September 2010 Archives

Ashlee Nicole Haley, the former SF State cheer coach who prosecutors say stole $20,000 in club funds, appeared in court around 10:30 a.m. today for a preliminary hearing.

Haley told the judge she had enrolled in a process group and was also serving one day of community service per week.

The prosecution stated they still had extensive evidence to explore before the criminal trial could begin, forcing Judge Chan to schedule a further pre-hearing conference on October 27.

Haley, who was charged with 29 felony counts ranging from embezzlement to obtaining money under false pretenses earlier in the month, refused to comment on the ongoing investigation.

The hearing was held in Department 12 of the San Francisco Hall of Justice and was presided over by Judge Bruce Chan.

Former SF State student Ashlee Nicole Haley, 23, was arrested and charged with 29 criminal offenses, including one felony count of embezzlement Sept. 16, to which she pled not guilty.

Prosecutors allege that Haley, last year's elected coach of SF State's cheer club, covered her cost of living at the expense of her teammates and fellow students.

"This is a very difficult situation," said Seth Steward, assistant district attorney. "It's difficult in particular for the families who put their hard earned money into extracurricular activities and their trust in their coach."

Haley's bail was originally set at $60,000. However, Tamara Barak Aparton, spokeswoman for the San Francisco public defender's office, said Haley had no criminal record and because of this, coupled with her low flight risk, she was released on her own recognizance Sept. 17.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 30. Barak Aparton, however, believes it will likely be pushed back due to the amount of evidence the public defender's office has yet to explore.

Aside from the embezzlement charge, Haley was also charged with 12 felony counts of grand theft and 16 counts of obtaining money by false pretenses.

"Ms. Haley served as the club's treasurer and was responsible for all club banking and deposits," Steward said.

During the two years she spent with the team, Haley accepted money from at least 20 students, with 17 giving her more than $1,000. In total she received in excess of $20,000.

"This is a very sad violation of trust among a peer group," said Ellen Griffin, University spokeswoman.

Although she wouldn't talk specifics because it is a criminal case being handled by the district attorney's office, Griffin maintained that the University provided none of the money.

"It was money from students within the student club which they had provided for services from the club," she said. "No money was provided from the University."

Cheer members provided the money to finance a voluntary training camp in southern California, as well as team uniforms and other expenses.

However, the camp never received payment and none of the cheer club members received the uniforms or any of the cheer club materials they were promised.

Upon her return from camp, a disgruntled cheerleader filed a complaint with cheer advisor Larry Birello.

I was contacted by a team member after camp," Birello said. "She said they were allowed to attend the camp, but that it wasn't paid for."

Following the disclosure, the SF State police department began a year-long investigation that uncovered evidence showing Haley may have spent club funds on personal items including food, entertainment, airline tickets, lodging, clothing, personal rent, rental cars and other items including a trip to Las Vegas.

Cheer club members declined to comment on the situation, citing strict orders to remain silent handed down by their new coach, Sima Azarnoush.

In a statement released last Wednesday, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris called Haley's abuse of her fellow student's trust "appalling."

"These victims are struggling to balance the pressures of academic and extracurricular demands with the burden of paying for a higher education," Harris said. "It is despicable for anyone to take advantage of them and their families."

The San Francisco board of supervisors is urging Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to cooperate with the City's request for infrastructure information.

In addition to rehabilitating the affected area in San Bruno, Calif. following the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion and fire, PG&E will have to test the pipes running under San Francisco.

Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White and the city administrator to lead an Infrastructure Safety Review with PG&E to assess the condition of natural gas pipelines that were installed throughout the city more than 50 years ago.

Two pipelines run along either side of SF State's campus. One is estimated to run along 19th Avenue and the other along Lake Merced Boulevard.

Supervisors Carmen Chu, Sophie Maxwell and Ross Mirkarimi sponsored the resolution adopted Sept. 21.

The resolution states that after its approval, PG&E has 45 days to provide the infrastructure information about the city. Currently, gas pipeline maps are available on the PG&E Web site, but do not show pipeline locations by street.

Understanding city pipeline infrastructure became a priority after the recent San Bruno fire. Chu said the urgency and involvement of the San Francisco Fire Dept. made it clear that the city needed to be proactive about the safety of all the pipes running underground.

"This issue is not a new issue," she said. "This is about the safety of the city."

Joe Molica, a PG&E representative, said the company is working on getting a complete report to include the "location, position, age and maintenance" of each pipeline.

The day after the San Bruno fire, PG&E communicated with San Francisco officials, as well as other city officials in California, to start making plans for future pipeline evaluation.

PG&E has compiled and published a list of the top 100 segments of pipelines they plan to evaluate in the state.

The SFFD and PG&E met at the SFFD headquarters Sept. 15 to start discussion about necessary actions needed to address the resolution and review the map of pipelines in San Francisco.

Hayes-White said the goal of the evaluation is to get the locations and addresses of high risk pipelines in the city to "not have a repeat of San Bruno."

Currently, the SFFD is reviewing and analyzing the data given by PG&E.

"The chief will come to an understanding of what we have here in San Francisco," said SFFD spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge.

They plan to meet again at PG&E headquarters Sept. 29 to explore the conditions and maintenance of the pipes in the city as well as focusing on certain areas.

"(PG&E) has given us everything we've asked for," Hayes-White said.

"We're continuing the discussion and reviewing (the City's) emergency response to protocol and our emergency response protocol," Molica said.

Hundreds of Bay Area residents gathered in front of the Human Rights Commission Sept. 23 to voice concerns regarding the San Francisco Police Department's decision to hire additional Terrorist Liaison Officers.

"San Francisco, a city which prides itself on its progressive values, just hired 40 new terrorist liaisons and none of us even knows what that means," said Veena Dubal, staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus.

"Since Sept. 11th, we have received harrowing accounts from clients and ourselves witness the McCarthyist tactics of the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force against both political activists and the Muslim community at large," Dubal said.

TLOs are active duty police officers who volunteer to receive training from other government agencies.

At the meeting, community members related their experiences after 9/11 and argued that San Francisco Police Chief George Gascón's desire to change department rules on gathering intelligence infringes on their First Amendment rights.

The first speaker was Josh Singh, an 8-year-old Sikh boy who donned a red "patka," a religious head garment. He said when he was at San Francisco International Airport, officials separated him from his parents and told him to remove the garment. His mortified parents stood aside, separated by a glass wall as they saw their young son go through the search. Singh said he continued to ask what he did wrong, but was not told anything. He asked, "Why was I the only boy behind the glass box?"

Sgt. Troy Dangerfield, a spokesman for the SFPD, said TLOs do not watch religious organizations or specific groups of people. Police officials must prove reasonable suspicion of criminal activity before opening an investigation, according to staff attorney Julia Mass of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"The definition of First Amendment protected activity includes expression, advocacy, participation, expressed conduct to further any political or religious opinion," Mass said.

SFPD's "One Year Retrospective Report" was released by Chief Gascón in August 2009 and reported that Homeland Security decided to increase the number of TLOs from 40 to 100.

According to the report, TLOs reach out to the community by educating business owners about terrorist threats and reporting protocol.

In 2008, California Homeland Security Director Matthew Bettenhausen testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and urged them to give more authority to local governments by allowing full access to information gathered by terrorism prevention institutions created after 9/11.

Consistent with the 9/11 Act, homeland security grants states at least 25 percent of Urban Areas Security Initiative appropriated funds to go toward anti-terrorism efforts.

"We need local legal safeguards to prevent intrusions on the civil liberties of San Francisco's residents," said Hararah. "Because of police collaborations with the FBI or ICE, our communities do not feel we can rely on the local law enforcement for help."

Reliability is slowly improving on the M-Ocean View rail which serves SF State, but rider satisfaction is at a nine-year low and over-crowding is increasing system-wide, according to a rider survey and report by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

The results of a 2010 rider survey conducted by the SFMTA released Sept. 21 revealed the lowest client satisfaction since 2001. Of the 563 Muni riders polled, 52 percent said that service was good or excellent.

Nathaniel Ford, executive director of SFMTA, told the audience who gathered to hear the state of the agency report that the satisfaction rate could be worse given the reductions in service and two fare increases this year.

"It's really not okay to be late to class because of Muni," said Amanda Larson, 20, sophomore at SF State. "There have been times when I've had to take a cab because the train malfunctions or is so late."

The M-Ocean View's schedule adherence grew from 63 percent in the second quarter of 2009 to 68 percent one year later. Though no longer the least reliable train, the on-time rate is still far short of the 85 percent system-wide goal set for 2012.

Recommendations have been made to improve service by halting the M-Ocean View line at SF State and extending the J-Church line to take over the Ocean View segment. SFMTA's Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor of the idea as part of the Transit Effectiveness Project in 2008.

According to a 2008 transportation survey focused on SF State, 36 percent of students take Muni to school. Of the students who rode Muni, 45 percent used the M-Ocean View line, amounting to more than 6,000 trips per day.

"We can't really wait for the next train or bus when it's crowded, you know," said Lorenzo Santos, a senior at SF State. "It's especially bad when it's packed in here and hot out."

In an email, Paul Rose, SFMTA spokesman, wrote, "We did not implement the most recent service restoration."

There is some opposition in neighborhoods passed (sic) SFSU, but we are going to continue working with the community as we determine the best way to move forward."
The campus master plan has a similar "wish list" for transportation, which includes shortening the M-Ocean View to stop at SF State in order to reduce round trip times and increase frequency.

"The thinking was there'd be some transit all the way to Balboa Park and some transit to stop at SF State and go back," said Campus Planner Wendy Bloom. "It's something we've been talking about with the city but no action is being taken, especially in this budget climate. Everybody embraces the wisdom but there's no immediate plan to do anything about it."

Another upgrade included in the master plan would move the boarding platform from the middle of 19th Avenue to the west side, making it safer for pedestrians.

"It's up to the city, not just us," Bloom said. "It would be extremely expensive."

Freshman Angela Pearson, 19, disagrees with moving the platform. "I don't think it would be worth it to move the platform, drivers and walkers just need to be more cautious," Pearson said. "More frequent and less crowded trains would be better."

SF State will conduct another transportation survey in spring 2011 to update its data on how students are getting to school and devise necessary adjustments.

The 85 percent on-time target was implemented by San Francisco voters as part of Proposition E in 1999, which originally aimed to meet the mandate by 2004.

The proposition tasked the SFMTA to consolidate control of parking, taxis, bicycles, Muni, and Paratransit. It is currently the goal of the SFMTA's 2008-2012 strategic plan, which is now undergoing an update to adjust for "unreliable funding sources."

As of Sept. 28, California's budget remains unsigned 90 days past its federally mandated due date, constituting the longest span a budget has gone unsigned in state history.

Though many agreed little could be done to expedite the budget process this time around, Proposition 25, which will appear on the November ballot, aims to end budget gridlock and jumpstart the state's sluggish economy.

The new legislation will also accommodate a more comfortable life at SF State and all other CSU campuses.

"Each year at the end of the budget process, Republicans get better and better at using the two-thirds vote needed to pass the budget to extort tax breaks for big business," said Ramon Castellblanch, California Faculty Association President at SF State. "Indirectly, money is taken out of the CSU's pocket because we all share the same pot."

