tressell. In 1963, he graduated from Canton Lincoln High School in Canton, then attended Bowling Green State University and the University of Maryland. Terry served in the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1969, and worked for Raytheon overseas in Germany, Italy, and Japan. In 1973, he graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Computer Science. He worked in the computer industry in Ohio, New Jersey, New York, and California.
He had his pilot’s license and always loved flying, airplanes, and air shows. In recent years, Terry owned Woodbox Specialties in Hayward, California, which specialized in commercial displays and items for the wine and hospitality industry. Terry is survived by his wife of 55 years, Paula Griffin Tressell; his son, Aaron Vaughn Tressell; his grandson, Timo Takumi Tressell; and his sister, Nancy King.
Services and interment will be at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California.
Donation in his memory can be made to the American Cancer Society for research in pancreatic cancer.
Tri-City Cremation & Funeral Service
Newark, CA 94560
510-494-1984
Veterans Day events scheduled
On Wednesday, November 11 the Tri-City area will honor those who have served our country in the armed forces. Veterans Day is held on the 11th of November (with many ceremonies starting at 11 a.m.) in memory of the day cessation of hostilities was declared, ending the First World War, in 1918. The holiday was originally known as “Armistice Day” but renamed “Veterans Day” in 1954 to honor all those who have served.
Although many veteran organizations are cautious about gatherings, Milpitas will have a virtual photo wall to commemorate the day, and American Legion Post 837 will present flags at the Veterans Memorial in Fremont.
The USS Hornet in Oakland will be open on Veterans Day 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. with special guests and exhibitors including: the American Armory Museum, SS Red Oak Victory Ship, Alameda Naval Air Museum and The Swingin’ Blue Stars. A “flyover” by the Memorial Squadron will take place in the afternoon.
Other memorials and veteran facilities in the Tri-City Voice readership area, including Castro Valley Veterans Memorial, may hold special events, but were unavailable for confirmation.
Virtual Veterans Day Ceremony
Wednesday, Nov 11
9:00 A.M.
View on the City website, YouTube, or Virtual Community Center
www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/vcc
American Legion Flag Presentation
Wednesday, Nov 11
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Park
Intersection of Paseo Padre Pkwy and Walnut Ave.
USS Hornet – Sea, Air and Space Museum
707 W. Hornet Ave., Alameda
(510) 521-8448
Walgreens finishes McKesson deal; names Jarrett to board
AP Wire Service
DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP), Nov 02 – Drugstore chain Walgreens Boots Alliance has finished a deal to combine its pharmaceutical wholesale businesses in Germany with McKesson Corp.
Walgreens said Monday that it will control 70% of the venture, while McKesson has a 30% interest. The companies entered into the deal last December to produce greater economies of scale in the German pharmaceutical wholesale market, Walgreens said in a recently filed Securities and Exchange Commission document.
Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. runs more than 21,000 stores in 11 countries.
The company also announced late last week that it named one of former President Barack Obama's advisers, Valerie Jarrett, to its board of directors.
Jarrett also serves on the boards of Lyft and Ralph Lauren, among other companies. She was a senior adviser in the White House from 2009 to 2017.
Walgreens said Jarrett is the first African American woman appointed to the board and fourth woman on the current board.
Cranes lift Dutch runaway train off whale sculpture
AP Wire Service
SPIJKENISSE, Netherlands (AP), Nov 03 – The front carriage of a Dutch metro train that landed on a sculpture of a whale's tail after plowing through the end of an elevated section of rails was painstakingly lifted clear of the artwork Tuesday and lowered to the ground.
The train was left precariously balanced on the whale's tail 10 meters (33 feet) above the ground Monday, after plunging off the end of a metro line in Spijkenisse, a town on the southern edge of Rotterdam.
Two large yellow cranes worked in tandem Tuesday, placing chains around the front and rear of the train's foremost carriage to support it. In an operation that started at dawn and lasted into the darkness of evening, workers also cut it loose from another carriage and removed its wheels before the train was lowered slowly to the ground.
About 30 people watching the operation cheered as the front carriage finally was separated from the rest of the train amid gathering darkness and cheered again when it was deposited on the ground.
The train was empty at the time it crashed onto the sculpture and the driver escaped unhurt, thanks to the whale tail's unlikely catch.
The local security authority said the driver was interviewed by police Monday as part of the investigation into the cause of the crash and allowed to go home.