Used Cooking Oil Is Now a Hot Commodity
Food prices are rising, but thanks to biodiesel, there's one area where restaurants can cut costs-- cooking oil. GET THE SCOOP HERE
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April 2008
April 30, 2008
April 29, 2008
Midway Munchies on the Road to Tahoe/Sacto
Heading up to the Sierra Nevada or the Big Valley and looking for a halfway place to chow down? Patricia Delich and Wayne Jiang have discovered these two eateries on their frequent jaunts up to Sacramento: GEORGIA STREET GRILL in Vallejo ("GREAT breakfast") and Coyote Sam's BBQ in a strip mall in Fairfield on West Texas Street ("REALLY yummy").
Cat Lady of Baghdad Saves Strays in Iraq
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 (AP)
The `Cat Lady of Baghdad' battles on, saving strays of Iraq
By BRADLEY BROOKS, Associated Press Writer
(04-29) 15:14 PDT BAGHDAD (AP) --The mission was to get Simba al-Tikriti out of Iraq and to a new life in Britain. First, a roadside bomb nearly wiped out the taxi heading to the border with Kuwait. The next step was to hide under tarps in the back of a truck. More hardship awaited: six months caged by authorities in England. But freedom eventually came for Simba, who walked away from captivity with tail held high. So began the improbable work of the self-proclaimed CAT LADY OF BAGHDAD
DUI on a Golf Cart, Police Give Chase
2:05 p.m. - A caller from the 13000 block of Towhee Court reported hearing screaming and the sound of glass breaking. A Lake Wildwood security guard reported two women were fighting over a dog.
6:03 p.m. - A caller from the 200 block of North School Street reported a squirrel was running around and around in circles for over an hour. The caller was worried the squirrel might be rabid. An Animal Control officer advised police it is breeding season for squirrels, which would explain the behavior.
8:35 p.m. A caller from Lakeshore North reported a drunk driver on a golf cart. The CHP responded and three people ran away.
8:55 p.m. - A caller from the 100 block of Maryland Drive reported a strong odor of marijuana was coming from somewhere in the neighborhood.
(Lyn Lossow scans the cop log from the Nevada City/Grass Valley Union, Calif., April 29)
QUEST Archives John Dobson Profile
John Dobson was filmed several months ago for this QUEST story on Amateur Astronomers. The interview is now archived permanently on KQED, so that anyone can view it anytime, anywhere.
Yee: Boycott Ultraviolent Grand Theft Auto Game
Senator Yee Urges Parents to Avoid Latest Ultra-Violent Video Game. Latest Grand Theft Auto Video Game to Be Released Tuesday.
SACRAMENTO - Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), the author of California's law attempting to prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to minors, today urged parents to avoid purchasing the latest graphically violent video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV scheduled for release on Tuesday, April 29. GTA IV, the newest in the ultra-violent video game series, is expected to be the year's most popular game despite its rating of M (Mature) for adult audiences.
"It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children and always review the video games their children are playing," said Yee, who is also a child psychologist. "Unfortunately, the makers of Grand Theft Auto have a history of deceiving the ratings board and
the public on the true content of their games. Parents beware: this game undoubtedly glorifies violence, is extremely realistic and designed for adults only."
In June 2005, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and GTA's creator Rockstar, were involved in a multi-million dollar scandal called "Hot Coffee," in which Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a game originally rated M by the ESRB, was found to have hidden animations allowing players to watch graphic scenes of oral sex, nudity, and simulated intercourse. The scandal resulted in the game being pulled from most store shelves, a $2.75 million class-action settlement, and the stocks of Rockstar's parent company (Take Two Interactive) losing nearly half their value.
The ESRB rates a game based solely on a short video clip and information supplied by the game's maker and does not actually play or review the full content of the game. While M-rated games are designed for adults, there is no prohibition to selling such games to children. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission reports that 42 percent of unaccompanied children 13 to 16 years of age can successfully purchase M-rated games.
In addition, a recent report by the National Institute on Media & the Family found complacency among retailers, parents and the gaming industry regarding video game rating awareness, enforcement and usage. Among the report's highlights was a retailer grade of C-, with national retailers receiving a D and rental stores collecting a failing (F) grade. The game industry as a whole received a C and the ESRB received a C+.