Proposition 25 would change the current requirement of a two-thirds majority to pass a budget to a simple majority that would give individual politicians less power.

The CFA said the proposition would get the budget passed on time by withholding pay from politicians until a decision was reached and the budget was signed.

Conversely, opponents say it does not stipulate that pay is withheld until the budget is signed, only until a budget is presented, regardless of whether it is approved or not.

"It's a sham provision that fools voters into believing it holds politicians accountable," said Beth Miller, spokeswoman for the No on 25, Yes on 26 campaign. "We have no doubt Prop 25 would be used to raise taxes."

Miller believes those supporting Proposition 25 merely want a loophole that would allow them to raise taxes with a majority vote.

"It offers a lot of empty promises and there is no guarantee it will lead to a more timely or well balanced budget," she said.

The CFA chose to endorse Proposition 25 because they believed it would put a check on the politicians who sought to "extort" the budget and "hold it hostage to get what they want."

"Unlike K-12, whose funding is guaranteed, the CSU falls into an unprotected part of the general fund that makes it more susceptible to cuts," said Brian Ferguson, CFA communications specialist. "Prop 25 won't change everything but it will make the situation better."

The CFA said an unsigned budget wasn't a direct threat to public higher education because the CSU has a buffer zone maintained by private money, which allowed it to exist semi-independently from the budget.

Nonetheless, campuses statewide can still feel the effects of budget gridlock.

"Prop 25 has a direct connection to student fees," said Castellblanch. "If 25 passed, it would stop the kind of shenanigans that have led to tax breaks for big business and it would leave more money on the table for the CSU."

According to Ferguson, when the budget is tied up, the CSU fronts the money for Cal Grants that provide students with their tuition.

When the budget is signed, the state pays back the CSU. However, students who receive stipends to finance their education are unable to collect them until the budget is resolved.

Moreover, students are indirectly affected by budget gridlock because public services, such as free healthcare clinics, are ill equipped to operate without the state funding they depend on.

When the budget isn't signed, public agencies are forced to take out loans to cover costs until an agreeable budget is passed.

This limits the amount of people they can provide services to. According to the nonpartisan Field Poll, Proposition 25 is supported by 46 percent of likely voters and opposed by 30 percent.

This is down from July when roughly 65 percent approved the proposition and 20 percent opposed.

Morale was high as people of all ages assembled under one common cause on the beach that runs along Linda Del Mar Boulevard in Pacifica, Calif. That cause was diabetes.

The Diabetic Youth Foundation ran their annual Surf Camp on Sept. 19 to teach children and teens with and without diabetes to learn how to surf, while also keeping their diabetes at bay. Surf camp volunteers instructed participants on how to surf and keep safe in the water, while making sure their blood sugar levels remained at a point of normalcy.

"It's important to know that type 1 diabetics and their families can come out and enjoy themselves and the great weather and feel healthy and normal," said SF State student Chelsea Vilinskas, who volunteered at the camp.

The brisk day went smoothly as instructors taught the kids the basics of the cathartic sport, including getting fitted for wetsuits, doing exercises on the sand and going over safety instructions before galloping into the ocean water.

A significant emphasis of the event was to show that a person could have diabetes and still enjoy everyday activities without any inhibitions. Surfers were able to leave their concerns at home, hop on a board and ride some gentle waves.

"Kids and adults with diabetes can do everything else that people without diabetes can do," said Jennifer Goerzen, DYF camp manager. "We're showing that people can live well and thrive with diabetes."

As the afternoon tumbled through, everyone seemed exhausted yet thoroughly content. The tide was rising and the beach was emptying out as the sunlight did the same.

Smiles shined upward as hugs were given out on the end of a windy Sunday afternoon. The kids and their parents left Surf Camp with DYF's message resonating: just because they have to cope with diabetes every day does not mean that it has to hinder them, especially from catching some waves.

Smokers will no longer be able to purchase tobacco at stores like Safeway and Costco after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 7-3 Sept. 21 to broaden a tobacco sales ban to include all stores that have a pharmacy.

The vote is scheduled to be finalized next week.

If Mayor Gavin Newsom signs the ordinance, tobacco products will disappear from those businesses within 30 days.

Supervisor Eric Mar worked with the Tobacco Free Coalition to pass the new measure to extend the ban in August.

"We can legally defend the ordinance that passed in 2008," he said.

Due to the fact that supermarkets were still allowed to sell tobacco products, Supervisor Mar said the ordinance "is closing a loophole that should have been closed in 2008."

According to Dr. Lisa Kroon, executive vice-chair of the department of clinical pharmacy at UCSF's School of Pharmacy, selling tobacco products in stores that have pharmacies represents a conflict of interests.

"You shouldn't be able to buy products that harm you in the same place you go to get healthy," said Mar's legislative aide Lin-Shao Chin.

The new ordinance amends a 2008 ban that made San Francisco the first city in the country to take cigarettes off the shelves of drugstores like Rite Aid and Walgreens.

However, major grocery and big-box stores within the city, were exempt at their request.

In response, Walgreens filed a lawsuit against the City in 2008, arguing that not applying the ban to all stores was unfair.

In June, the state's 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco agreed that Walgreens could continue its lawsuit after a Superior Court in San Francisco dismissed the case in 2008.

Closing the loophole for grocery stores is a solution.

Some disagree, however, with government intervention in this situation.

"I think that the City may have gone too far in telling people what they can and can't have in a business," said Nick Schoman, owner of Charlie's Pharmacy on Fillmore Street.

He said his 23-year-old business will suffer once he can no longer sell cigarettes.

Schoman said there are more important issues the city could be dealing with, instead of mandating what stores can and cannot sell.

"What's next, are they going to say you can't buy alcohol?" he said. "Where does it end?"
Kroon acknowledged this slippery slope and believes the answer is no, because of tobacco's higher public health risk, she said.

"(With tobacco) there is no safe level of exposure," said Dr. Robin Corelli, a professor of clinical pharmacy at UCSF's School of Pharmacy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking tobacco is the nation's number one cause of preventable disease.

On average the life span of smokers is 14-year shorter than that of non-smokers.

"Cigarettes, when used as intended, have been shown to kill half of its users," Kroon said.

However, Chin said the tobacco sales ban is not an anti-smoking law.

"(The proposed ordinance) is not to stop people from smoking," Chin said. "That's not the intent of this legislation. We're trying to change the social norms."

Kroon also said that she does not see the ban as a tobacco-control law because "it's not limiting where a person can smoke."

Another law sponsored by Mar made smoking at outdoor cafes, markets and within 15 feet of building entrances in San Francisco illegal in April.

Kroon said since people will still be able to buy cigarettes elsewhere, the extended ban is not an attempt to deter smoking habits.

"People can buy cigarettes at gas stations or liquor stores. To me, the issue is that as a pharmacy, we're providing health care and should not be providing products that are known to harm people," she said. "You wouldn't go into your doctor's office and expect to have a cigarette vending machine there."

Domestic workers in California may be next in the long line of employees waiting to be included in protective labor laws. The California Senate passed the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights on Aug. 23. and it will soon be reviewed by the California State Assembly and the next governor.

The upcoming bill, which is scheduled to appear before the next legislator in 2011, will include such rights as equal overtime pay, equal right to worker's compensation and the right to five hours uninterrupted sleep in adequate conditions.

Gov. David Paterson of New York signed the Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights Aug. 31 making his the first state in the nation to pass legislation protecting domestic workers. Once excluded from labor legislation, domestic workers in New York have been granted basic legal protection in the workplace.

"It's a struggle for human rights and human dignity," said Andrea Cristina Mercado, lead organizer of Mujeres Unidas y Activas. "These workers have been in the dark."

Mujeres Unidas y Activas is a grassroots organization with offices in San Francisco and Oakland. Their mission is to educate and empower Latina women to promote social justice. The organization is also a leader of The California Worker Rights Coalition that is currently fighting for the Cailfornia Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights.

"There is no accountability, no oversight," said Mercado. "This frequently leads to exploitation and abuse."

MUA's strategy for passing the law is a combination of organizing, education and legislation. According to Mercado, domestic workers are often isolated from information about organizing.

"A law can be on the books but workers won't know about it," she said. "That's why employer education is important so that they know the law."

MUA estimates that there are currently 500,000 domestic workers in California. However, because domestic workers are employed in the private sector, employment is often off the books making the exact number difficult to finalize, said Mercado.

"Positions in domestic work have largely been held by women of color and immigrant women," said Mercado. "This has really been a legacy of discrimination."

In 1935, Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the National Labor Relations Act providing federal labor protection to U.S employees and employers, but the act specifically excludes farm workers and domestic workers.

Lillian Galvedo, executive director of Filipino Advocates for Justice, also noted that it was racial discrimination that initially excluded domestic workers from the NLRA.

"The thinking of the time was that the large majority of domestic workers were African American women," said Galvedo. "It was thought that they didn't deserve these protections."

Filipino Advocates for Justice, an Oakland-based advocacy organization, is also part of the California coalition that will spearhead the DWBR in 2011. Galvedo believes that immigration status is a large reason as to why abuses in the workplace often go unreported and unrecognized.

"A large number of immigrants who don't know their rights fear calling in because they don't want to invite retaliation," said Galvedo. "There is a huge incentive to not report violations of their rights."

According to Galvedo, those who hold positions in domestic work are frequently their family's primary source of income. As a result, they often feel pressure to stay in a position that is inequitable.

"Things we take for granted such as time for being sick, taking care of sick children and family members or vacation time is not possible for some workers," said Galvedo. "It borders on the line of slavery and indentured servitude."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed similar legislation to CDWBR in 2006, but this year it has yet to encounter any opposition.

Professor of Women and Gender Studies, Kasturi Ray, said these past oppositions were likely a result of race and class privilege.

"There was a lot of worry that this would land on the backs of middle class women," said Ray. "The middle class has been historically shielded and seen as clients of the state more than the working class."

Although Ray said having rights is important, she believes that depending on formal legislation FROM the state may have repercussions.

"I am worried that informal ways of gaining rights may be swept aside," she said.

Ray is currently in the process of writing "The Trade in Maids: Cross-Cultural Readings of Paid and Unpaid Domestic Workers," a book that details the obstacles South African domestic workers encountered after they established formal rights.

"Formal rights are really important," Ray said. "But they often narrow the ways in which you can maneuver your rights."

"When the rights language started, domestic workers were presented as victims," she said. Ray believes that having the states hand in such an intimate form of labor can make traditional ways of negotiating no longer available.

The explosion and subsequent blaze that erupted in a San Bruno community less than nine miles from SF State hit even closer to home last Friday as hundreds of alumni, friends and family gathered to mourn the loss of SF State graduate, Jacqueline Greig and her daughter Janessa.

On September 9th, the lives of mother and daughter were cut tragically short by what many are calling the worst disaster in PG&E's history.

They are two of four confirmed fatalities from the natural gas pipeline explosion that destroyed a San Bruno neighborhood, leaving myriad homes and lives in shambles and a community devastated.

"It's unbelievable this could happen to someone we knew and loved," said Sister Marilyn Miller, principal at St. Cecilia Catholic church where the Greig family worshiped and Janessa studied.

"It's a very sad day for our school community, as well as their families," said Laura Capitelli Marchini, whose son was in Janessa Greig's class.

