SF News

July 3, 2011

S.F. fireworks may not be masked by fog this year

Typically, it's easy to spot a San Francisco tourist in July. They're the ones wearing freshly purchased fleece sweatshirts, and mumbling, "But it's supposed to be warm in California." That won't be the case today, as...

U.S. funds help S.F. school serve kids over summer

Nellie Gaoteote sat at a desk in a fourth-floor classroom at John Muir Elementary School on a recent summer day, working on a writing assignment, as she paused to relate a recent lesson on Africa. Across San Francisco,...

San Francisco Bay Area Saturday News Roundup

Oakland Rally to Protect CalWorks

About 40 angry welfare recipients and advocates for the poor rallied in Oakland Friday to protest cuts to the state's welfare-to-work program that took effect Friday. As part of the budget that was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday, monthly grants to CalWORKs recipients have been reduced by 8 percent to an average of $460 a month for a family of three, which advocates say is only 29 percent of the federal poverty level. Adults who receive CalWORKs cash assistance are now only eligible for 48 months of assistance in their lifetimes, instead of the previous limit of 60 months, and the earned income disregard has been cut in half, from $225 to $112 a month. Welfare advocates say the earned income disregard is an incentive for families to work by allowing them to keep more of the money they earn but the cut means families will be forced to give up more of their earned income. In the rally at the Alameda County Social Services Agency's office on San Pablo Avenue near 20th Street, Ashley Proctor, a young San Leandro single mother, said her reduction in income will make it harder for her to provide for her 4-year-old son.

Proctor said she used to receive $562 a month but now will only get $340 a month. Referring to her son, Proctor said, "You cannot give him what he needs for $300 a month" and said her income reduction "is very disrespectful." Proctor said she no longer will be employed through CalWORKs' work-study program and will lose all funding for school. Ethel Long-Scott, the executive director of the Women's Economic Agenda Project, asked, "What kind of America do we want" and vowed to fight cutbacks in welfare programs and other social services. "If they want to throwdown, we can throwdown, too," Long-Scott said.

Fire Killing Two SF Firefighters Most Likely Accidental

An investigation into the cause of a fire that claimed the lives of two San Francisco firefighters in June indicated that the blaze was accidental and most likely electrical in nature, fire officials said. Lt. Vincent Perez, 48, and firefighter-paramedic Anthony Valerio, 53, succumbed to injuries sustained battling the blaze at 133 Berkeley Way in the city's Diamond Heights neighborhood on June 2. Perez died later that day, and Valerio died two days later. It was the first time since 2003 that the department had a firefighter die in the line of duty, much less two. A third firefighter was also injured during the response. She was treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns at a hospital and was released. The two men, who were veterans of the department and worked out of Station 26, were found badly burned inside the home after radio communication was lost after a "flashover" -- an explosion from intense heat -- rocked the home. The exact cause of the fire was still unknown, fire officials said, because testing of electrical components and the residential electrical system had yet to be completed. What was known was that the fire started one floor below grade in the four-story single-family home.

An official report is scheduled to be released sometime next month, and that report will contain information from an internal safety investigation, according to fire officials. The San Francisco Fire Department also requested that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conduct an independent safety investigation. That investigation is ongoing.

Jurors in Martinez Deliberative in Shemeeka Davis Case

Jurors in Martinez deliberated for a little more than an hour Friday before finding that an Antioch woman was sane when she tortured and abused her two foster children and murdered one of them in 2008. Shemeeka Davis, 40, sobbed uncontrollably as the verdict was read. In June, the same jury convicted Davis of first-degree murder and two counts each of torture and child abuse for the torture, abuse and killing of her niece, 15-year-old Jazzmin Davis, and the torture and abuse of Jazzmin's twin brother, who survived. She now faces up to two life sentences for her crimes. Prosecutor Satish Jallepalli said during the trial that Davis had beat the children with belts, electrical cords and a wooden closet rod and burned them with boiling water and an iron.

