Here’s what’s happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news:
San Francisco mayor blocks bike yield law with veto threat// San Jose Mercury News
“Mayor Ed Lee slammed the brakes on legislation that would allow bicyclists to treat stop signs like yield signs, saying he would veto the ordinance if it reached his desk.
“In a letter sent Monday to Board of Supervisors President London Breed, one of six supervisors sponsoring the legislation, Lee said the "so-called Idaho stop, while expedient for some bicyclists, directly endangers pedestrians and other cyclists, and I cannot allow it to become law."”
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Muralist shot, killed, while working on Oakland art project // Napa Valley Register
“An artist working on a community mural project in West Oakland was shot and killed Tuesday morning.
“Police responded to reports of gunshots in the 3500 block of West Street at about 10:30 a.m. and found the man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital but was later pronounced dead, according to Oakland police.
“The man was working on a mural planned for West Street under the Interstate Highway 580 overpass between 35th and 36th streets. The mural, slated to cover 4,000 square feet of wall, is part of an ongoing project between artists and Oakland students.”
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City Data Shows Academy of Art University is Operating Most of its Buildings Illegally// SF Weekly
“As SocketSite reports, 75 percent of AAU’s (more than) 40 properties are operating without the necessary approvals or permits. This is based on data from a Planning Department report that will be presented to the Planning Commission next week.
“Even worse, at least nine buildings — which currently house some 330 student rooms — are ineligible to be legalized for their current purposes unless changes are made to the city planning code. These buildings include student dorms that are zoned for residential use, as well as athletic fields zoned for industrial warehouse use and classrooms zoned for light industrial use.”
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OPD Responds to Noise Complaints by White Man Against Black Drummers at Lake Merritt, Sparks Concerns About Racial Profiling // East Bay Express
“On Sunday night, a white Oakland resident called the Oakland Police Department on a small group of Black and Latino drummers by Lake Merritt, resulting in multiple citations and sparking extensive debates online about racial profiling, biased policing, and gentrification.“
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Planning Dept. flier looks like a Christensen campaign piece// 48 hills
“Right in the middle of a heated political campaign, the San Francisco City Planning Department has sent out a mass email to the residents of District Three that almost looks like a campaign flier for Sup. Julie Christensen.
“It may not be technically illegal, but that’s only because it’s an email not a paper mailing – the law that forbids the use of public resources in a way that could promote a candidate during a campaign was written in 1988, before email was common, and has never been updated.”
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Palo Alto: Library reopens after bedbug discovery // Daily Democrat
“Mitchell Park Library reopened Sunday following a multi-day closure sparked by the discovery of bedbugs.
“The city closed the library around 6 p.m. on Sept. 23. The notoriously difficult to remove pests were discovered on two chairs "within a limited area" on the first floor, according to the city.
“A pest control company treated the area, and is set to return later this week to make sure the bedbugs are gone, according to the city.”
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