Jacki, as she was known to friends, was a 44-year-old wife and mother of two who graduated from SF State in 1988 with a degree in international business.

"Her girls were her life," said Miller. "She worked full-time but took days off to make time to be at school for activities with her children."

Greig worked for the California Public Utilities Commission for 21 years and served, ironically, on a natural gas committee. She was secretary of her church's pastoral council and a frequent volunteer at school and church events.

Janessa, a 13-year-old who loved Mexican folk dancing, volleyball and acting, was Jacqueline's youngest daughter. She was an 8th grader and the student body president of her class.

"Everyone thought of her as their best friend," Miller said. "We have a student body of 600 and everyone knew Janessa. She was a positive, outgoing and caring spirit."

Outside the classroom, mother and daughter also volunteered with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Last Friday, a memorial mass with more than 900 in attendance was held at St. Cecilia. The service was presented in both English and Spanish, with an eight person mariachi group providing the background music.

Pictures of the deceased were displayed throughout the church while poems and stories Janessa wrote before her death were read aloud.

"The service was one of the largest I have attended and was a beautiful tribute to two beautiful people," said Gloria Alves, family friend to the Greigs. "Though there were tears, it was uplifting to see the outpouring of love and support for this family. Our prayers are with them."

School was canceled for the day so students could attend the service and support the surviving members of the family.

The Greig's adorned orange ribbons in honor of what they said was Janessa's favorite color, while her classmates and friends lined the pews sporting name tags displaying a Paschal candle and Easter egg, symbols said to signify new life in the Catholic religion.

The name tags also read, "Janessa and Jacki are alive in God's care." Miller said they represented the church's belief there is something after this life and although lives are changed, they are not over.

In his service, Monsignor Michael Harriman spoke of Janessa's choice for her school's theme for the year, "Don't stop believing" and how necessary it was to remember in this time of need.

"She never realized when she was with us here on Earth, how much we need to hear those words today," said Harriman. "So I say to all of you here today, as you are struggling with this horrific tragedy, don't stop believing."

Jacqueline and Janessa are survived by their husband and father, James; and daughter and sister Gabriela. A memorial fund has been established at the Bank of the West.

Donations can be made at any Bank of the West location or can be sent by mail care of
"The Greig Family Memorial Fund," Bank of the West, 295 Bush St., San Francisco, Calif. 94104.

Although the numbers are fewer than years past, theft is still a threat considering bicycles are appealing to people who seek a quick crime.

"Bicycles are a valued commodity that are easy to re-sell through various resources," said Parson. "In addition, (bikes) provide a convenient means for suspects fleeing the scene of the crime [...]."

According to Parson, most bikes are stolen during "active class hours," in the afternoon and evening.

Incidents mostly occur in buildings parallel to 19th and Holloway Avenues, where public transportation can provide thieves an easy escape, Parson said to [X]Press last spring, when bike thefts were also common in that side of campus.

"When UPD detected the trend of bike thefts, we started an active campaign of providing the campus community with information on the thefts and protective measures that community members could use to lessen their chances of being victimized," said Parson.

Parson strongly encourages cyclists to use the indoor parking area specifically designated for bikes, skateboards and scooters to help reduce thefts on campus.

According to Bike Barn staffer Nick Whitson, the space is equipped to accommodate around 350 bicycles but only an average of 115 bicycles are left there each school day.

Although Parson suggests the Bike Barn to be the most secure place for bicycles, an SF State instructor prefers to leave her bicycle within a closer distance from where she teaches.

Biology lecturer Heather Murdock, who bikes to campus from her home in the Sunset, said she has had her bicycle lights and seat stolen within the last 13 years she has been teaching at SF State.

"I biked home standing up the whole way without a seat, which was hard," Murdock said in an email.

In spite of her experience, Murdock continues to lock her bicycle outside of the Bike Barn because it is less time consuming.

"It would take me too long to go [to the barn] and get back to my classes on time," said Murdock, who teaches most of her classes in Hensill Hall. "I need my bike close by."

An online transportation survey conducted by SF State in 2008 showed that 3.5 percent of students and faculty biked to campus.

The number could have increased due to the addition of 200 new racks, said Jason Porth, associate director of community relations at SF State.

The racks, provided by a grant of $12,000 received from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, can accommodate 400 bicycles on campus.

Sean Le, a history and special education major, said his bike is secured anywhere on campus because he uses a U-lock.

"A thief could only break a U-lock with a small jack, and it would take him a while," Le said.

He said nobody on campus should use a cable lock, "When 500 bicycles are forced to conglomerate, it's easy for a thief cut a lock and walk away with a bike."

University police have not found any suspects regarding the bike crimes so far.

Creative San Francisco denizens adorned parking spaces with barbeque pits, gardens and lawn transplants to celebrate the fifth annual Park(ing) Day.

The San Francisco art and design studio Rebar started Park(ing) Day to show how parking spaces, which normal house someone's car, can be turned into beautiful gardens and other creative settings, according to Park(ing) Day's official website. Once a San Francisco tradition, Park(ing) Day now has an international following with celebrations on almost every continent. The day has somewhat of a cult following and keeps people coming back yearly.

"Not that I dislike internal combustion or getting around on four wheels, but I think this is a salutatory event," Berkeley resident Steve Black who has attended Park(ing) Day for over four years. Black lived in San Francisco's Mission neighborhood for several years before moving to Berkeley. Despite his relocation, Park(ing) Day is still one of his favorite events.

"It challenges us to see the city through fresh eyes," he said.

Groups like Bay Natives, a local plant retailer and nursery, created a half block garden populated with wooden sculptures, native Bay Area plants and yellow watermelon for passer-bys to snack on.

"We're trying to create an oasis here in the urban jungle where weary people and also birds, butterflies and other insects can find a place to take a load off," said Geoff Coffey, principle of Bay Natives.

While many Park(ing) Day sites were gardens of some sort, other groups like Interstice Architects choose to create more whimsical set ups.

"We have two components to our site. It's hay and pinwheels," Interstice Architects principal Chris Kiefer said. Blue, green and red pinwheel spun rapidly around to show a key characteristic of Interstice Architects Bartlett Street location - wind.

Interstice Architects weren't the only group seeking to go beyond gardens. Outside of Aquarius Records on Valencia Street, a man who called himself Doctor Rainbow set up a barbeque pit to grill hotdogs despite the dreary weather.

"This year I wanted to set up a space for myself," Doctor Rainbow said. "It's part of the philosophy of the event. As more people know about it, there are more pods that pop up around the city and the world in fact," he said. Doctor Rainbow concluded that hopefully people would learn that parking spaces aren't just for automobiles, but also for people too.

"And of course rubber chickens," he added.

• San Bruno evacuees to be transported to nearby shelter by Chris Haire, Thursday, Sept. 9
• San Bruno fire half contained, missing person search to begin shortly by Chris Haire, Thursday, Sept. 9


• San Bruno rescue effort continues by Audrey Arthur, Friday, Sept. 10
• Fire contained, San Bruno begins recovery by Geena Stellato and Chris Haire, Friday, Sept. 10
• Feds begin probe into cause of explosion by Lindsay Harte, Saturday, Sept. 11
• San Bruno residents still out of homes by Alberto Penalva, Saturday, Sept. 11
• San Bruno residents begin returning home by Andrew Palma, Sunday, Sept. 12


• Officials reassure San Bruno residents by Geena Stellato and Kelsey Avers, Monday, Sept. 13
• PG&E sets aside $100 million for fire victims by Audrey Arthur, Chris Haire and Geena Stellato, Tuesday, Sept. 14
• SF State teacher survives San Bruno disaster by John Blomster, Tuesday, Sept. 14




• Hundreds mourn mother and daughter lost in San Bruno fire by Tom Garcia, Tuesday, Sept. 21
• San Bruno fundraiser held in Malcolm X Plaza by Christine Tjandra, Thursday Sept. 23
• PG&E to inspect pipelines in the City by Geena Stellato, Wednesday Sept. 29

Early Monday morning, Ivy Chen stood on stage in the packed McKenna Theater talking to students about sex. She spoke into a microphone with the same cheerful delivery as in every other lecture to hundreds of SF State students, most of whom had no idea of the terror she endured just days before.

Chen, an associate professor of human sexuality at SF State and independent sexual education instructor, faced the prospect of losing everything including her life when an exploding gas line ravaged her San Bruno neighborhood Thursday evening.

"You see it on the news, it happens to other people; you'd never think it would happen to you," said Chen, 37. "It was really surreal."

But the scene that unfolded was all too real.

Chen returned to her home in the Crestmoor neighborhood of San Bruno shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday. She was coming from the rehearsal of her friends' wedding that she was to officiate later that weekend.

Chen, a professor at SF State for nine years, and her boyfriend, John (Chen declined to give his last name) were still living out of boxes after having just moved into their new house five days earlier over Labor Day weekend. Before preparing dinner, they chatted in the bedroom, winding down from the day.

Then the earth shook.

"All of a sudden we felt a rumble and we thought it was an earthquake," Chen said. "We ran (from the bedroom) to the dining room window and we saw a big orange fireball. It was hotter than any fire I've ever been near... like a propane torch. It was really scary."

The couple had less than four minutes to scoop up their computers, their two Holland Lop rabbits, and their 6-month-old Pomeranian puppy, Biscuit, before fleeing their house. As she locked the front door and fires raged nearby, Chen was certain that she would never see her house again.

They got in their cars - the bumpers having melted from the intense heat - and escaped down the hill to the nearby Tanforan Mall. There, they sat, listening to sirens shriek as gas-fueled flames licked the evening sky.

"I thought, that's it, we lost everything," Chen said. "We went into Target and I was walking around like a zombie like, 'Well, we'll need toothpaste... maybe some soap...' We had nothing. It was like the world stood still."

As local authorities struggled to contain the blazes and deal with the ensuing fatalities and injuries, Chen and the other displaced residents were left to watch the news to see whose homes were still standing.

"It was like the lottery," Chen said.

Though the explosion was just a block away, Chen's house avoided the path of the windblown fire by just two houses down the street. It survived with fractured walls, cracked windows and melted gutters on the house's south side, which faced the explosion. Other neighbors were not so lucky.

Fifty-two residents were injured when the 30-inch Pacific, Gas and Electric co. natural gas line exploded in the middle of Crestmoor. Four people were killed, and three others are still missing, according to San Bruno Emergency Operations Center spokeswoman Laura Snideman.

The fires stretched across 10 acres. When the smoke cleared, 37 homes were destroyed and eight others were severely damaged.

In the chaos, 377 homes were evacuated during the disaster. Chen was able to find residence at a friend's house in Burlingame. Those with no other place to stay were forced into temporary shelters at the San Bruno Recreation Center or the Bayhill Mall.

Chen's home, along with 293 other homes, has been "green-lighted" for occupation as of Sunday. Those unable to return to their homes have since found residence at hotels or elsewhere, according to Snideman.

"City staff and PG&E inspectors ensured the homes and utilities were structurally sound," Snideman said. "(For those who are still displaced) there are still a wide variety of services like clothing and food support offered to residents through the Red Cross."

Insurance Information Network of California spokesman Tully Lehman said that there are an estimated tens of millions of dollars of insured losses as a result of the disaster.