Yee's 2005 law to prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to minors in California is currently being litigated in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A bill authored by Yee in 2004, which has gone into effect, requires video game retailers to post signs informing consumers of the video game rating system.
Parents can learn more about GTA IV by visiting various online parental Resources, including WHAT THEY PLAY and PARENTS TV.
Adam J. Keigwin
Office of Senator Leland Y. Yee, Ph.D.
Assistant President pro Tem
California State Senate, District 8
(916) 651-4008
SENATOR YEE
Yes We Can: Get Your Obama Gear Here
Help the Obama campaign compete in the next round of primaries and start building a movement in all 50 states. Donate online, buy a t-shirt or a car magnet, join a local campaign:
Visit Pacifica Garden Behind Linda Mar School
Come see the garden....you won't believe it. We broke ground less than three weeks ago and have done an amazing amount of staking..composting..schmoozing..and planting!! So many folks have showed up to help and donate materials....even worms!!
MELISSA MOSS
Livability Project
{The garden is behind Linda Mar School on Rosita Road, next door to Shamrock Ranch. Look in our Livability Project category on the right sidebar and elsewhere on this site for more information about Pacifica Garden, including the current newsletter, volunteer sign-up form, and a wish list.}
Communing with Nature @ Mimi Fariña Memorial
Pacifica musicians Wayne Jiang and Patricia Delich (seated above) hiked up Mount Tamalpais to find this memorial bench, placed there in 2005 by Bread and Roses in honor of the late Mimi Fariña, the organization's founder and sister of folksinger Joan Baez. (Wayne Jiang photos)
Pacifica Fire Department Supporter T-Shirts
On sale for only $10 each. Printed by John The Sign Guy. Contact Ryan at 738-7365 or stop by fire station 72 on Linda Mar Boulevard. Children's sizes: EXTRA SMALL to EXTRA LARGE. Adult sizes: SMALL to TRIPLE EXTRA LARGE. Thanks for your support. Pacifica Firefighters Association is a nonprofit organization.
April 28, 2008
RIPTIDE EXCLUSIVE: Coastside Scavenger Teeters on the Brink, City Proffers Prop-Up
RIPTIDE EXCLUSIVE BY LIONEL EMDE
An independent auditor’s report completed in April 2007 warned of financial trouble at Coastside Scavenger (CS): "... under existing circumstances, there is substantial doubt about the ability of Coastside Scavenger Company to continue as a going concern (as of) July 31, 2006." The same report calls into question Coastside Scavenger’s refusal to open the books on its sister company, Seacoast Disposal Co. A complete financial picture of CS was "not reasonably determinable" unless Seacoast’s books were looked into.
Seacoast Disposal Co. is owned by Coastside Scavenger and collects waste in communities south of Pacifica. CS holds the contract for waste collection in the City of Pacifica. In fact, CS requested that a paragraph be removed from the auditor’s report regarding a new accounting standard that would have required examination of Seacoast’s books. In a carefully worded statement, the auditor backed down from his earlier conclusion that the standard should apply. CS has fought from as far back as 1995 to keep Seacoast’s books from auditors.
CS reported a "bad debt" expense of more than $600,000 attributed to Seacoast in the two years ending July 2006, but because Seacoast’s books are closed to the auditors, there is no independent confirmation of this. More signs of possible financial trouble include:
•Liabilities exceeded assets by $787,000 in 2005 and more than $1 million in 2006.
•In July 2006, $256,000 in payroll tax obligations were reported delinquent.
•In April 2007, $280,000 in payroll tax obligations were reported delinquent.
•CS reported a net loss of $102,000 in the fiscal year ending in July 2006, and a cumulative deficit of $232,000 dating back to 2004.
•CS made no matching contributions to 401K plans in 2005-2006.
•CS abandoned plans for a new waste transfer facility in 2005, and wrote off $141,000 in consulting fees on the project.
•CS owner Louis Picardo took advances of more than $11,000 in 2005 and 2006 for which, the audit stated, "...there is no formal plan for repayment of these advances."
CS management responds in the auditor’s report by promising:
•Repayment of Seacoast’s "bad debt" write-offs.
•Loans from owner Louis Picardo of up to $1 million to his company (CS).
But the auditor warns after these promises are made: "Because it is unclear whether the Company will be successful in accomplishing these objectives or whether the shareholder (owner) will provide additional funding, there is uncertainty about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern."