She reportedly locked them in their closet for long periods of time and withheld food from them. When Jazzmin died on Sept. 2, 2008, she was so malnourished that she only weighed 78 pounds. She was 5 feet 7 inches tall. Her brother was also severely malnourished. Davis also withheld medical treatment from the children and prevented Jazzmin from going to school for about a year before her death. Her attorney Betty Barker argued during trial that Davis was legally insane and suffered from several severe mental illnesses, including psychotic delusions, which caused her to falsely believe that Jazzmin and her brother were evil and were trying to poison her and her biological daughter, who was 7 years old when Jazzmin died. Barker argued that Davis, in her delusional state, believed she was punishing the children to make them behave and was unable to see the damage she was doing. Jallepalli agreed that Davis was mentally ill, but said she went to great lengths to conceal the abuse, which showed that she knew what she was doing was wrong and that she was therefore legally sane when she committed her crimes. After the verdict was read, Davis was crying too hard to be able to set a date for sentencing. She is scheduled to return to Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez on Tuesday to set a sentencing date.

Man Accused of Killing Sonoma County Officer Arraigned

A man accused of killing a former Sonoma County corrections officer in downtown Santa Rosa early Wednesday morning was arraigned for murder and use of a gun Friday afternoon in Sonoma County Superior Court. Ryan Mitchell Dietz, 29, of Santa Rosa, delayed entering his pleas until July 15. Judge Rene Chouteau ordered him not to change his physical appearance until he appears in a identification line-up next week. Dietz is charged with killing 33-year-old Jack Romero of Santa Rosa after an argument outside the Third Street Aleworks at 610 3rd St. He allegedly chased Romero and shot him as he ran. Romero's body was found around midnight Wednesday in a breezeway nearby. Dietz was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Integrity Electric in San Rafael, where he worked as an electrician. Santa Rosa police said Dietz confronted Romero on previous occasions about Romero dating his girlfriend, Garicka Lavern Rush, when the couple was estranged. Rush and Dietz have three children. Rush, 31, and Romero were at the pub just before the killing, according to police. Rush has been charged with being an accessory to the murder, but police said she did not witness it.

Friday afternoon she delayed entering her plea until Thursday. Chouteau raised her bail from $50,000 to $100,000 after Deputy District Attorney Jane Murray said Rush also tampered with evidence in the case. Dietz is being held without bail. Both the defendants and Romero were neighbors at one time, police said. Dietz and Rush have been charged with misdemeanor battery on a spouse or co-habitant, according to court records. Both their cases were dismissed. Dietz was arrested for false imprisonment and battery on Dec. 24, 2008. He was released from custody, placed under supervision and his case was dismissed on April 7, 2009, at the prosecution's request. Rush was arrested for spousal battery and vandalism on April 10, 2005. The case was dismissed on May 16, 2006 when the prosecution said it did not have the witnesses to proceed with the trial.

A Veteran's Story and the Housing 1000 Campaign

For the past year, a 71-year-old veteran has spent his days living out of his car at the intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and state Highway 85 in San Jose, among the thousands of people who are homeless in Santa Clara County and who, prior to this week, were nameless to the world. The man, who goes by "Charles," has diabetes, asthma, emphysema and liver disease, as well as mental illness and alcohol addiction, among other ailments. "He needs our help," Hilary Barroga, chairperson of the Santa Clara County Collaborative on Affordable Housing and Homeless Issues, said in front of San Jose City Hall Friday morning. Barroga and others held a debriefing on a three-day homeless survey conducted this week to determine why the most vulnerable and long-term homeless remain so, and to create a registry for a campaign that aims to move 1,000 homeless people into permanent housing by 2013.

As part of the Housing 1000 campaign, this week hundreds of volunteers canvassed the streets and shelters of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. They identified and surveyed more than 700 people who are homeless, 271 of whom were found to have health conditions with a high mortality risk. The volunteers gathered their information, including their names, pictures and dates of birth, health status, institutional history, length of homelessness, patterns of shelter use, and previous housing situation. Of those surveyed, the oldest homeless person was 85 years old and the youngest was 18. The record for the longest length of homelessness was 58 years. One out of every five people surveyed reported being employed. The data will be used to create a registry of those who are in most need of housing and medical care, among other services. Another survey will be done in Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Martin on July 20 and 21. Becky Kanis, the director for the national 100,000 Homes campaign, said it is one thing to be without a permanent home, but even more tragic for people to die on the streets unknown. "It upsets me that there are people dying on the streets who we don't even know their names," Kanis said.

625-lb Hamburger at Alameda County Fair!

History could be made at the Alameda County Fair today, as an attempt will be made to grill a 625-pound hamburger that would be the world's largest commercially available hamburger. Cooking such a large burger might seem to be a frivolous endeavor, but fair organizers say it is for a good cause, as individual bites will be sold for 99 cents, with the proceeds going to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. The 99-cent price is in celebration of the fair's 99th consecutive year of operations. Trying to break the record is serious business, as officials from the Guinness Book of Records will be on hand to verify that the burger is bigger than the 595-pound burger that currently holds the record. The burger is expected to be 1,375,000 calories, which is enough to feed one person for about 22.5 months.

