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ArchivesJuly 2005 
Thinking Inside the Cargo Box
In 1911, the city of Oakland had finally secured the rights to its own waterfront, after some 61 years of legal wrangling with Horace Carpentier and the hated Southern Pacific Railroad. The question was what to do with it? Southern Pacific (SP) had its own ideas, and offered a fully funded port plan, with SP as the lead developer. Mayor Frank Mott had other ideas and pushed for a $2.5 million Bond measure to fund the new port. More... Cutting off Water Supplies to California Homes and FarmsLast June, 23 million persons throughout in southern California, as well as Santa Clara Valley, Contra Costa County, and other parts of California were cut off from their water supplies for several days when a Sacramento Delta levee on Jones Tract broke, apparently threatening to bring salt water into the delta from San Francisco Bay. As a precaution, the giant pumps that move water out of the delta were turned off, temporarily cutting off supplies to more than half of the residents of the state and farms throughout much of the San Joaquin Valley. More... BAY STYLE BAY BEAUTYFinding an excellent spot to get beauty work done when you don’t know the establishment can be very hit or miss. Any of us who’ve suffered the results of a bad haircut, nail job…or worst of all, a bad wax job, can testify to that! To help you in your quest for the best in beauty work, here are some places that come highly recommended, so you don’t need to take risks with your personal appearance. More... Artillery PunchNo matter how you use the word punch, it clearly means packing a wallop in one direction or another. Since it is summertime, perhaps you would like to astound your guests with something new that is an old, old recipe. The recipe also comes from a direct personal history of ours. More... ExploratoriumThe Nobel Prize: 100 Years of Creativity July 14 - October 2, 2005 Every American child is taught to dream big — to become President, go for the gold, win the Nobel Prize. In a 5,000-square-foot West Coast premier exhibition, the Exploratorium presents a historic overview of the Nobel Prize, which was first awarded in 1901. The exhibition is perfect for anyone who wants to know genius intimately, and gain insight into the creative process. It is replete with the personal tools of prizewinners, multimedia, still and moving images of over fifty Laureates. This interactive exhibition is included in the price of admission. More... EVENTS, ART & ENTERTAINMENTThe Alameda Civic Light Opera presents "Man of La Mancha" Kofman Auditorium 2200 Central Ave. July 9 - July 24 "Man of La Mancha," a musical based on the life of Spanish author Miguel Cervantes and his enduring creation, Don Quixote, opens the Alameda Civic Light Opera’s "Summer of Dreams" season on July 9. Advance tickets are $30 (adult), $26 (juniors/seniors). Please note: Due to one particularly graphic scene, the show may not be suitable for children under 13 years of age. For select dates and times, visit the ACLO Box Office on 1415 Park St., call (510) 864-2256, or go to www.aclo.com. More... The Nature of the BeesIt isn’t yet, but here’s to beekeeping becoming the next yoga. There’s reason for hope, given the raft of books and articles that have appeared lately: "Robbing the Bees" by Holley Bishop and "The Secret Live of Bees" by Susan Kidd, just two examples of many. Bees are essential to the pollination of many of California’s key crops. Without them, agriculture, never mind our quality of life, would be devastated. More... Try a Ferry: Get Hooked"Pssst. Hey Buddy. The first one’s free!" No, the WTA isn’t peddling candy or drugs; the addiction they are promoting is very benign. It won’t give you cavities or ruin your life. As part of an aggressive marketing campaign, the WTA is offering free rides on ferryboats. After all, there are worse things in life than getting addicted to public transportation. More... San Francisco… What a Bay!From the former shipbuilding capital of the world in Richmond, to suburbia rising from an old dynamite plant at Hercules, to Oakland, with its lonesome container cranes, and down to the South Bay’s Working Waterfront at Redwood City, you never know what you will find around San Francisco Bay. The diversity that we enjoy is unbelievable. More... Worldwide Sources for Freighter CruisingThe Pacific Tom Wörden The Polynesia departs Los Angeles for San Francisco, CA; Papeete, Tahiti; Apia, Western Samoa; Pago Pago, American Samoa; returning to Los Angeles in about 28 days. Mare Schiffahrtsgesellschaft Tausala Samoa departs Los Angeles for San Francisco, CA; Papeete, Tahiti; Apia, Western Samoa; Pago Pago, American Samoa; returning to Los Angeles in approximately 28 days. More... Freighter CruisingOnce a popular pastime of nomads, authors, students and professors on sabbatical, retirees with time on their hands, and the adventurous wealthy class, freighter cruising dropped to near extinction in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. In 1986, there were only 45 ships a year sailing from US ports. Today, over 150 passengers traverse the waters of the globe on a regular basis. So, why the resurgence of interest in a method of travel thought to be outdated not so long ago? Because, for those fascinated by the sea and those who live on it nothing compares to a freighter cruise. More... Living Aboard on the Water’s Edge of Sausalito-villeI live in Sausalito. Well, that’s not completely true. I should say I live on the edge of Sausalito. On the edge of respectability and romanticism, that is where my sloop shares the enclave known as Richardson Bay. More... Living Aboard 101Living aboard a boat brings to mind an array of images: endless summer, simpler living, or salty dogs and grand adventure. In everyday life, most live-aboards never venture near high seas. Some never leave the dock. Though some do get up and sail away, most simply want to break from the ordinary for a while. More... So Beautiful. So Boastful. So Illegal."Olle Lundberg has a client list most architects would kill for" began the article in the New York Times "Home" section, (June 2, 2005) titled "The Scavenger’s Guide to the Galaxy," which reeled off names like Lawrence J. Ellison, chief executive of Oracle, John Pritzker of the Chicago hotel dynasty and Leslie Rudd, an owner of Dean & DeLuca, all of whom have had homes or getaways styled by Mr. Lundberg. More... Harbor Bay Ferry Chuggin’ AlongThis time last month the Harbor Bay Ferry was looking like it had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. My, what a difference a little promotion makes. Ridership on the Tuesday, June 21 5:30 run amounted to 125 passengers, more than double the norm. The boost is the result of a promotional mailing undertaken by the Water Transit Agency. More... Commute HourA flag hangs off the stern. Red and white stripes dance in sporadic, undulating beats. A white swath through grey green beyond. More... SAIL SAN FRANCISCO!SAIL SAN FRANCISCO! 2005 showcases the largest gathering of tall ships on the San Francisco Bay since their highly successful International Maritime Festival in 2002. This year's event opens with a visually spectacular array of international and local ships taking part in the PARADE OF SAIL along San Francisco's waterfront on July 28. More... |