HOW MUCH MORE?
As a result of a separate audit and rate increase review done by Hilton, Farnkopf & Hobson (HFH), CS’s request for a 12.1 percent increase in rates, retroactive to August 2007, was recommended to be cut to 8.62 percent, or almost $600,000.
But further complicating matters is the unresolved matter of $634,200 in CS ratepayer overcharges found by HFH in an earlier audit completed in 2006. The City of Pacifica has reached a tentative Settlement Agreement that calls for a 9.5 percent rate increase, which is further reduced to 7.87 percent by what the city staff calls a "recapture" of the past ratepayer overcharges.
This small discounting of rate increases would be implemented yearly over four years and account for $450,000 of the $634,200 in overcharges from 2001-2005. The city will not attempt to collect the remainder of overcharges or any interest accrued on them.
On Monday, April 28, a public hearing on this matter was held during the City Council meeting. Please watch this space and read the Pacifica Tribune for details on the outcome of the hearing.
Sunrise, Sunset
SEE JOEL MAYBURY'S PHOTO ALBUM IN OUR LOWER-LEFT SIDEBAR:
1. Abu Dhabi in the desert (sunset)
2. Mosque in North Khartoum (sunrise)
3. New bridge and downtown Khartoum (sunset)
4. New bridge and North Khartoum (sunset)
5. Dust storm or haboob in Khartoum (sunset)
6. Desert north of Khartoum (sunset)
7. Eaves on Rimbaud House in Harar, Ethiopia (sunset)
8. Venice (sunrise)
9. Venice (sunrise)
10. Venice (sunrise)
11. Venice (sunrise)
12. Sufi mosque in Omdurman, Sudan (sunset)
13. Downtown Pretoria, South Africa (sunset)
Are You a Scuppie?
Socially Conscious Upwardly Mobile Person: SCUPPIE
All Aboard
Check our lower-left sidebar for a new photo album: Trains of the World.
April 27, 2008
Whale Visits Sharp Park Beach
Dick Glasspool took these pictures of a whale surfacing off Sharp Park Beach. He says it circled for about 15 minutes, then took in air for 30 seconds, dove, and disappeared.
Bruce The Car Guy: Hang Up and Drive
Dear Bruce The Car Guy:
Would you please explain the new California state law about cell phones and driving.
MAJOR HORACE HANGUP, U.S.M.C. (RET.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear Major Hangup:
Let me say that it's about time. How many times have I watched some car in front of me all of a sudden slow down, weave about, change lanes without signalling, or just about any stupid thing you can think of, only to see a cell phone glued to the side of the driver's head? Way too many times.
According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the new law "prohibits all drivers from using a handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle (Vehicle Code (VC) §23123). Motorists 18 and over may use a 'hands-free device.'" This is a small step, a very small step, in my opinion. It means you no longer can glue the phone to your ear, that you must have some type of headset.
I have used a headset for a long time, both because it is safer and my hearing is impaired so I need an earpiece that covers one ear. The law does not outlaw dialing, which is a huge mistake as far as I'm concerned. Dialing is probably the most distracting task. Many phones have a "voice dial" feature. Heck, even my 6-year-old cell has a button I push to use voice dial.
Another stupid part of the law is that it does not outlaw texting! Can you imagine anything more distracting than typing out a message while you're driving? A driver may be pulled over for being distracted, but it is not illegal to text.
Listen up, folks! Driving is a full-time job. It is not something you should take lightly. It is not something that should be done while texting, dialing, shaving, reading, applying makeup, feeding the kids, or anything other than keeping your eyes on the road. Every second you are out there, you should be aware of everything around you, everything.
The new laws go into effect July 1, 2008. Vehicle Code §23123 applies to motorists 18 and over, and says you must use a hands-free device. VC §23124 applies to those under 18 and says you may not use any wireless telephone at all.
Drive safely out there. And remember, even though you think you are the world's greatest driver, in reality I am.
BRUCE HOTCHKISS
Got a question or comment for Bruce The Car Guy? Email editor@pacificariptide.com
Clark Natwick Receives Volunteer Award
Thanks to Ron Maykel for letting us know that our good friend and Riptide regular Clark Natwick received Pacifica's annual environmental volunteer award, "The Open Space Preservation Award," for his many years of advocacy and hands-on ecological work. The ceremony took place at City Council chambers on April 28, honoring Clark for his service to the community and the environment. When we think of Clark, one phrase that comes to mind is "actions speak louder than words."