The trimmings will include a 110-pound bun, more than 50 pounds of cheese, more than 20 pounds of onions, more than 12 pounds of pickles and 30 pounds of lettuce. The burger will be cooked on the world's largest barbecue, which is owned by Juicys, a mobile food and beverage business that serves large events such as the Kentucky Derby, car races, rodeos and fairs. Juicys owner Brett Enright said Friday that trying to cook the world's largest burger was his idea, as he likes the idea of having "a mega event" and trying to break a record. "It's a fun project," he said. Enright said cooks will begin preparing the burger at 5 a.m., and at 6 a.m. they will start cooking it on a huge fire pit grill mounted on an 18-wheel, 72,000-pound truck. "It looks like a big tanker," Enright said. He said cooking the burger will take about 10 hours and that a large crane will flip it halfway through the process. The burger will be tested around 4 p.m. to make sure it is done, and then Guinness officials will verify its size. Once all that is done, cooks will slice off chunks of the burgers to sell to fairgoers who want to taste a piece of history.

Santa Cruz Police Seize 100 Marijuana Plants

Santa Cruz police seized nearly 100 marijuana plants and about 20 pounds of processed and dried marijuana product from an auto repair shop on Thursday. Officers served a search warrant at Good Guys Diesel and Bio-Mechanics, located at 1191 Water St., around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, according to police. Inside the business, they allegedly found nearly 100 plants and about 20 pounds of processed and dried marijuana product. The officers also found equipment, including grow lights, ventilation systems and a drying room. Police believe the operation was in mid-harvest and that the facility had the potential to produce higher volumes of marijuana.

The business is located a block away from a public middle school and a few hundred feet away from a daycare center, according to police. The investigation began after residents in the neighborhood tipped off police to a possible illegal marijuana grow operation at the business. Employees told officers that the diesel and bio-mechanics business was separate from the marijuana grow operation, but officers found evidence to suggest otherwise, according to police. They have not yet been able to locate the business owner. Officers are looking for the owner and investigating the business' financial records. Two people in connection with the business were arrested but were later released. The building was shut down because of illegal construction and electrical wiring violations, according to police.

Four People Arrested in Connection to 2008 Gang-Related Homicide, Union City

Four people were arrested Friday morning in connection with a 2008 gang-related homicide in Union City, police said Friday. Union City police served a series of search and arrest warrants Friday morning with the help of Fremont and Newark police and the Southern Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force, police Lt. Ben Horner said in a statement. Four of those arrested were identified as having taken part in the shooting death of Juan Carlos Gomez, a 28-year-old Hayward resident, on Feb. 29, 2008. Gomez was shot and killed near Kennedy Park. He and another man were found in a vehicle on 12th Street around 6:15 p.m., both suffering from gunshot wounds. Initial reports indicated that a group of males approached the two men, who were in their vehicle at 12th and J streets. After an argument, the car began to speed off through the park. Shots were fired at the vehicle, which broadsided a parked car on J Street. Gomez was said to be the driver at the time of the shooting. Investigators later determined that the shooting took place during a robbery and that gang-related slogans were overheard during the incident, Horner said. Police said they would not release the identities of those arrested until later Friday due to the "fluid and complex nature of the investigation."

Sea Plane Capsizes in Richardson Bay Near Sausalito

A sea plane carrying two people capsized in Richardson Bay near Sausalito tonight after it was hit by a wave while attempting to take off from the water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The man and woman aboard the plane were rescued unharmed by a good Samaritan vessel, the Elixir, and the Sausalito Police Department, the Coast Guard said. Pollution response crews with the Coast Guard are investigating a potential pollution threat posed by the capsized plane. Station Golden Gate launched a 25-foot response boat to assess the scene, and pollution responders from Sector San Francisco's incident management division are involved in the ongoing investigation. -0- Two people who were apparently intoxicated were pulled from San Francisco Bay Friday along the Embarcadero, a police spokesman said. The two friends were near Pier 7 when one of them "jumped in the water to get something," San Francisco police Officer Albie Esparza said. "The other jumped in to save him." The pair was taken out of the water and treated by paramedics "for precautionary reasons," Esparza said. Esparza did not have information on whether any arrests related to the drunken swim were made.

