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ArchivesAugust 2005 “Disaster in the Delta” (Bay Crossings, July) or “Delta Blues” (SF Chronicle, July 17)... remember where you read it first.Bay Crossings is indeed concerned about the potential for what could be California’s worst disaster, and sent our senior editor, professional engineer, Wes Starratt to the delta to take a look and interview those in charge. He came back with a story of a vast area dotted with sinking islands, surrounded by crumbling levees: the salty San Francisco Bay on the west, on the east and the north the Sacramento, San Joaquin and other rivers pouring fresh water into the delta from the melting snows of the Sierras, and on the south side, the giant pumping plants that deliver fresh water to the farms of the central valley, residents of Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara and much of the southern half of the state. Twenty three million people in all depend on their fresh water coming from those unstable levees! More... City of Richmond National Park Says, “We Can Do It!”Did you know the City of Richmond actually has a national park commemorating the women of World War II who pitched in to build ships, planes, tanks, and anything else needed to win that war? 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... More... Get Thee to Wine CountryIn the Bay Area we are so lucky to have nine core counties with wineries in all of them. Some have more than others. Even if you choose to go outside the central wine area, to places such as Mendocino or Santa Cruz, you are still within two hours driving time to wine tasting. Ah, such freedom! More... Summertime ReadsFriends can agree to disagree on whether John’s cuter than Paul, but one and all must agree on the vile role played by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in California history. Until now, that is. Author Richard Orsi says, on behalf of the Southern Pacific, "We was misunderstood," and he says it eloquently and fulsomely in this new and magisterial account of the all-important role played by the SP in how California came to be. More... WTA is Building Boats!In July, the WTA started shopping for boat builders to build its first two new 149 passenger ferries to add to the region’s fleet by issuing a request for proposals to shipyards across the nation. "This is a monumental milestone for the WTA," said Charlene Johnson, WTA Board President. "The new boats will be the first visible sign of the WTA’s proposed expansion of ferry service on San Francisco," added Ms. Johnson. The boats will be paid for with new bridge toll revenues from Regional Measure 2. More... Ferry Building’s New Honey BarThe Bay Crossings store will get a sweet addition in August. Fine varietal honeys, featuring some of Sonoma’s best, will be available for sale and free for tasting. More... That Sound You Hear is the New Buzz about “O-town”Summer is here and a wave of restaurants, cultural venues and nightclubs in Oakland are getting a lot of attention lately, and changing the city’s skyline. In fact, Oakland’s skyline is changing so much that it just had to be documented in color. More... Pockets of HipRents fit for a king, a shortage of parking and prices that even have visiting Manhattan-ites scurrying for the nearest ATM, have done little to dull the corner that San Francisco has long held on Bay Area cool. The reason is simple, the Bay Area’s ‘burbs have, historically, failed to offer urban-centric hipsters the same conveniences, or the pedestrian and transit-friendly, neighborhood-village feel, as The City. More... Jack Ehrhorn - A Bay Treasure Sails AwayJack Ehrhorn, born in San Francisco Nov. 9, 1919 sailed throughout his life there for 86 years. It can only be guessed that on July 22, 2005 when he died, he sailed out on his boat, Flame. More... Tanger to Sète by FerryI recently went from Tanger, Morocco to Sète, France by Comarit ferry. It was quite a long trip, (roughly over 40-hours) but overall, a comfortable journey. More... One Size Fits All — Not for California’s Diverse PortsCalifornia is a highly diversified state, and so too are its ports. Dominating the state’s maritime picture are the bustling twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. They are the state’s largest ports through which more than one third of the imports for the entire United States pass, largely in the form of containers from Asia. These two ports are in stark contrast to the State’s other ports, such as the Humboldt Bay Harbor District at Eureka, with its focus on the export of forest products, the Port of San Diego, with its focus on imported tropical fruit and automobile industries, and the Port of Hueneme, near Oxnard, with a similar cargo mix. More... Summertime ReadsThe Battle of The Hetch Hetchy: America’s Most Controversial Dam And the Birth of Modern Environmentalism By Robert W. Righter Oxford University Press © 2005 More... The Art of WineNapa Valley has developed into, perhaps, some of the most well-known wine country in Northern California. Over the years, the area’s rich, fertile ground and choice temperatures have enabled wine growers to cultivate some of the finest grapes, and produce Sonoma County’s world-renowed wines and distinct tastes. More... Late HarvestSomeone said that you cannot get just one new thing in your living room, or kitchen, without adding other new things, because the new thing can make the old things look bad by comparison. So please consider the leap you might be taking in becoming fond of late harvest wines. And we promise you, it is very easy to become attached to these jewel-toned beauties. More... Featured EventsOn Labor Day weekend, the quaintly picturesque seaside city of Sausalito becomes the backdrop for a world-class group of artists displaying their arts and crafts at the annual Sausalito Art Festival. Join the over million people who have come to this harbor town to take in the scenery. Over 20,000 original works of art will be on display, along with the beautiful view of the Bay. More... Farmer’s Markets GrowFor years now, increasingly pressed-for-time consumers have opted for convenience over quality when it comes to shopping for their families. Let’s face it, most supermarkets are open twenty-four hours. And that’s helpful when you’re a busy homemaker or a time-strapped, nine-to-five type trying to squeeze shopping in between the dozen or so other errands on that day’s "to do" list. More... Summer Ends on a Love NoteOrganizers of San Francisco’s Loveparade are expecting at least 50,000 people to take to the streets later this month for the annual celebration, the stateside cousin, of Berlin’s legendary techno parade and festival. More... “Hold on to your Octopus!”With the words, "Hold on to your Octopus!" I was initiated into the world of Hong Kong ferries. The Octopus is an electronically stored-value fare card used to ride the ferries. It is also used for trains, subways, trams, buses, and even to purchase items at convenience stores. Soon, it will be used to pay for taxi cabs. Shanghai has implemented that option in to their system already. More... Hydrogen Seen as Lightweight Solution to Pollution ProblemsIn 1970 the environmental movement was just beginning, and steam cars were being suggested as an alternative to fossil fuel-powered automobiles. That year, General Motors built a steam car and put it on display at the Detroit Auto Show. The car was a Pontiac GTO with an extended hood and a trunk full of relays; it even had an air conditioner. It was the perfect way to demonstrate that steam cars could be very nice, and quite impractical. General Motors did not want to do anything but continue to sell gas-guzzlers. More... Top Ten Tips from BoatU.S.Fuel prices may have stabilized lately, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and get more out of each tank of gas. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) has a few tips that could help stretch your fuel dollars More... Wharf Fishermen Protest First Rent Increase in Two DecadesFor years, the Port of San Francisco stayed away from any thought of raising rents for the fishermen at the city’s number one tourist attraction, Fisherman’s Wharf. In fact, it has been 20 years, since the fishermen last received an increase in their berth rents, which are currently the lowest on the entire coast. More... Berg Views Port Sonoma as a Transit HubWhen Bay Crossings, upon hearing that the $286 billion Federal Transportation and Highway Bill includes $20 million for the proposed ferry terminal at Port Sonoma at the mouth of the Petaluma River, we reached into our files and found this unpublished interview with Skip Berg, one of the owners of that property, and, naturally, a proponent of high-speed ferry service from Port Sonoma to San Francisco. More... |