"In a situation like this which happened so fast, people left with just the clothes on their backs," said Lehman. "That makes for a lot of additional expenses."

Most homeowners' insurance policies cover "additional living expenses," or "ALEs," which provide for extra food, furniture, relocation and transportation costs in the event of an emergency, said Lehman. Those with ALE insurance are expected to save any and all receipts along the road to recovery.

For Chen, recouping losses will take weeks. For the neighborhood, recovery will take much longer.

"This is a neighborhood where a lot of people had lived there for like 50 years, and everything that they had, all their pictures, memories, everything in their lives, are gone," Chen said. "It's incredibly sad. It's a horrible, traumatic event, and it's probably going to take years for this neighborhood to come back."

The Saturday following the explosion, less than 48 hours after fleeing her home with an armload of pets, Chen officiated her friends' wedding as planned.

"I had to buy a new dress and new shoes and still be there two days after the explosion that I thought I might have died and lost my house in," Chen said in the same confident tone in which she addressed her class. "To just stand there and say, 'Do you take so-and-so to be your lawfully wedded wife...' was (weird), but for them and everybody, life goes on."

Monday morning, her first class since the explosion, Chen stood before her students as if nothing had happened, flipping through her PowerPoint presentation detailing various glands and hormones in the human body. Though the events of the weekend were fresh in her mind, she never once betrayed her inner trauma and remained upbeat as she spoke to her listeners.

"My first responsibility as a teacher is to be present and to give what I can to (students)," she said with a persistent smile. "That's my way of coping; that's my way of being able to have control back over my life. And (once) the teaching is over, I've got to go and put my life back together."

An ordinance that will increase the cost of a drink by three to five cents in San Francisco has been passed by the Board of Supervisors today. The Alcohol Cost Recovery Fee, an ordinance sponsored by Supervisor John Avalos, will charge wholesalers and beverage manufacturers an additional 35 cents per gallon of beer, $1 per gallon of wine and $3.20 per gallon of liquor sold in the city.

Despite drinking becoming slightly more expensive in the city, the few extra cents collected per bar drink will help help recoup the $17.7 million spent annually on alcohol related problems, as estimated in a study conducted by the Lewin Group on behalf of the city.

Opponents argue that the logistics of pricing would lead bars to round up an even 50 cents rather than tack on 3 cents.

"We have no intention of raising our prices. But yeah, you would have to raise it by 50 cents or $1.00," said SF State Pub manager Ferras Jweinat. "It's like with smoking, cigarettes went up to $7 or $8, and people still smoke. I don't see it as impacting the consumer significantly."

The ordinance states that the fee would go to health care costs of alcohol-attributable conditions such as costs of emergency transport due to alcohol, alcohol prevention and treatment programs administered by the Department of Health, and administration costs.

Michael Ritter, coordinator of the Creating Empowerment through Alcohol and Substance Abuse Education program at SF State said, "This is a case where everyone gets taxed for only some people using a service. Everyone is taxed for building highways or public transportation even if they don't use them."

"Will SF State students benefit? Those who need the services will benefit, the rest of us will benefit because we are helping to pay for services for those in need," he said. "Five cents a drink wouldn't be much to pay if you are only having one or two drinks."

Costs the campus incurs for treatment and prevention would not be covered by the fee revenue since the expense falls to the state, not the city, said Derek Aitken, associate director of Government Relations at SF State.

"The only way it will effect campus is the pub will charge more," he said. "The fee would benefit approximately 2,000 people, mostly frequent visitors to AA or rehab. I doubt any students are part of that group."

Initially the legislation was deemed "Charge for Harm" by supporters who gathered at City Hall Aug. 4, shortly after the initiative was first proposed. They called for increases in the city's funding for those who need help with alcohol abuse.

"These are the costs that taxpayers pay for over consumption of alcohol and services we provide for the treatment of people who drink way too much," Avalos said to the crowd of supporters.

SF State Philosophy graduate student Oliver Hunt thinks the fee would amount to a sin tax, which is used to gather revenue by taxing against goods considered socially or morally harmful.

"People like to drink a little more in hard economic times," she said. "I think this would strap people further and hurt businesses."

Mayor Gavin Newsom opposes the measure, citing the possible profit loss for the already suffering food and beverage industry.

According to the City Controller's economic analysis, consumption of beer would decline by 0.3 percent, distilled spirits by 0.7 percent, and wine consumption by 0.8 percent.

The report also estimates the fee would raise $16 million and result in a worst case scenario of 50 lost jobs.

Abbi Levine, an international relations major at SF State, doesn't think the general populace should be held responsible for the problems of a minority

"They should just not put people in the drunk tank," said Levine. "We should just let them be drunk on the street, as long as they're not violent."

Others, like art major Cherish Prieditis, think a few cents are worth it to help someone in need.

"It's not that much more expensive if it helps people," she said. "I thought students would be more inclined to help."

Eight candidates vying for the District 10 supervisor seat addressed the need for job creation in Asian and African American communities when they spoke before an Asian American studies class Sept. 12 in Burk Hall.

"The purpose of organizing this panel was that the demographic of District 10 is always changing," said Grace Yoo, the professor for Asian American Communities: Changes and Development, which hosted the forum. We really wanted to highlight that. We wanted to hold the District 10 candidates to that."

Chris Jackson, one of 21 people running for the District 10 seat, gave an impassioned speech about the need to create employment opportunities in conjunction with education. The average District 10 resident reads at a seventh grade level, the former SF State student said.

"If you're a youth and you don't see that there is a lot of jobs in your community, why would you go to school?" Jackson said. "We have to intensify jobs so it's more affordable to go to school than slinging rock on the street."

Asian and African Americans make up more than 60 percent of the population, according to a 2003 study by the California Urban Issues Project, a San Francisco organization that focuses on the city's quality of life.

And as such, each candidate acknowledged that District 10, which includes the neighborhoods of Potrero Hill, Visitacion Valley and Bayview-Hunters Point, has major issues concerning diversity.

"In every one of these neighborhoods race is an issue," said Steve Moss, who has taught classes in the University's urban studies department. "Throughout Bayview and (Visitacion) Valley, frankly gay guys are moving in, Latinos are moving in, Asian Americans are moving in in what is historically an African American neighborhood and that is causing people some distress."

Marlene Tran, who has spent more than 35 years as a San Francisco educator, stressed her value to the district because of her multilingualism. Tran, who speaks English, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin, vowed to have employers translate job applications, signs and descriptions.

"Whatever's posted outside of businesses in District 10 is in English only," Tran said. "What good is it in places like Visitacion Valley, which is 60 percent Asian and many of them speak limited English?"

Even though the candidates stressed race, once the nearly 35 audience members -- most of whom were students in the class -- had the chance to ask questions, jobs, the economy, crime and education took center stage.

"Everybody says there are all these problems in District 10, which there are," Moss said. "But behind every single problem, there is a fantastic solution."

Yet, Tony Kelly, a resident of Potrero Hill since 1994 and the founder of the Thick Description Theater Company, wants the city to dedicate a larger portion of the budget to District 10.

"I think city hall doesn't care about District 10," candidate Tony Kelly said. "We need to make the right choice about a supervisor to change that."

Other than Jackson, Tran, Moss and Kelly, the other present candidates for the District 10 seat were Kristine Enea, Dewitt Lacy, Eric Smith and Lynette Sweet.

"The best candidate does not necessarily have to look just like you," Sweet said. "You want leadership, you want representation, you want people that will get things done. We all bring something to the table that's quite unique."

The San Francisco Police Department announced its month-long plan to improve pedestrian safety at dangerous intersections throughout the city.

The operations will take place during peak traffic hours at Geary Street, San Bruno Ave, Sixth Street, Bayshore Boulevard and Cole Valley to protect walkers from the leading causes of pedestrian fatalities such as right-of-way and speed violations. The police will also be ticketing pedestrians who improperly cross streets.

"We have the problem of high density [in San Francisco]," said Ana Validzic, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Coordinator for the Department of Public Health. "Ten percent of people walk to work."

The enforcement plan is part of a yearlong police program that battles the climbing number of pedestrian injuries in the city and "will compliment current pedestrian safety efforts conducted, including proactive enforcement," according to a press release from the SFPD.

Undercover operations to catch traffic violators, car seat enforcement, aggressive driving patrols, and extra Driving Under Influence checkpoints are additions to current police traffic regulation.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, San Francisco ranks first statewide in pedestrian fatalities and fourth on the national level. In a police press release from earlier this year, pedestrian deaths have been on the rise citywide with 70 fatalities between 2006 and 2009.

Reports by the health department showed the highest concentration of pedestrian injuries in the past six years occurred in the Mission, Tenderloin, and SoMa Districts. Last month, the hit-and-run death of a man on 19th and Folsom Streets in the Mission District marked the seventh pedestrian fatality this year.

While this represents a decline from 2009, pedestrian safety remains a pertinent issue.

"If there is a high number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the city year after year, it's time to do something about it," said Validzic.

According to Validzic, the health department and the SFPD applied for grants individually from the California Office of Traffic Safety and were rewarded a $200,000 joint grant. The health department will give their portion of the grant to community groups to work on pedestrian safety and to families to purchase child car seats.

The money distributed from the health department will help Portola Family Connection, a family support and community building center that will disperse reflector arm bands and flashing lights to the neighborhood to condone pedestrian safety.

"The grant made it possible for us to create awareness about the issue," said Erica Rendon, Family Support Manager for the Center. "[Pedestrian safety] is not what we normally do."

The SFPD, the lead agency in the program, will use the money to conduct research on dangerous intersections in the city.

Herbert Coteya, the crossing guard at 19th and Holloway Streets takes his job seriously. Wearing a yellow vest, Coteya provides extra protection every weekday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. by helping students cross the street holding up a stop sign at the congested intersection.

"My job is important because without me, people wouldn't pay attention to the light," he said.

Last year, Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) passed a bill that lowered the speed limit to 30 mph on 19th Avenue and designated the multi-lane street as a "double fine zone" for all traffic violations.

The new laws improved walking conditions, but the street still needs pedestrian countdown signals and more stop signs, said Coteya.

"We have a lot of walkers," said health department Project Coordinator Validzic. "We owe it to them to improve their safety."

The California State University system granted $50.9 million earlier this year to its campuses to fund more classes, yet SF State still has seven impacted departments and four others approved for impaction during the 2011-2012 academic year.

The CSU system said in a February statement it would provide 8,100 extra sections statewide due to a $76.5 million federal allocation that covered payroll and left extra money to aid "enrollment growth."

The grant allowed SF State to add 354 sections to its bulletin this semester.

"We have 3,505 course sections on the class schedule for fall 2010. By comparison, we had 3,151 course sections on the class schedule in fall 2009," said Associate Vice President for Academic Resources John Kim. "To a large extent, the additional course sections we are able to offer this fall compared with last fall is due to federal economic stimulus money."

Despite the additional funding and increased course capacity, SF State and every other campus in the CSU system still face uncertainty in terms of balancing admission rates with available resources.

"Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed a 2010-2011 restoration of $305 million to the CSU (budget), plus $60.6 million for enrollment growth," said Erik Fallis, a spokesman with the chancellor's office. "This still leaves the CSU at a level lower than where we were in 2007-2008."

The term impacted refers to a department or entire university in which the number of qualified applicants overwhelms the resources it has to service students.