Rise in Propoerty Value in San Mateo, More Money for Local Agencies

A rise in assessed property values means more money for local agencies, San Mateo County Assessor Mark Church said Friday. Assessed property values for San Mateo County rose 1.12 percent to more than $142.5 billion for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, marking a return to positive, if "anemic," growth, said Church. Last year, property assessment rolls dropped for the first time in decades, falling 1.39 percent, or $2 billion, in assessed value. This year's $1.5 billion increase, while small, is a return to positive growth driven largely by an increase in the consumer price index, Church said. "While the real estate market continues to show signs of weakness, some areas are showing a slight increase in market value," Church said. The increase means local agencies in the county will receive more property tax revenue -- approximately $15 million more, or 1 percent of the total roll value, Church said. The county's share will be around $$3.3 million, or 22 percent of $15 million. The property assessment roll is made up of the secured and unsecured rolls. The secured roll, which makes up 94.4 percent of the total value, includes commercial and residential real estate.

The unsecured roll includes the valuations of business/personal property. Growth in this year's property assessment roll was driven in part by inflation based on the California Consumer Price Index, Church said. The real estate market remained sluggish, according to Church. Nearly 40,000 residential properties and 612 commercial properties were reviewed to determine if they were eligible for property tax relief due to a drop in market value. Of those, nearly 35,000 residential properties and 546 commercial properties qualified for relief. While business property values declined, aviation and concession possessory interest value at San Francisco International Airport grew by $192 million, driving a 2.48 percent increase in the unsecured roll.

Bay Area Weather

The Bay Area is forecast to be cloudy with patchy fog this morning, becoming sunny, with highs in the mid 60s to upper 70s. Tonight is expected to be mostly clear with lows in the lower to mid 50s. Sunday is expected to be sunny, with highs in the upper 60s to lower 80s.

Suspicious Powder Found In Package At Police Station, Later Deemed Harmless

San Francisco police got a scare on Thursday evening when a woman brought a package to the department's Northern Station that was found to have a suspicious powder inside.

At about 6 p.m., the woman brought the package to the station, located at the corner of Turk and Fillmore streets in the city's Western Addition neighborhood.

The woman said she had received the package the day before, and an officer at the station examining the package found the suspicious powder, according to police.

The package was taken outside and taped off while firefighters responded.

The powder was eventually deemed harmless and was taken away by the city's Department of Public Health, police said.

Paramedics examined the woman and the officer for precautionary reasons, but neither were injured.

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Teen Injured In Thursday Evening Shooting In Bayview

A 16-year-old boy was injured in a shooting in San Francisco's Bayview District on Thursday evening, police said.

The shooting was reported at about 7:20 p.m. in the 1300 block of Mendell Street.

The boy was walking in the area when he was shot twice in the abdomen, according to police.

He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are not considered life-threatening.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

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SF Breaking News

Redeveloment Lawsuit To Be Filed Against California, Gov Jerry Brown

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said Thursday that her city will join other cities around the state in filing a lawsuit to try to stop Gov. Brown and the state Legislature from cutting funding for redevelopment agencies. Brown and the Legislature believe that the policy change will save the state $1.7 billion in the new fiscal year. Quan said if Oakland's redevelopment agency is forced to close, the city might have to halt affordable housing projects as well as efforts to bring more retail stores and entertainment complexes to its downtown. She said if the agency is eliminated, up to 171 city employees, including 18 police officers who are paid with redevelopment funds, could lose their jobs. "There isn't a part of the city government that won't be affected if redevelopment goes away," Quan told reporters at her weekly briefing at her office. She said she doubts that the state will be able to achieve all of the $1.7 billion in savings it expects and she thinks the change "will hurt the state economy in the long run."

Oakland Deputy City Attorney Daniel Rossi said Oakland would join a lawsuit that will be filed next week by the California Redevelopment Association and the California League of Cities challenging the legislation approved by the Legislature and signed by Brown on Wednesday that cuts funding for redevelopment agencies. Rossi said the suit would challenge the bill's constitutionality and would allege that it violates Proposition 22, a measure passed by California voters last November that bars the state from taking funds that are supposed to go to local agencies. Rossi said the suit would be filed directly with the California Supreme Court and he expects that there will be a ruling by the end of July on the suit's goal of getting an immediate stay that would stop the state from cutting the redevelopment funds.

