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Published: January, 2006
Free MMSI for Boaters
Free registrations of Digital Selective Calling (DSC) VHF marine radios by BoatU.S., in partnership with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Coast Guard, have surpassed the 25,000 mark. BoatU.S. offers recreational boaters free registration of their DSC VHF radios, with a unique Mobile Maritime Service Identity (MMSI) number to be encoded into the radio. VHF radios with the Digital Selective Calling feature allow a boater to transmit a call directly to another DSC radio, similar to one cell phone calling another. Its greatest promise lies with a mayday feature that will, in the future, also allow anyone aboard a vessel to send a distress call that will hail all nearby vessels with automatically-included vessel identity and location information with the touch of one button.
Partner-Ship
Beginnings of what looks like will be a pioneering partnership between the at-one-time competitors - Port of Oakland and Port of Sacramento - is being drafted an agreement that would hand over port control solely to Oakland, changing shipping protocol throughout the state. Within a decade or two, import trade handling is expected to double and shipping storage to increase, mitigating trucking congestion.
Volunteer on the Presidential Yacht
The Potomac Association, the non-profit historical and educational Association that runs the USS Potomac (President Roosevelt’s former Floating White House), is seeking adventuresome volunteers to be Dockside and Cruise Docents, maintenance volunteers and administrative volunteers at the Potomac Association and on board the Presidential Yacht. Volunteers are needed for history cruises and special event cruises on San Francisco Bay throughout 2006. We are also seeking maintenance volunteers and docents to conduct dockside tours and tours for school children. Classes for volunteer and docent training will be held Jan. 21, 9a.m. to noon. For more information about becoming part of our volunteer ships company, please call (510) 627-1667.
It’s a WRAP
The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce, the largest civic and business organization in Vallejo, has been named a winner in the 2005 Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) sponsored by the California Integrated Waste Management Board. The Vallejo chamber was one of five Vallejo businesses to receive the 2005 award. It is also the only Chamber of Commerce in the state of California to be so honored this year.
SIERRA HIKES
Sun., Jan 8: Mount Barnabe - A beautiful and moderate hike with spectacular views in Samuel P. Taylor State Park with great views from the peak, and a walk along Papermill Creek
Thu., Jan. 12: Dipsea / Muir Woods - Easy-moderate hike on the Dipsea Trail and through Muir Woods
Thu., Jan. 19: Rodeo Beach - A pretty easy hike from the beach up the hill and back, including the Point Bonita lighthouse and the visitor center, with a guided tour of the lighthouse by a docent
Thu., Jan. 26: Tennessee Valley - A gentle hike from Tennessee Valley trailhead to the beach and back
Sun., Jan. 29: Northside Lakes - A moderate and beautiful hike to the four lakes of Northside Mount Tamalpais: Bon Tempe, Lagunitas, Phoenix and Alpine
Regional Rail Plan
Workshops Hosted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), BART, the California High Speed Rail Authority and Caltrain, are being held around the Bay Area and in the Central Valley as the first step in developing the Regional Rail Plan – a comprehensive blueprint to improve and extend passenger railroad, rapid transit and high-speed rail service over the next 50 years. For information about those meetings, please visit: http://bayarearailplan.info.
Oakland Celebrates
MLK and Rosa Parks
On Tue., Jan. 10, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Frank Ogawa Plaza, in front of Oakland’s historic City Hall, will be a celebration of the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. www.oaklandnet.com/celebrations
On Sat., Jan. 14, at 7:30 p.m., a tribute to Rosa Parks with a celebration of life concert featuring Oleta Adams will take place at Love Center Church, 10440 International Blvd. www.embracingthedream.org
Cutter Pike at home at Yerba Buena Island
The Coast Guard Cutter Pike, a new 87-foot patrol boat and its crew of 11 head toward the Golden Gate Bridge and its new home at Yerba Buena Island. The ship recently arrived in San Francisco after traveling 4,750 miles from Louisiana. Its crew will conduct search and rescue, law enforcement, and Homeland Security in the San Francisco Bay, the Sacramento River Delta and offshore.
Happy 70th to CCSF!
City College of San Francisco commemorates its 70th anniversary this year. As part of the celebration, distinguished City College of San Francisco alumnus Dr. W. Michael Blumenthal, Director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany, will inaugurate Conversations with People Who Make a Difference in the World, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. in Herbst Theatre in the San Francisco Civic Center.