"Once the department or university has declared impaction, they may impose additional criteria for admission over and above the minimums set for admission by the CSU," said Dean of Undergraduate Studies Gail Evans.

This could mean setting higher test score standards for out-of-area applicants or even completely closing the door to incoming freshmen and transfer students as the CSU system was forced to do last spring in the midst of a $564 million budget cut.

Currently, there are only five campuses statewide without any impacted undergraduate departments for the 2010-2011 academic year.

In contrast, San Diego State University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo classify nearly all of their departments as impacted.

Although SF State's level of impaction has created hardships for students, it is indicative of a problem still being faced by nearly every campus in the system.

"Right now we have three impacted programs," said Nancy Raboldt, chair of the department of consumer and family studies/dietetics at SF State. "Two have been impacted since 2005 and one began impaction this semester. It lets me manage my enrollment so I don't have angry students, but there's a tremendous amount of work for faculty that we didn't have before."

Currently, apparel design and merchandising, dietetics, interior design, journalism, nursing, psychology and social work are impacted at SF State.

Child and adolescent development, design and industry, environmental studies and pre-nursing are approved for impaction starting next semester.

Evans said that although the nursing department will soon be declared impacted, pre-nursing students will not be forced to satisfy impaction criteria. Instead, they will be admitted to the system as undeclared with an interest in nursing.

"I'd be really scared if I had to apply to the department right now," said Stephanie Kim, a level five nursing major set to graduate in December. "It was hard when I got in. They only accepted 80 students out of 800 plus applicants. I would tell students applying for the program to do as much volunteer work as they can and apply to as many schools as they can. Do everything you can because it's so competitive."

According to Fallis, the 5 percent tuition increase from spring to fall 2010 was not a direct result of department impaction, but it did play a role.

"The biggest factor in setting state university fees is state support," he said. "When the state decreases the funding for current students who are already enrolled and taking classes, that leaves the CSU with very few options. One of those difficult options is to raise student fees."

Nonetheless, students should keep in mind that the state foots the bill for two-thirds of the cost for their education.

Due to impaction this trend may not continue.

"While the CSU tries to minimize the impact of cuts on students, the deep cuts of the last two years have had significant consequences throughout the system," Fallis said. "An end to impaction would take a significant reinvestment in public higher education by the state of California."

As residents of San Bruno, Calif. search for answers in the wake of the Sept. 9 gas line explosion and fire that killed seven people and destroyed 37 homes, federal and state officials announced Sept. 13 that an investigation of two segments of pipe that could be the cause of the explosion is underway.

The source of the explosion was a gas line near 132 Glenview Drive, according to National Transportation Safety Board and Pacific, Gas and Electric Co. spokespersons. NTSB and PG&E are heading the investigation.

Officials also attempted to give members of the rattled San Bruno community reassurance and a sense of direction.

"(We will) do whatever we can to make things work for all of us," said California State Sen. Leland Yee. "It's going to take quite some time for all of us to heal."

The California Public Utilities Commission released a 10-point checklist to ensure the investigation of other pipelines is successful, said Richard W. Clark, director of consumer protection and safety for CPUC.

The most important points on the list are reducing gas pressure and conducting inspections across California, Clark said in a town hall meeting at the Church of the Highlands Sept. 13.

The fire that ripped through the quiet suburban community in San Mateo County started when a 30-inch high-pressure gas line ruptured at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

There have been reports that area residents smelled gas and experienced symptoms of fume exposure.

"I was driving home from work a few days ago," said John Caberto, a San Bruno resident who had to evacuate his house with his wife and daughter. "Coming up Glenview Drive, I felt dizzy and I felt lightheaded."

In order to help with the relief effort, PG&E officials announced Sept. 13 that they have set aside $100 million to aid the vulnerable city. Meanwhile, a preliminary damage assessment is being used as a way to declare emergency status, said Michael Haralambakis, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management.

As federal and state representatives attempt to ease the worries of the community, many residents are still looking for answers.

"Do you know what I am supposed to do to let people know that I'm safe?" asked Steve Pitkins, a veteran of the Vietnam War who had not been allowed to return home.

Pitkins, who was at the gym with his wife when the explosion occurred, said the blast brought back memories of his time in the military.

"It took me back to my years in the Army on the battlefield," Pitkins said. "It took me back to battlefield mode and I had this surreal calm, but my wife was frantic."

Nearly a week after the explosion, residents were anxious to return to their properties. Many people were allowed to return to their homes Sept. 12 and 13, but according to City Manager Connie Jackson, some areas are still to risky.

"There are many of you who have suffered such a large loss," Jackson said to more than 600 people at St. Robert's Catholic Church Sept. 11.

In order to maintain order during re-entry, residents met with authorities at Skyline College, about two miles from Glenview Drive. Residents received colored wristbands based on the condition of their homes.

Green wristbands mean the house is livable and residents may return home while yellow wristbands indicate the house is slightly damaged and not livable but residents may enter to retrieve items.

Red wristbands indicate the house has been completely destroyed or is structurally unsound and will need to be rebuilt.

"The city of San Bruno is not going to abandon anyone," said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA).

Over the weekend, the American Red Cross received more donations and volunteers than it could handle.

"It's an amazing outpouring of support," said Mark Morodomi, a Red Cross volunteer.

"It's an all volunteer effort and we were very well prepared."

However, San Bruno still faces an uphill battle in restoring the community. It could be a year to 14 months before the rebuilding effort begins to take shape, Clark said.

"The sun is shining over there," said Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado during a Sept. 10 press conference on a sunny day in San Bruno. "But there is still a dark cloud over this city."
San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer held a special mass at St. Robert's Catholic Church Sept. 10 to lift residents' spirits.

Illuminated by kaleidoscopic stained glass windows, residents prayed for the victims of the fire and instead of singing traditional hymns, the congregation sang, "Lean on Me."

"If there is a load you have to bear that you can't carry," a young girl sang before the audience, "I'm right up the road, I'll share your load."

As the girl's voice reverberated through the chamber, several women began to cry.

Federal and state officials informed residents of San Bruno, Calif., of how they will assess damage and assist those who were affected by the high-pressure gas line explosion that destroyed 37 homes.

During a 8 p.m. press conference at the Church of the Highlands Sept. 13, officials also discussed the need to rally around the community.

"(We will) do whatever we can to make things work for all of us," said California State Sen. Leland Yee, trying to reassure the residents of the devastated San Bruno neighborhood. "It's going to take quite some time for all of us to heal."

Residents were also informed of a 10-point checklist to make sure the investigation of pipelines is successful. The most important points on the list are reducing gas pressure and conducting inspections across California, specifically 1,021 miles of pipeline that stretch through residential and commercial areas classified as three and four, said Richard W. Clark, Consumer Protection and Safety Division director for the California Public Utilities Commission.

Residents were also informed by Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual Assistance Branch Chief Michael Haralambakis that a preliminary damage assessment is being used as a basis for an emergency declaration. An assessment and verification of damage must be completed to determine a federal disaster declaration.

Yee said that the work is "going to be a laborious process to find exactly what happened."

He empathized with the families and said that those working to help the families affected by the disaster and the city of San Bruno were "not going to rest until that final report" of what happened is released.

Jerry Hill echoed the same sentiment. He said that his top legislation would be to examine public utilities regulations and replace old pipes. He also noted that the pipes that exploded were more than 50 years old. "(We need to) move forward and pick up the pieces of San Bruno."

The audience was encouraged to submit questions on forms that were made available to them on the pews. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) proctored the discussion.

During the round of questions, representatives from Pacific, Gas and Electric, FEMA, and CPUC took the time to answer questions.

"We'll do whatever it takes to rebuild this community," a PG&E representative said.

It could be a year to 14 months before the rebuilding effort of the town starts to take shape, Clark said. Any relevant information will be made public.

Other questions concerning the response time and pipe issues were addressed as well.

Although a critical assessment of the damage was the focal point of the event, officials also recognized the cohesiveness of the community.

Speier said: "The city of San Bruno is not going to abandon anyone."

Some residents forced to flee following a natural gas line explosion in San Bruno, Calif., will be able to return to their homes beginning at noon today, officials said.

Residents whose homes were not destroyed will be the only ones able to return to collect belongings and assess any damage, City Manager Connie Jackson said before members of the media. Homes that were destroyed or severely damaged will not be accessible until Sept. 13 at the earliest.

San Bruno officials also corrected a previously reported total for the number of dead and missing from the fire. A statement made by the city previously reported number of dead at seven, but the coroner adjusted this amount to four, saying that the additional remains discovered yesterday were "in the process of forensic testing."

Officials told displaced residents to meet at Skyline College at parking lot M where officials will begin escorting people to their properties. Jackson urged residents to throw away any perishable food they may have on their properties as well.

Employees from Pacific Gas and Electric will also be on hand, Jackson said, to ensure residents about the safety of their gas lines.

Coroner Robert Foucrault acknowledged that while additional remains had been found, he declined to give specifics as to where the remains were found and said that testing was being done to determine whether the remains are human or animal.

"We are in the process of forensic testing," Foucrault said.

Police also said that the search continues for the five people still listed as missing.

"As residents go home, they are going to have a lot to deal with," Bill Chiang, a spokesman for the city, said.

Those whose homes were destroyed by the explosion and subsequent fire are encouraged to go to the San Bruno Senior Center on Monday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. There they will meet with city officials to learn how they can proceed and how to assess their properties.

John and Lidia Caberto will have to wait until late Sept. 12 at the earliest before they can see their home in San Bruno, Calif. since they evacuated Thursday evening, city officials said.

Police also said that the number of deaths has increased to seven from a previously reported four, according to a press release by San Bruno Police Chief Neil Telford. Officials said that six people are still missing.

A town hall meeting organized by different city agencies held at St. Roberts Catholic Church in San Bruno attempted to answer the community's questions about the effect of a Sept. 9 fire has had.

Among the crowd were the Cabertos.

Speaking in front of the more than 600 people in the crowded church, San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane thanked the first responders and the rescue personnel for helping battle the fire. The packed church erupted into applause, turning into a standing ovation moments later.

Mayor Ruane then introduced City Manager Connie Jackson. She broke the news to the displaced residents expecting to be able to go home today.

"There are many of you who have suffered such a large loss," she said. "There are approximately 271 homes that are inaccessible. The vast majority will be accessible tomorrow."

Elaborating on the process, Jackson said that the city is working out the final re-entry plan details, also saying that the staging area for the re-entry would be at an off-site location to be announced early Sunday morning.

The process would include the residents who have been displaced verifying their identities with authorities and receiving wristbands according to the status of their home.

A green wristband means that the house is livable and the resident would be allowed to return home as soon as the city gives permission.

Yellow wristbands mean the house is slightly damaged and not livable but residents may enter to retrieve items.

Red means the house has been completely destroyed or is structurally unsound and will need to be rebuilt.

Those residents with houses with the red tag are going to rely on the city services longer. In the meantime, residents have received support from the city recreation center which has been converted into a local assistance center. As donations have flooded into San Bruno through the Red Cross, they have stopped asking for goods donations and prefer money to help buy necessary items for the victims.

As residents try to cope with their losses, others are making sure their insurance and other paperwork is up to date with the various services offered at the assistance center. The Cabertos have made sure that everything this covered, coming back another day for confirmation.