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Sixty-Six San Jose Police Officers Laid-Off

The scene at the San Jose Police Officers' Association facility Thursday resembled a funeral, except no one was dead, police union president George Beattie said. Sixty-six (66) officers who were laid off due to San Jose's $115 million budget deficit handed in their badges and said their goodbyes. Beattie said it was the first time in the Police Department's history that officers were laid off. "I felt like I was at a funeral reception," Beattie said. "It was really gut-wrenching." Mayor Chuck Reed expressed remorse about the layoffs, but said they are necessary because the city is not able to afford the officers. "Even though the police budget went up a small amount, police officer retirement costs jumped by $25 million so we had to shrink the department."

But the reductions will not be without consequences, Beattie said. A police force of 1,106 is now managing a city of nearly 1 million people, he said. The result of that will be slower response times, especially to property crimes. He said city officials could have made better decisions to avoid some of the layoffs. "We're very disappointed that this took place Thursday. Moving forward, whatever harm comes, now they own it. We did what we could do."

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Trial of Seven MS-13 Gang Members To Start Thursday

After nearly three months of testimony, prosecutors rested their case and defense attorneys began theirs at the federal racketeering and murder conspiracy trial of seven MS-13 gang members in San Francisco Thursday."We've reached a milestone," U.S. District Judge William Alsup told jurors in his Federal Building courtroom. We still have some time to go in the case," he added. "We will hear from the defense." Alsup estimated the case could go to the jury in mid-August following three or four weeks of defense testimony, prosecution rebuttal and closing arguments. The seven men on trial were members of a branch of the violent MS-13 gang known as the 20th Street Clique, based in the vicinity of 20th and Mission streets in San Francisco.

All seven are accused of racketeering, or running a continuing criminal enterprise, and conspiring to commit murder in aid of racketeering. Three are also specifically charged with murder in aid of
racketeering in the gunshot slayings of four men on San Francisco streets between March and July 2008. Other charges include assault and use of guns. The MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, gang originated in Central American and Southern California. Its name is believed to be a combination of the words for gang, Salvadoran and "fear us." The seven defendants are among about three dozen MS-13 Bay Area
gang members and associates who were charged in four successive versions of an indictment in 2008 and 2009.

About 18 others have pleaded guilty to various charges, and some became prosecution witnesses in the trial, which began April 4. In addition to murder and assault, the 20th Street Clique is alleged to have engaged in drug dealing, robbery, extortion and car theft. The racketeering charge carries a possible maximum sentence of life in prison if the defendants are convicted, and the charges of murder in aid of racketeering carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison upon conviction.

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North Fair Oaks Tree Stands Tall

Utility officials Thursday met with North Fair Oaks neighbors to discuss various options that would prevent a centuries-old oak tree from being cut down to make way for a multi-billion dollar water system upgrade in San Mateo County. The valley oak, which arborists have agreed is more than 250 years old and neighbors have nicknamed "Granny," stands in the path of a $4.6 billion project to seismically upgrade the Hetch Hetchy water delivery system. The tree stands on San Francisco Public Utilities Commission property where a new water supply pipeline is replacing two installed in the
1920s and 1930s that are not seismically secure.

The scenarios presented at Thursday morning's meeting included moving the tree to another location, tunneling the pipeline under its roots, and a "trenching" method that would require trimming the tree's roots and burrowing a pipeline around or through them, SFPUC spokesman Tyrone Jue said.

The trenching option, which neighborhood spokeswoman Mary Ann Mullen said could cost as low as $60,000, was least favored by the utility, Jue said. "It leaves the pipe too close to the roots," Jue said, which jeopardizes the pipeline's seismic integrity. Moving the tree to another location would be the most expensive process at $350,000, Jue said. It does not appear likely to happen since the
tree would not be able to be moved very far. The 80-foot-tall oak is so big that it could not be moved without temporarily removing major power lines to get it by, Jue said.The tunneling option, which would cost an estimated $309,000, is the one most favored by the utility. "Tunneling is one of the options we're continuing to move forward on," Jue said.

The tunneling option would include an agreement in which the utility would hand over ownership of the strip of land where the tree stands to an association of neighbors, who would assume liability, tree maintenance and providing increased public access, Jue said.

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Marin County Marijuana Eradication

The Marin County Sheriff's Office began this year's outdoor marijuana eradication efforts within the county Thursday morning by destroying nearly 13,000 young plants, a sheriff's lieutenant said. The plants were found at five sites on the east slope of Bolinas Ridge that borders Kent Lake, Lt. Barry Heying said. The Marin Municipal Water District, National Park Service, California Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration also participated in the eradication effort between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. The pot garden raiders also found living areas with lean-to tents, garbage and pesticides at the grow sites. No one was present in the camps and there were no arrests, Heying said.