JOHN MAYBURY
Editor and Publisher
Pacifica Riptide
Mojo's Coast: Life and Death on the Beach
Don't open this link if you can't handle the sight of dead Harbor Seal pups: MOJO'S COAST
Save California's Undersea Yosemites ASAP
California is creating Marine Protected Areas along our coast. These underwater state reserves will protect important habitats and help ocean life recover and thrive. You can make a difference: Send a letter ASAP to decision-makers, encouraging them to choose the strongest plan to protect California's North Central Coast. PUBLIC COMMENT
The governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force soon will recommend a network of protected areas for California's North Central Coast, from San Mateo County to Mendocino County. We need your help to make sure they choose a plan that is strong enough to succeed. Just as we protected special places like Yosemite more than 100 years ago, we need to ensure that our children and grandchildren can experience wild, healthy oceans now and in the future. For information and to send an email: CALIFORNIA OCEANS
Le Petit Prince de Pacifica
Eddie and Evan
There are many treasures along our coastside, but one of my favorites is our local aerobatic pilot Eddie Andreini. What’s so unusual is that Eddie is considered one of the nation's top air show performers, who was awarded the highly coveted Sword of Excellence by the International Conference of Air Shows, yet so many of us coastsiders don’t know about him.
So I met with Eddie at his hangar in Half Moon Bay to learn his story. Eddie has been performing in air shows for almost 30 years and has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. Eddie went for a ride in an airplane that belonged to a friend of his dad in Half Moon Bay when he was about 15 years old, “and that was really neat and I kept wanting to go again and again,” he says.
Eddie learned to fly in Half Moon Bay when he was 16 years old, from Frank Silvestri, a former World War 2 P-47 fighter pilot. Eddie says, “Frank owned West Coast Aviation and one day I got up enough courage and talked to the flight school to learn how to fly. So Frank said 'okay' and took me up for my first lesson. And that was it!”
“I’d always worked and I’d saved up enough money from working on my dad’s farm and doing odd jobs like driving a tractor and helping friends fix up cars after school and weekends. My dad taught me the value of work and how to make money. When I was in high school, I bought my first airplane, an L-2 Taylorcraft, with a couple of friends, but it ended up I was the only one who got a license. My mom was okay with me flying, but not my dad. He thought it was crazy risky. When I bought the airplane, my dad threatened to ‘chop the airplane up’ if he ever found it. He offered my best friend Jo-Jo $75 if he’d tell him where the plane was, but Jo-Jo never did.”
“I bought a BT-13 with a partner named Jim Williams and he’d been a crop duster and was quite an aerobatic pilot. He was probably one of the best pilots I’d ever known. So whenever we’d go up, it was strictly aerobatics! If we went 100 miles away, we did aerobatics the whole way. So I got really comfortable with it and learned I really liked it. I was learning from a great pilot. So the next thing I know, he was doing shows with the Stearman before I was, and pretty soon a guy asked me, ‘Hey, how would you like to do a show?’ And it was really neat!”
And almost 30 years of performances at air shows followed. Eddie has had many airplanes over the years, flown many more, and loved them all. He was really hard-pressed to pick a favorite plane, but over the years he kept coming back to the Stearman. Currently he flies what is probably the most heavily modified Stearman in the United States. It’s a 1944 PJ-13D Boeing Stearman, and he can do absolutely amazing twists and turns in the air with it, yet it’s a very comfortable cross-country plane. Eddie loves it because it is so challenging to be graceful with it when flying at the edge, and yet it’s a beautiful machine.
Eddie also has two beautiful Yak- 9 fighters. The finest Russian WWII fighter, it was originally produced from 1942-1948, but Eddie’s were made new in 1996 from the original jigs. With its American V-12 Allison engine power, it can actually outperform the famous P-51 Mustang at lower levels. I like Eddie’s Stearman and his amazing talent with it very much, but the grace and power of the Yak are for me!