The Cabertos have spent the last two days staying in local lodging, having nothing but what they left their house with the night of the fire.

"I was getting something to eat in the kitchen," John Caberto said. He and his wife were home at 6 p.m. a block away from the epicenter of the explosion and beginning of the fire.

"I was watching T.V. in the bedroom," Lidia Caberto said, as she recounted the events of the night. At 6:10 p.m., there was a shockwave. "The house was shaking," she said. "There was a big flash, no smoke, just red flame. I went outside and you could feel the heat."

"As soon as I walked down the hallway and past the garage, I could just feel the heat on my face as I turned it away," John Caberto said. "It was like turning on an oven at 400 degrees or higher, opening the door, and putting your face to it. Just a wall of heat."

The Cabertos watched the fire in the distance momentarily as they decided it was time to evacuate. They heard fire engine sirens five to ten minutes later as they were making their way out.

They grabbed their ten-year-old daughter, who didn't have shoes on, ran out the house, and drove off in the car needing to pick up their other daughter from cross-country practice and their son from soccer practice across the city.

"Don't cry," John Caberto said to his shoeless daughter as she fell on the way to the car. "We gotta leave."

They checked into a local inn and didn't hear anything about the fire until 8 p.m. when they turned on the news.

With some news reports saying local residents have smelled gas for the past few days, John Caberto recalls an incident that left him pensive.

"I was driving home from work a few days ago," he said. "Coming up Glenview street, I felt dizzy and I felt lightheaded." He thinks it may have been the gas pooling in a dip in the street.

Having assured their extended family that they're OK, they're now waiting for the permission to go back home and try to rebuild their lives after such a tragic incident in a secluded community.

"These guys are doing a good job," John Caberto said about the city's efforts to restore everyone's life before the fire.

In the aftermath of the inferno that destroyed part of a San Bruno, Calif., neighborhood investigators are determined to find the cause of the explosion, federal officials said Sep. 10 at the Bay Hill Shopping Center.

Federal officials from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived early Friday to view the damage caused by the explosion and start organizing groups to determine what caused a natural gas line to rupture and explode, killing four and destroying dozens of homes.

Claims are surfacing that residents were smelling gas leaks weeks prior to the explosion, but Hart said that officials are still looking for more witnesses to interview to get more information about that subject before anything else could happen.

"There is a human performance group, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System, that is used to monitor and control pipelines," said Chrisptoher Hart, Vice Chairman of NTSB. "They will be looking at employees who are involved with the SCADA system, their employment history, timesheets...and all aspects of the individuals who operated the pipeline."

Other parties such as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the California Public Utilities Commission and PG&E will join the NTSB in its investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.

When the investigation is done, NTSB wants to take a piece of the exploded pipe back to their headquarters in Washington, D.C. to be analyzed, Hart said.

"We are looking for how much, if any, of the pipeline to take back with us...to determine how the pipe fractured," said Hart.

Hart had already seen the sight of the 30-inch pipe explosion that took place Thursday evening, saying, "It is amazing to see this huge piece of pipeline blown the distance it was out from the ground onto the street."

The battle to control the inferno that killed at least four people and devastated a San Bruno, Calif., neighborhood has been contained, state and local officials said during an early evening press conference Sep. 10.

Officials also lowered the number of destroyed houses from 38 to 37 and increased the number of severely or minimally damaged houses from seven to eight while empathizing with those who want to return to their homes.

"We still have a lot of work to do-there's still a lot of hazards out there at the site." Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said at the Bay Hill Shopping Center. "I still want everybody to know, that as much as we want to let folks go back to their homes, the area is still a very dangerous area," he said, adding, "We're asking them to please understand that safety's first."

Because there are still a number of hot zones, it is too unstable for residents to return home. A best case scenario is that the city will begin letting some residents return home sometime tomorrow, said City Manager Connie Jackson.

Six additional K-9 units and Federal Emergency Management Agency assessors will enter the affected area Monday to investigate the safety of the area and determine property damage.

Maldonado also announced that he signed an executive order to release more funds to continue the relief effort. Further, he stressed the need for investigating the tragedy.

"We need answers," Maldonado said. "We need answers to the incident. The community of San Bruno needs answers. The people of California need answers. We need to know why this happened and we know how this happened."

Maldonado also invoked President Barack Obama, saying he received a phone call from the president offering his prayers and support.

"He's concerned, he's watching from afar," Maldonado said. "He sends his prayers to the victims and says thank you so much for the first responders, he's with us all the way."

Search and rescue has finished its initial search but despite strenuous efforts they have not found any other victims, official said.

Karen Baker, secretary of Service and Volunteering for California, thanked residents for their donations.

"San Bruno is really here for its neighbors and that was evident today," Baker said. "Being able to see firsthand all of the hundreds of volunteers on the ground accepting donations."

However, she urged them to give cash donations rather than perishables and other goods.

Baker urged those who want to help to go to californiavolunteers.org.

Four people are confirmed dead, 38 homes have been destroyed and seven have been damaged across 15 acres in San Bruno, Calif. from a fire that resulted from a natural gas explosion, officials said.

"I want to assure the people of San Bruno and California that we are working quickly to find the cause," Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said before the media.

The source of the blaze is still unknown. San Bruno and Millbrae Fire Chief Dennis Haag said that 25 percent of homes are still too hot to enter.

Chief of Health Services for San Mateo County Jean Fraser said 52 people were treated at hospitals, 15 of which arrived by ambulance.

While there are no reports of widespread looting, police said one looter was arrested Thursday night.

Maldonado said that while 75 percent of the fire has been contained, he expects the number of casualties and the extent of the damage to rise.

"The sun is shining over there but there is a dark cloud over this city," he said.

The fire started after a Pacific Gas and Electric natural gas line ruptured at 6:24 p.m. Sept. 9, triggering an explosion that set the neighborhood ablaze and still rages on.

San Bruno and Millbrae Fire Chief Dennis Haag said that a ruptured water main will likely cause problems as firefighters struggle to combat the flames.

Fire officials do not know how many people are missing.

The 1600 and 1700 blocks of Claremont Drive, the 900 block of Earl Avenue, the 1100 block of Fairmont Drive and the 2700 block of Concord Way were the most damaged from the explosion and subsequent fire, officials said.

PG&E President Chris Johns said 700 homes are currently without power and 300 are without gas. Officials said crews have been working throughout the night to restore power to those affected.

PG&E said it is working closely with the American Red Cross.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to all the friends, neighbors and families." Johns said. "We are committed to do what's right and what's appropriate to help those families."

Crews have not been able to get close enough to the source of the blaze, however, because it is highly unstable, Johns said.

The gas line was a 30-inch pipe, according to Johns, and was "probably" 40-50 years old.

San Bruno City Manager Connie Jackson said officials are in the process of setting up a local relief center and is asking people in the community to check in to ensure that they are safe.

Four people are confirmed dead, 38 homes have been destroyed and seven have been damaged across fifteen acres in San Bruno, Calif. from a fire that resulted from a natural gas explosion, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said before members of the media Sept. 10.

Additionally, three people are in critical condition and four firefighters have been treated for smoke inhalation, officials said. Maldonado said that while 75 percent of the fire has been contained, he expects the number of casualties and the extent of the damage to rise.

"The sun is shining over there, but there is a dark cloud over this city," he said.

The fire started after a Pacific Gas and Electric natural gas line ruptured at 6:24 p.m. Sept. 9, triggering an explosion that set the neighborhood ablaze and still rages on.

San Bruno and Millbrae Fire Chief Dennis Haag said that a ruptured water main will likely cause problems as firefighters struggle to combat the flames.

Fire officials do not know how many people are missing.

The 1600 and 1700 blocks of Claremont Drive, the 900 block of Earl Avenue, the 1100 block of Fairmont Drive and the 2700 block of Concord Way were the most damaged from the explosion and subsequent fire, officials said.

PG&E President Chris Johns said 700 homes are currently without power and 300 are without gas. Officials said crews have been working throughout the night to restore power to those affected.

PG&E said it is working closely with the American Red Cross.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to all the friends, neighbors and families." Johns said. "We are committed to do what's right and what's appropriate to help those families."

Crews have not been able to get close enough to the source of the blaze, however, because it is highly unstable, Johns said.

The gas line was a 30-inch pipe, according to Johns, and was "probably" 40-50 years old.

San Bruno City Manager Connie Jackson said officials are in the process of setting up a local relief center and is asking people in the community to check in to ensure that they are safe.

San Bruno officials just wrapped up a press conference where they announced that the fire is 50 percent contained but work is still far from done.

"This is a terrible tradegy," said San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane. "This is going to be a long haul for the city."

San Bruno and Millbrae Fire Chief Dennis Haag said his crews are still struggling with the fire along the western flank and hope to begin searching for missing people within the next few hours.

Haag could only confirm one death at the moment, despite other reports claiming that three people have died.

The Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco has admitted 15 people since the fire started, said Karl Sonkin, spokesman for Kaiser Permanente Regional Media Relations.

Four of the people were transferred to the Bothin Burn Center at Saint Francis Medical Center; one person was sent to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco; eight were treated and released; and two remain in the South San Francisco emergency room.

City Manager Connie Jackson announced that the state has declared this a local disaster and that other emergency agencies from San Mateo County have been called in to help.

"Our primary concern is identifying and locating all the residents of the affected area," said Jackson.

Officials confirmed that over 100 homes have been evacuated, 53 have been destroyed and 120 have sustained damage.

Officials also announced that the main shelter is currently the San Bruno Veterans Memorial Rec Center, located at 251 City Park Way.

As a fire continues to sweep through San Bruno this evening, more than 50 people have managed to evacuate their homes and make it to a designated Red Cross shelter in the parking lot of the Bayhill Shopping Center.

There is no structure in place to house the evacuees through the night, so SamTrams buses have been called in to transport people to the San Bruno Veterans Memorial Rec Center, which is also a designated shelter and located a short distance from the Bayhill Shopping Center.

As of an hour ago, the Rec Center only had a dozen or so evacuees but over 50 volunteers who came to offer assistance.

At that time, volunteers were told by Red Cross officials that they were not needed at the moment but may be needed in the near future.

SF State student Nathan Tisani witnessed the fire from home, which is about a mile and a half away from the explosion. His home is unharmed but he came to the shelter to offer assitance.

"It's kind of surreal, I never expected to have this happen so close to home," said Tisani, a 22-year-old business managment major. "I am a little scared, it still doesn't feel real."

San Bruno Veterans Memorial Rec Center is located at 251 City Park Way. Bayhill Shopping Center is located at San Bruno and Cherry Avenues.

In honor of the 35th anniversary of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, the Associated Students, Inc. held a celebration in Malcom X Plaza September 9, featuring salsa dancing, a photo booth, trivia and a disc jockey.

"The theme for our 35th Anniversary here is the heart of the community," said Aimée Barne, program development assistant director for the Richard Oakes Multicultural Center. "Which is you, the students, who we owe our service and gratitude for your patronage and support."

The bash kicked off around noon when the DJ played music and students put Mardi Gras beads around their necks. Many people posed for pictures with the University's gator mascot.

Most students were enjoying themselves by the time the masters of ceremony took the stage.