The sheriff's office has been monitoring two-dozen known grow sites in the area since 2006, Heying said. This year, rather than wait until the plants were grown, 12,900 immature plants without marijuana buds were cut so they could not be planted again, saving the cost and effort of hauling them out by helicopter, Heying said. The growers seemed intent to keep the gardens small and spread out as more than one site was tended from one campsite, Heying said. There were also several small grows with only 10 plants, Heying said. The illicit and clandestine marijuana gardens have typically been found in the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, Heying said. Heying said the growers have little regard for public safety or concern for ecological damages they create. "These types of criminal enterprises result in erosion damage created by the clear-cutting of indigenous plants as well as hazardous trash left behind by the lawless operators," Heying said.

Dangerous chemicals used by the growers also seep into the watershed and create additional hazards, Heying said. "Increasingly, citizens and visitors are becoming afraid to use public parks due to these individuals invading public lands," Heying said.In 2009, the California Campaign Against Marijuana Planting seized 4.5 million marijuana plants in the state. Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma counties are typically among the top 10 counties where the seizures occur. Marin County was not among the top 40 counties in 2009.

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Sale, Possession and use of Fireworks Illegal This Holiday Weekend

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is reminding residents that the sale, possession and use of all fireworks is illegal in the county. The law even prohibits the use of sparklers and other so-called "safe and sane" fireworks, Fire Marshal Lewis Broschard said.People who have illegal fireworks for disposal can call their local police departments or the fire district's main office at (925) 941-3300. People should not take fireworks to fire stations for disposal, Broschard said. This Fourth of July is expected to be hot, windy and dry, which means high fire danger in the county. Broschard said fireworks cause injuries and fires each year. Last year, more than 40 fires caused by fireworks were reported in the fire district's service area. Those fires resulted in damage to at least one structure, and one person was hurt, Broschard said. Fire officials are urging residents to enjoy fireworks by attending public displays conducted by professionals. They are also urging parents to make sure their children don't have any fireworks and to teach them that fireworks are dangerous. The fire district has set up a hot line people can call to find professional fireworks displays near them. That number is (925) 941-3328.

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Cal Fire Urges Safety Tips for Fireworks Use

Fire officials are encouraging Bay Area residents whose cities allow "safe and sane" fireworks this weekend to follow several safety tips and pay attention to state regulations. Although more populated cities such as San Francisco and San Jose do not permit fireworks, several cities in Alameda, San Mateo, Napa, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma counties allow smaller fireworks that do not explode, dart across the ground or fly through the air, according to Cal Fire. Local fire departments will be working with law enforcement agencies to make sure fireworks are up to code and are not taken outside jurisdictions where they are legal, Alameda County Fire Department spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said. "On the 4th of July there are typically more fire reported across the nation than on any other day of the year," she said. "The Alameda County Fire Department has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal fireworks." Legal fireworks are sold at licensed stands and have the state fire marshal's seal on them, Knowles said. Even in cities where safe and sane fireworks are sold legally, there are restrictions on when and where they can be used, she said.

In Dublin, one of three fireworks-sanctioned cities in Alameda County, fireworks can only be used between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on July 4 at three designated parks: Alameda Creek Park, Dublin Sports Ground and Emerald Glen Park. Knowles said anyone in a city that permits fireworks should read the directions, only use fireworks outdoors, stay away from dry grass and other flammables, and have a bucket of water or hose nearby. Fireworks should never be pointed at another person, she said, and users should not try to relight or fix fireworks that do not work on the first try. Children also should not be permitted to use fireworks, according to Cal Fire.

The Bay Area cities that allow safe and sane fireworks are Dublin, Newark and Union City in Alameda County; St. Helena in Napa County; Gilroy in Santa Clara County; Watsonville in Santa Cruz County; and Pacifica and San Bruno in San Mateo County.Dixon and Rio Vista in Solano County also allow fireworks, as do Cloverdale, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Sebastopol in Sonoma County. Several Monterey County cities also allow fireworks: Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Salinas, Seaside and Soledad.