Eddie has developed an impressive reputation as a dedicated aerobatic performer, a consummate professional, and one heck of a great guy. Although Eddie could talk for hours on the wondrous capabilities of his airplanes, he says what he loves most about performing at air shows is coming back to Earth. “There is always some small child who you know just became passionate about flying because of what he saw my plane do. Or even an older person will tell me that my performance really went deep into his or her heart and touched him in an unexpected but so meaningful way,” Eddie says. “That, for me, is what keeps me flying.”
Here is a video we took of Eddie last year at the Santa Rosa Air Show in his Yak-9U Barbarossa: AIR SHOW VIDEO.
Eddie had his planes on display along with many other amazing aircraft April 27 at the Pacific Coast Dream Machines at Half Moon Bay Airport.
Photo above: Eddie Andreini and the author Evan; below are shots of Eddie flying his Yak and his Stearman.
Story by Evan Isenstein-Brand with a little help from Timothy Brand
Train Time: Railroads and the Imminent Reshaping of the United States Landscape
Stilgoe Predicts The Return Of Railroad
By Emily Simon
Harvard Gazette
For the complete article, go to: http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/04.10/09-stilgoe.html
Link provided by Emily Simon
esimon@fas.harvard.edu
Riptide Exclusive: Appeals Court Upholds Ruling in Favor of the Coastal Commission
BY LIONEL EMDE
In a ruling handed down on March 19, 2008, a three-judge panel of the First Appellate District Court affirmed a previous ruling that denied North Pacifica LLC's (NPLLC) challenge to the California Coastal Commission's (CCC) authority over the development project on Palmetto Avenue in Pacifica known as the "Bowl project."
The original lawsuit referred to in the appellate decision was filed in December 2002 against CCC, John Curtis, City of Pacifica, Pacifica Planning Commission, and Pacifica City Council. Since that time, NPLLC (whose members include Keith Fromm and Robert Kalmbach) have sought through a series of lawsuits to stop CCC from exercising any authority over the "Bowl project."
"In August 2002, the City of Pacifica granted NPLLC a coastal development permit to build 43 residential units on 4.2 acres of land. The City sent notice of its approval to the (CCC). The City had concluded, and so advised the (CCC), that approval of (NPLLC's) project was not appealable to the (CCC). The (CCC's) Executive Director disagreed (and) the (CCC) explained to the City that (NPLLC's) project was within 100 feet of wetlands and thus fell within the (CCC's) power to review the City's approval of the project." (Court of Appeal Opinion, Case A112590, 1.FACTS)
Thus began the long legal battle between NPLLC and CCC, which continues to this day. An appeal still is pending in the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal to a ruling in a lawsuit that NPLLC filed against CCC in Los Angeles, which was decided in CCC's favor in April 2007.
Yet another lawsuit has been filed by NPLLC against CCC in Los Angeles court, which has been transferred to San Mateo Superior Court, where action still is pending. According to a brief filed on appeal by CCC, North Pacifica LLC has filed fifteen (15) separate lawsuits against CCC and the City of Pacifica.
Florida Bans Fake Bull Testicles on Vehicles
State moves to ban fake testicles on vehicles
By Michael Peltier/Fri Apr 25, 12:03 PM ET
Senate lawmakers in Florida have voted to ban the fake bull testicles that dangle from the trailer hitches of many trucks and cars throughout the state. Republican Sen. Cary Baker, a gun shop owner from Eustis, Florida, called the adornments offensive and proposed the ban. Motorists would be fined $60 for displaying the novelty items, which are known by brand names like "Truck Nutz" and resemble the south end of a bull moving north. GET THE WHOLE SAD STORY HERE
Tricky Dick's Vision Thing
Bob Pilgrim discovered this in his secret Watergate archives.
Fort Bragg Cleans Up Its Act with Mushrooms
April 27, 2008
Saddled With Legacy of Dioxin, Town Considers an Odd Ally: The Mushroom
By ANNIE CORREAL, New York Times
FORT BRAGG, Calif. - On a warm April evening, 90 people crowded into the cafeteria of Redwood Elementary School here to meet with representatives of the State Department of Toxic Substances Control. The substance at issue was dioxin, a pollutant that infests the site of a former lumber mill in this town 130 miles north of San Francisco. And the method of cleanup being proposed was a novel one: mushrooms. Mushrooms have been used in the cleaning up of oil spills, a process called bioremediation, but they have not been used to treat READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE
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