"It's awesome," said 20-year-old Travis Northup, chair of the Student Center Governing Board and host of the event. "It's the 35th anniversary of a historic building that does so much for this campus, and today is all about celebrating that and spreading awareness about what it offers."

Members of ASI participated in the activities, sporting their full level of school spirit. ASI President Cynthia M. Ashton was extremely excited about the ceremony and the upcoming events ASI has planned for the semester.

"People at the Cesar Chavez Student Center and associated students are collaborating a lot," Ashton said. "This year is really awesome because we're getting along great."

Other observers were more reluctant to accept the event as beneficial for students.

"How is this educating us?" said Mark Garewal, an undergraduate student studying cell biology. "I just think in general the focus should be about improving academics, that's what higher learning is all about. Playing derogatory music is not really part of the higher learning process."

However, the truth about campus funding may be more muddled than most would expect.

"The biggest criticism we get about money is 'why aren't you providing classes?'" said Northup. "Well legally, we're not allowed to. Our money has very limited use, and we try using it the best we can: by giving it to (organization) events, by helping historical graduations, by providing services that you see here."

The celebration continues later tonight in the lower recreation and dining level of the Cesar Chavez Student Center where a dance party is planned, beginning at 5 p.m.

As for the future of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, the governing board wants students to be able to use the building for anything they want.

"It's our building, you know, we pay for that," Northup said. "It's the heart of the community, so I think students should realize that and utilize it to the fullest."

The U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Aug. 27 that there is no link between vaccinations and autism, concluding that the theory lacks substantial evidence.

The judgment comes from the case of Cedillo v. Secretary Health and Human Services, one of three test cases representing over 5,000 cases filed under the National Vaccine Injury Act claiming a link between childhood vaccines and autism.

The parents of 16-year-old Michelle Cedillo claimed that their daughter acquired autism, along with several other medical disorders, as a direct result of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine (MMR Vaccine). The family sought compensation for injury under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986.

"The Federal government acknowledged with the National Childhood Vaccine Act in 1986, that some children will be injured and die as a result of vaccines," said Mary Holland, Executive Director of The Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy. "The argument of the government is that it is so rare that it's a non-issue."

Holland, who is an attorney and also the Director of the Graduate Legal Skills Program at New York University School of Law, filed for amicus curiae on behalf of EBCALA in Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services. An amicus curiae refers to a party who is not involved in the case but is allowed to provide information to the court.

Cedillo's biopsy was sent to a lab in the U.K, Holland said, but the court found that the evidence acquired at this lab was unreliable.

Unigenetics Ltd. Laboratory in Dublin, Ireland, the lab that studied Cedillo's biopsy, is not favorably described in the case brief. "Unigenetics laboratory, which is no longer in business, was a for-profit, non-accredited institution that was established to support United Kingdom civil litigation against vaccine manufacturers in which it was alleged that the MMR vaccine caused autism," the case brief said.

However, Holland is still confident that science will one day show that there is a valid link between vaccinations and autism. "We have not researched vaccines enough," said Holland. "But is it okay for the government to propel a population to engage in these unnecessary vaccinations?"

Parents have been fearful of vaccinating their children since the 1998 research of Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield was a surgeon when his medical findings, claiming the MMR vaccine was linked to autism, were published in the medical journal The Lancet. Although the findings have since been widely discredited and no single study proves the link, Wakefield caused an uproar that has kept the controversy thriving into the present day.

The San Francisco Unified School District currently requires students to be immunized with the MMR vaccine, but also allows parents to opt children out of vaccinations due to personal beliefs. With the current whooping cough epidemic in California, parents may become skeptical when advised to immunize their children.

Kathy Small, an Instructor with SF State's Autism Spectrum Program-Project Mosaic, believes that this skepticism is a result of unnecessary hearsay. "To rely on science will be the family's salvation," said Small. "It becomes really challenging to sort through this minefield."

Small said that the controversy has held strong due to invalid information promoted on the internet and rumors circulated by individuals who do not have medical backgrounds. "One child whispers to the child next to them and it carries," said Small.

Small suggested that if any person wishes to learn information about the possible effects of vaccinations they should seek out a medical professional with solid information. Relying on anecdotes from other families or the Internet, Small said, is the wrong answer and often results in unwarranted fear.

"There are so many reasons why vaccines are not the cause," said Small. "What's clear is there probably is no one cause."

"There are pointless costs committed to researching the vaccine-autism link," Small said, but there is also a pricey human cost. "Parents take their little baby in to the doctor and leave feeling that they may have made a life altering decision," Small said. "It's an absolute tragedy that families have been taken down this path."

Pamela Wolfberg, Director of Project Mosaic at SF State, believes that the controversy may have continued as a result of misinformation circulated by news publications. "Another major challenge is in the mass media and marketing," said Wolfberg. "Which in some cases preys on the emotions of those who are most vulnerable by flooding them with unsubstantiated and even purposely misleading information."

Despite the controversy and conflicting opinions, Wolfberg recommends that the goal of research should always remain clear. "We as a community need to come together and focus our resources and efforts on identifying both effective and meaningful research and systems of support to meet the unique needs of children, adults and families living with autism," said Wolfberg. "I hope we can all move forward to achieve this."

A Bicycle Plan proposed by The San Francisco Municipal Transport Agency will add several bike lanes near SF State's campus.

The project will add 23 miles of bike paths and will restripe 40 miles of bike lanes, according to the SFMTA website.

The plan will also help improve bike lane safety by painting entire lanes green, repaving lanes and adding more signs.

Lanes from Varela Avenue to Junipero Serra Boulevard and around Lake Merced are expected to be finished by Summer 2011, according to the SFMTA website.

After a four year injunction was lifted last month, which stalled the construction of new bike lanes, the SFMTA is continuing its Bicycle Plan.

The goal is to make San Francisco the highest per capital city in North America for cycling, by improving cyclist safety.

Despite a lack of bike lane construction in the last four years, cycling in San Francisco has increased 53 percent, according to a 2009 bicycle count report by SFMTA.

Jason Porth, co-chair of SF State's transportation committee, believes there is an increase in the number of students cycling to campus.

To help accommodate the additional bicycles, SF State added 400 bike spaces to the campus in the last two years, bringing the total number of spaces to 900.

The campus Bike Barn, located at Lot 6 under the gym, provides 300 spaces.

"The Bike Barn provides safe, secure and attended parking, but it's not utilized as much as it should be," Porth said.

He said the campus will assess the need for more bike space in spring 2011.

A main component of the city Bicycle Plan is to encourage more bicycle riding by creating safer routes, but some SF State student cyclists have safety concerns about using main avenues to get to campus.

"I feel like I have to bike on the sidewalks," said Gabi Garza, 20, a sociology junior, about her commute to campus via Sunset Boulevard.

"People don't watch where they're going," she said of cars not stopping at stop signs. "19th Avenue is the road I would not bike on," said Judah Margolis, 24, an environmental studies senior who bikes to campus.

"As long as (a road) has a bike lane or a bike route, I'll be willing to go on it."

Others such as Kristin Reyda, who bikes to work downtown, feels safer with the new lanes.

"Now that they have these fat, green bike lanes with dividers, I feel a lot better cycling," she said about Market street. "You see groups and groups of bicycles on these thoroughfares, and I think that really says something. It makes you feel safer as a bicyclist, seeing more bicyclists out there."

But safety doesn't end at painting a lane green. According to the SFMTA's website, cyclist education is as important as designating lanes for cyclists.

"There are too many cyclists who don't follow basic safety norms," said Michael Helquist, a San Francisco resident and writer of BIKE NOPA, a blog about cycling in San Francisco's North Panhandle neighborhood.

"Cyclists should travel in a consistent manner, so drivers know what you're doing next," he said, emphasizing the dangers of weaving.

"I see a lot of cyclists just running through stop signs and red lights," Reyda said.

"It's annoying for me, as a bicyclist, because there are already drivers out there that have a bad attitude toward bicyclists."

Margolis agrees that creating safer roads is a shared responsibility.

"I think it's just educating both cars and bicyclists about what the rules of the road are for both of them," he said.

"Most people, including myself, should follow those rules," Margolis said. "Everyone should get a bike. It will change the way you see the city."

Piles of rubble appear on Mission and First Streets as demolition of the 71-year-old Transbay Terminal begins, breaking ground on a seven year, $4.18 billion project to create a cutting edge transit center.

The new center will connect eight counties from San Jose to Sacramento and serve as a hub for 11 transit providers, eventually accommodating high-speed trains to Los Angeles.

The new terminal will occupy the same original spot, but a temporary terminal has been in use since August 7 at Main and Howard Streets, with pink flyers denoting temporary bus stops on surrounding streets.

San Francisco taxpayers voted for funding the project in 2003 and passed Proposition K, which will provide $148 million for the project. Other local funding comes from $29 million in San Mateo sales tax and $39 million from AC Transit, according to the project's website.

Another $354 million will come from bridge tolls, $614 million in state land sales, $9 million from the Federal Transit Authority, $54 million from the Federal Transportation Equity Act, and $549 million in loans from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.

Scott Johnson, a bus driver with the SFMTA for 36 years, thinks the money is worth it.

"It's no big deal," said Johnson. "San Francisco should have state of the art transportation. It takes time but it's improvement of the city. If you don't do it, it'll never get done."

The terminal building and accompanying transit tower skyscraper were chosen in a design competition won by Pelli Clark Pelli Architects. The molar shaped terminal will be flanked in glass and have a 5.4 acre park on the roof. The bullet shaped skyscraper next to it will add a new outline to the San Francisco skyline.

The transit tower will be run by Hines Interests, a large building development and management company, independent of the Transbay Joint Powers Association, which controls the transit center. The tower will operate retail and office units that will generate funds for the terminal.

The future high-speed rail will also be underground and is projected to be capable of reaching Los Angeles in two and a half hours.

Trevor Tibbetts, a senior at SF State, nearly missed his Greyhound to Sacramento because he did not know the old terminal was closed. The Orange County native was excited to hear that in the future he could get to Southern California in the time it currently takes to reach Sacramento.

"How fast do those things go? I'd definitely use them, but by then I might not have any use for it," said Tibbetts.

In addition to 30 elevated bus terminals, an underground Caltrain track is proposed in a separate operation. Slated to begin 2012, the track will bring commuters directly downtown instead of stopping at King and Fourth Streets. The TJPA is seeking additional funds for this project which is estimated to be complete in 2018.

According to the Transbay Transit Center's website, "An integral part of the Transbay Project includes the creation of a new neighborhood surrounding the Transit Center. The Transbay Redevelopment Plan will transform vacant state-owned abandoned freeway property in downtown San Francisco into a thriving transit-oriented neighborhood."

Redevelopment will create a projected 2,600 units, 35 percent of which are designated affordable housing, with the main focus being Folsom Street.

The transit center and new neighborhood are estimated to provide 27,000 permanent jobs and make cars obsolete for residents, according to the project's website.

"That will only be temporary," said civil engineer Rolly San Pedro. "Even if they build it, what kind of product are they going to sell? What kind of jobs? Janitorial?"

Regardless of the jobs sustained through the project, commuters of the future will have an easier time reaching downtown San Francisco.

Mallory Somera, 22, graduated from SF State in May and commutes to San Francisco from Vallejo for her internship.

