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Crosscurrents

Daily news roundup for Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Sam Wolson / Special To The Chronicle
A dead female humpback whale washed up on a Pacifica beach on May 5, the second whale corpse within a month.

Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news

Smelly dead whales on Pacifica beach to get proper burial // SFGate

"A pair of dead whales, which have been decomposing on a Pacifica beach for weeks, will have to be buried due to “quality of life” issues for surrounding residents, officials said.

"In other words, giant, lifeless, rotting carcasses are not pleasant to live next to.

The two whales, the first of which appeared on April 14 and the second just a couple weeks later, have inspired looky-loos and marine biologists to visit the beach, but who would take care of the corpses was a bit of a debate."

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Recycled water not permitted for Candlestick demolition //  SFGate

"Drought-shaming reached a new peak Friday when reports that the company working to tear down San Francisco’s Candlestick Park was using drinking water to control dust halted the demolition. But city water officials countered that no wrongdoing had taken place, and the work is expected to continue next week."

For the past few months, Lennar Corp., the developer that is razing the stadium and planning a shopping complex there, had been disassembling the concrete-and-steel stadium and tamping down dust by spraying it with water."

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Marin snapshot: Marine Mammal Center co-founder Pat Arrigoni reflects on its 40 years // marin independent journal

"Pat Arrigoni of Fairfax helped found the Marine Mammal Center in 1975 along with Lloyd Smalley and Paul Maxwell. It eventually found its own site in the Marin Headlands where it just celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this year. Arrigoni — who wrote a book about the center “The Marine Mammal Center How it all Began” — reflected on four decades of the center."

Q: How did the Mammal Center begin?

A: A group of us got it going a the Boyd Museum in San Rafael. I was on the board and we all thought it was a good idea to try to get something established for marine mammals."

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Bedbugs suck //  Mission Local

“Bedbugs suck” was the mantra on the steps of City Hall Thursday, where District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim presented new legislation to help the Department of Public Health cope with the city’s bedbug problem.

Kim said that when she first began campaigning for supervisor two years ago and was going door-to-door to speak to potential constituents, one of the most pressing issues in and around the Tenderloin was the bedbug infestation.

I heard traumatizing stories from residents [who] had experienced it in their rooms and residences and how it emotionally affected their living experience,” said Kim.

Kim’s new legislation, which is cosponsored by District 9 Supervisor David Campos, has three main parts, she said.

The first requires the city to provide clear and accessible information on how to properly abate bedbugs and on the roles and responsibilities of landlords, tenants and pest control operators."

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Berkeley soda tax raises $116,000 of revenue in first month // Berkeleyside

"Berkeley’s soda tax has generated $116,000 in revenue in the first month of its operation, according to Councilman Laurie Capitelli, who announced the figure at a press conference today in front of Old City Hall.

The money was sourced from 36 different sugar-sweetened beverage distributors, and is on target to raise $1.2 million in its first year, according to Capitelli.

"Proceeds from the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, which was passed overwhelmingly by Berkeley voters with 75% approval in November, go into Berkeley’s General Fund. They will be allocated by a newly appointed panel of experts, operating with input from the community. The panel will hold its first meeting tomorrow, Tuesday May 19, at 6 p.m."

 

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