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San Francisco City Attorney's Office To Consider Criminalizing Male Circumcision

The San Francisco City Attorney's Office made a rare move Thursday by filing a brief on a measure for the November ballot, a proposal to criminalize male circumcision. The city attorney's office filed a brief in response to a lawsuit filed last week by opponents of the proposed ban, who are seeking to have the measure removed from the ballot. The organizer of the ban campaign, Lloyd Schofield, has said he believes male circumcision is wrong and likened it to female circumcision practices that are already banned in the U.S. The proposal would punish people who circumcise a minor with a fine of up to $1,000 or up to a year in jail. But opponents, who include the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Anti-Defamation League, say San Francisco would have no power to enact the ordinance because only the state can make rules about medical procedures.

The opponents also argue that the decision to circumcise boys for religious reasons is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. A brief filed by the city attorney's office Thursday said it is taking "the unusual step" of filing a brief on a proposed ballot measure because of the possibility that a court preempts the measure from applying to medical professionals. If that happens, the proposal would then be unconstitutional if only narrowly applied to religious practices, according to the city attorney's office. "San Franciscans cannot be asked to vote on whether to prohibit religious minorities from engaging in a particular religious practice, when the same practice may be performed under non-religious auspices," Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart wrote in the brief. The city attorney's office "rarely takes a position on the merits in pre-election litigation concerning the legality of proposed ballot measures" unless the measure would be "clearly invalid," Stewart wrote. "This is such a case."

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Kalra Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor Drunk Driving Charge

San Jose City Councilman Ash Kalra has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge, his attorney said Thursday. Attorney Eric Geffon entered the plea on Kalra's behalf on June 9. Kalra was arrested early the morning of May 7 after a California Highway Patrol officer pulled him over on Market Street, south of San Fernando Street. The officer had noticed a nonworking taillight on Kalra's gold Toyota Prius, but when he stopped him, the officer detected an odor of alcohol, according to the CHP. Kalra was asked to perform field sobriety tests, and the tests indicated he was intoxicated, CHP officials said. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and booked into Santa Clara County Jail, and was later released.Kalra admitted to drinking with friends before getting behind the wheel of his car. "He said from the beginning he wanted to take responsibility for this and I think to the very end, he has proved he's just not saying those words but living them," Geffon said. This was Kalra's first alcohol-related incident, Geffon said. As part of his sentence, Kalra faces three years of probation, a fine of approximately $1,900, a three-month DUI class, and five days of community service.

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Ararao Fatally Shot Dead by Police In Suisun

Suisun City police have identified the man who was fatally shot by a police officer Wednesday morning as 55-year-old Bernardo Ararao, of Suisun. Police were called to the Suisun Senior Center at 318 Merganser Drive around 11:25 a.m. after someone reported that a man wearing camouflage clothing and carrying a gun told seniors he was "on assignment," Cmdr. Tim Mattos said. There were five seniors in the area of the armed man at the time, and one informed the senior center's manager, who called police, Mattos said. By the time police arrived less than 90 seconds later, the man had left on a bicycle, Mattos said. Two officers located Ararao behind the Sunset Shopping Center and the U.S. Post Office at 325 Merganser Drive, Mattos said. One of the officers saw that Ararao was armed and told him several times to put the gun down, Mattos said. During the confrontation, the officer shot Ararao once in the chest. "At some point, he became an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and the citizens around them, and the officer used force to stop it," Mattos said.

Ararao was taken to the NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield where he was pronounced dead at 11:53 a.m., Mattos said. Mattos said he does not know if Ararao pointed the gun at the officers. "He did something that caused the officers to fear for their lives and those of the people in the busy area," Mattos said. Police have had prior contact with Ararao, Mattos said. A man who answered the phone at the senior center Thursday afternoon said he wasn't at the center on Wednesday but was familiar with Ararao. He said he would not consider Ararao a dangerous person. "He would sit and have coffee and would leave in 10 minutes," said the man, who asked not to be identified. Ararao's autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.

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BREAKING: Golden Gate Ferry to Strike on Friday

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Golden Gate Ferry service won't operate Friday because of a strike called by the Inlandboatmen's Union.

Officials with the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which manages the ferries, canceled service late this afternoon, just hours after the union announced plans for a one-day strike.

"The best course to minimize impacts to our riders is to announce now that we will not be in service on Friday, July 1," said district spokeswoman Mary Currie.

Golden Gate Transit buses, whose drivers are represented by a different union, will operate as usual, she said. Extra bus service will be offered for ferry riders unaware of the strike plans.

A press release from the union at about 3 p.m. said the strike will take place at the San Francisco, Sausalito and Larkspur terminals from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Union officials were not immediately available for comment but the press release stated that the strike would last just one day.

The district plans to eliminate ticket agents at the terminals, and rely completely on vending machines and Clipper cards to handle fares - a plan the union finds objectionable.

"Replacing the ticket agents with machines eliminates the only real customer service available to the public," said Marina Secchitano, regional director of the San Francisco Inlandboatmen's Union, which represents the ticket agents. "Meanwhile, the ferry division has just announced another 5 percent increase in its fares. They are asking the public to pay more for less service, and that isn't fair."

The contract between the district and the union expires at midnight Thursday. In its press release, the union said the district is moving ahead with its plan without negotiating or providing acceptable severance pay. The district said it has been negotiating in good faith, and was surprised by the strike announcement.

The Golden Gate Ferry system carries about 6,000 passengers each weekday. Because of the holiday weekend, ridership on Friday is likely to be lighter than usual.

Chief Suhr To Hold Community Meeting Today To Discuss Officer-Involved Shooting

San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr will be holding a community meeting today to discuss Wednesday's officer-involved shooting on Gough Street that injured a wanted parolee.

The meeting is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Northern Police Station at 1125 Fillmore St.

On Wednesday morning, police shot and wounded 38-year-old Roselyndo Sicat, who was wanted on a $75,000 warrant for felony vandalism and resisting arrest and was on active parole for a weapons violation.

The shooting occurred just before 8 a.m. after two plainclothes officers spotted Sicat leaving a residential driveway near the corner of Gough and Ellis streets in a four-door Honda, police said.

The officers identified themselves as police and approached Sicat, who allegedly fired at least one round at the officers, according to police.

They returned fire, striking him. After he was shot, Sicat crashed into a car parked nearby.

The officers, who were not injured, took Sicat into custody and he was transported to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for his injuries, police said.

A search of the Honda turned up an assault rifle and a handgun, according to police.

Investigators believe Sicat had fired the assault rifle last week but police haven't released details about that shooting.

In accordance with department policy, the officers who shot Sicat have been placed on paid administrative leave as Wednesday's shooting is investigated, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said.

The officer-involved shooting is the Police Department's second in the past month.

On June 7, officers fatally shot a suspected bank robber near Buena Vista Park after he allegedly tried to run them over with his car.

For more information about today's community meeting, contact the department's community relations unit by phone at (415) 734-3280 or by email at sfpdcommunityrelations@sfgov.org.

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Teen Shot In Leg In Bayview Early This Morning

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the leg in San Francisco's Bayview District early this morning, police said.

The shooting was reported at about 12:20 a.m. in the 1500 block of Oakdale Avenue.

The victim was standing outside when he was shot once in the thigh, according to police.

He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for the wound, which was not considered life-threatening, police said.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

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July 2, 2011

SF Bay Area Fireworks Fall Victim to Tough Economy

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SFPD Recap: Multi-Vehicle Accident at Sixth and Harrison

San Francisco police officers are investigating the cause of a collision that involved seven cars at Sixth and Harrison streets on Friday at about 3:55 p.m. Ten people were either treated or taken to local area hospitals. All suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to SFPD.

49ers Sell $138M in Nonexistent Luxury Boxes

The San Francisco 49ers have sold $138 million worth of luxury boxes at the as-yet not-built Santa Clara football stadium.

Good Morning Mission!

It’s 7:15 a.m., 56° and headed to 72°. Details are here. A lot of things are happening in the neighborhood this holiday weekend. Chef Manuel Godino officially opened Venga Empanadas on Friday, so if you’re looking for a quick and delicious breakfast, stop by his new storefront at 443 Valencia Street and get a cup...

Fire department rescue 2 men who jumped in SF Bay

Two men - apparently intoxicated - were unharmed after authorities rescued them from San Francisco Bay at Pier 7 on the Embarcadero Friday afternoon. The pair said they jumped in the water over a misunderstanding. One...

Seven-car wreck injures 10 people in San Francisco

As many as 10 people were injured in a seven-car collision at Sixth and Harrison streets in San Francisco Friday afternoon, police said. A vehicle was apparently traveling the wrong way on Harrison Street, which led to...

S.F. City Hall cuts a deal on new budget

Marathon negotiations stretching into the early-morning hours at San Francisco City Hall on Friday produced a $6.8 billion budget package for the new fiscal year that reverses most proposed health and human services...