"That's a lot of money for a problem we don't have," said Somera. "The money should be concentrated on current transportation, especially with all of the problems we've had in the past two years. That should be fixed first."

The San Francisco Food Bank declared September "Hunger Action Month" and called upon people around the country to live on a food stamp diet.

The organization that distributes food to non-profit pantries is launching a program called "Hunger Challenge" next week which dares participants to spend $4 per day on meals for a week. Stacy Newman, Media Manager for the Food Bank, said it intends to raise awareness about the increased number of people relying on safety net programs in the midst of the recession.

"This is a good way to get insight on this struggle," she said.

According to the Department of Agriculture, there are currently 40 million people on food stamps - a 17 percent increase since 2008. The growth in food stamp enrollment is correlated to the spike in unemployment.

However, last year the budget for food stamps was shaved by $4 billion at the national level, leaving many without food. Mandatory interviews, fingerprinting, and quarterly income reports in California barricaded populations including undocumented immigrants, seniors, and orphans from accessing the program. The Food Bank currently serves 147,000 people in San Francisco and Marin County - a 19 percent increase from last year.

"If you're here and you need the food, we won't turn you away," said Newman.

Originally, the "Hunger Challenge" only permitted a $3 per day diet to match the standard amount a California participant would receive. In 2009, the economic stimulus package boosted the average to $4 per day so the Food Bank extended the budget for the Challenge.

"Living on that budget would be difficult, but not impossible," said SF State dietitian Teresa Leu. "To be healthy, it would take a vegetarian diet and awareness of resources locally. "

The Food Bank warehouse packages nutritious food donated by individuals, supermarkets and farms. Workers make a weekly menu of up to 11 items for each non-profit to purchase at a discounted price and distribute to their clients. A loaf of bread is sold for 60 cents and the $1.50 it would've cost at the market can be put toward other resources.

However, the extra money is not pocket change. Since the Food Bank dictates the weekly menu for each pantry, organizations must compensate for the high demand for free food at their pantries.

Francis Ruiz, Food Pantry coordinator for the Women's Building, said she saw a $20 drop this year in her weekly grant money to shop at the Food Bank. Now, her organization must pay out-of-pocket to feed the 115 families that come into the food pantry each week.

"We're trying to be autonomous while helping the best way we can," said Ruiz. "But every non-profit is struggling right now."

The Food Bank urged people to write Congress a letter opposing the budget cuts in welfare programs that feed Americans.

"Food is a way of connecting people," said Newman. "Nothing else matters when you're hungry."

A typical day in the life of 70-year-old SF State Physics Professor Roger Bland begins at 6 a.m., when he bikes to the University to teach and conduct experiments, and doesn't end until he returns to his wife in their Inner Sunset home at 7:30 at night.

Bland redefines the meaning of retirement.

"He's retired and works full-time," said Sally Bland, who has been married to Professor Bland for 41 years.

Aside from the usual routine of teaching and grading papers, Bland is currently preparing a presentation on his study on toadfish communication at an event hosted by the San Francisco American Geophysical Union (AGU) this December.

Every day, approximately 100 different recordings of toadfish "roaring calls" are waiting to be studied in Bland's laboratory at the Romberg Tiburon Center (RTC), the University's marine research facility.

While there, he converts the sound files into spectrograms to measure the frequency of the toadfish sounds.

Bland became interested in toadfish sounds last October when he noticed they prolonged their stay and produced sounds ten times louder than average after a two inch storm hit the bay.

The events peaked Bland's interest in the underwater creatures.

"I would like to find a (scientist) who has an understanding of that," said Bland.

Although Bland is attempting to find answers through his studies, he thinks a biological active ingredient in the water may have tricked the toadfish to confuse the fall for spring, their mating season.

"I hope for another storm before December to support my general idea," said Bland, who plans to publish the study early next spring.

Bland isn't selective about the objects he studies.

He has measured proton decay and black holes in the past, but according to his wife, their three "fishing fanatic" sons are responsible for Bland's shift to underwater research.

Bland, however, said he measures and conducts research on anything that creates an interesting sound.

In 2003, Bland and his colleagues reached the conclusion of a study on blue-whale acoustics.

"We eventually settled on blue-whale calls because they were abundant in the data and seemed to all be at the same frequency, which was puzzling," said former SF State student Michael Hoffman.

According to Bland, he and his colleagues found that blue-whales, regardless of their size, moan and gargle at a similar frequency, which is "four octaves below the key of C, in other words, below human hearing."

As a result of their study, Bland, Hoffman and SF State Oceanographer Newell Garfield believe the calls of the blue-whale are produced to detect motion among them, especially during migration.

"Understanding sea mammals matters because it provides insight into the shifting ecological balance in the oceans and the impact humans make there," said Hoffman.

Bland and his colleagues published their study results on whale communication in July's issue of the Acoustical Society of America.

Bland began his career as a lecturer for general science courses at SF State in 1976. His favorite classes to teach are general physics because it is usually a student's first semester of physics and theoretical physics because it is challenging and mainly consists of juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

"Roger is a fantastic teacher in that he really cares about the students and is passionate about his teaching," said Garfield. "I met (Professor Bland) the fall of 1998. He was initially an informal mentor to me as I learned the ropes at the University."

In 2004, Bland retired under the Faculty Early Retirement Program, allowing him to teach half-time for five years.

He has been officially retired for one year, yet continues to teach one class of theoretical physics in the fall.

"(Bland) has a heartfelt love for physics and helping others learn about it," said Hoffman, who now teaches math at Skyline College in San Bruno. "I feel greatly indebted to him because of all the support he provided," he said.

Bland uses the money he earns in the fall, along with a grant from the Center for Computing for Life Sciences (CCLS) at the University and a private donation, to pay for his research projects.

Garfield said as if studying hundreds of toadfish recordings wasn't enough, he and Bland are committed to start a study on the waves at Ocean Beach to understand the erosion along the beach near the southern end.

"Bland's signal processing skills will be very important for the study," he said.

J. Paul Leonard Library is developing a new system called Library Retrieval System to assist users in finding items in the library catalog that is garnering mixed reviews from students and faculty.

"You request a book and the book will come to you. That sounds fun," said Kelly McCusker, an urban studies junior.

A robotic crane will be installed in the new library building to find the items that users request in the catalog. Once the request is made, within minutes the books are ready for pickup in the distribution desk.

"It's like a book take out," said Chris Jones, a senior accounting major.

According to Jones, there are some similarities between the new system and the current system used while construction is still taking place.

The LRS and ">the Annex both require people to request an item through a computer, which they then have to wait for.

With the LRS, however, waiting is significantly shortened from next day pick up to a 5-10 minute wait.

Although the system presents its perks, people's ability to browse books in the library will still be limited.

"When the new library reopens, there will be two floors of open stacks," said Darlene Tong, SF State's head of information, research and instructional services at the Annex.

Other than the two open stack floors, everything has to go through the LRS. People cannot freely wander around the library to get an old school feeling of touching, searching and locating books that they want.

"I think it would have been nice if they kept the old system and had the new system for availability too because it sounds like everything's going to turn electronic," said Christian Poplin, a business marketing freshman. "I don't like the idea of everything being taken over by technology."

Poplin loved the idea of cutting down the browsing time in the library, but he also mentioned that browsing books does have its own advantages.

According to Poplin, it is important to have the ability to browse in the library because of the possibility of stumbling upon new books.

Tong, who has been working on the project for many years, said the new system can save people's time. She also acknowledges, however, that the idea of browsing is also very important for some people.

"It's the worst idea I've ever heard," said Lorraine Affourtit, a graduate teaching associate in the Humanities Department. "The whole point of a library to me is to be able to find books that are related to something that I'm looking at on the shelf."

David Gill, a lecturer in the English Department, said when he was a graduate student he went to a library to look for a specific book and discovered another book that he was unfamiliar of but was located close to the book that he needed. He ended up using the unfamiliar book extensively in his master's thesis.

"I didn't recognize the title and the author. I wouldn't know how to search for it other than visually on the book shelf," he said.

According to Affourtit, a library is not only important to students but also a muse for many scholars.

She mentioned how walking between the aisles and seeing the different titles on the shelves can be a source of inspiration to her and her colleagues.

While the concept of LRS is getting mixed reviews on campus, it also comes with an expensive price tag: $5 million and draws strong criticisms from the campus community.

"It's not like we need a library more than we need classes," said Mark Quan, a senior biochemistry major.

Quan, who is technically a senior, is unable to get an important prerequisite class in his major to move on to the next class.

According to Nan Broadbent, SF State's spokesperson funds for the construction of the library were allocated well prior to the current budget crisis.

The building fund comes from a 2001 state economic stimulus package. This allows the new library to have no affect on the education budget.

Broadbent also said that the money cannot be used for other purposes other than for the library construction.

According to Tong, the renovation of the building is way overdue.

The main reason for the reconstruction is so that the structure met the seismic building requirement. Also, the library's collection keeps expanding leaving no more room for new collections.

Before choosing the LRS, there had been comparative studies done by architects on the different systems that the library could use. The studies considered three options: building an off campus library as an additional storing space, having narrower spaces between the aisles or installing the LRS.

Eventually after weighing cost, space and benefits, the LRS was considered the best choice.

The system was inspired by the same system that CSU Northridge used. Structurally speaking, the LRS was able to withstand the big Northridge Earthquake in 1994.

Initially, the project was projected to be completed by 2011 but due to the inconsistency of the system, escalation of cost and economic condition, the completion date was pushed back to spring 2012.

"We were caught in the [economy crisis]. If we've done that just a few years before, we would've been free but we just got caught in that," Tong said.

The Muslim Student Association held their annual fast-a-thon for the 2010 observance of Ramadan in Jack Adams Hall. The event attracted hundreds of students and supporters, many of whom abstained from eating and drinking for one full day in observance of the holiday.

"It's not easy, but it's fun," said Samy Kamal, a grad student at SF State studying physics who fasted for 23 days. "You wouldn't think you would be able to do it...but once you do it, it's like, I can do all those things that I never thought I can."

Thursday evening began with warm welcomes and recitation of the Quran, which was followed by a call to prayer and breaking of the fast.

Ramadan is the time of month when a Muslim observer takes time off of worldly affairs to focus on spiritual cleansing and reformation. Muslims believe this enables a stronger link between the observer and God through prayer, charity, good deeds and general kindness.

"Fasting is supposed to make us more appreciative of the things we have," said Maahum Chaudry, a senior marketing and economics major. "It's a practice of your mind, body and soul."

Others look at fasting from a medical perspective.

"Muslims abstain from food drink and other physical needs during the daylight hours, from sunrise to sunset," said Mufti Abdullah Nana, a self-employed guest speaker at Thursday's event. "We are eating throughout the day, so our digestive system never gets a break. It's being overworked."

According to a 2006 study, fasting may not be right for everyone. SteadyHealth.com found that certain people, depending on their immune and digestive systems, will respond poorly to the effects of a fast. The study also found that extreme fasts can lead to irregular heart palpitations and even death in some cases.

After Thursday's fast fast was broken, attendees were served salad, various chicken dishes, hummus and other Mediterranean delicacies.

Members of the MSA were extremely pleased with the turnout of the fast-a-thon. They reported that at least 100 people that took part in the event.

"It's actually way better than we expected," said MSA Vice President and criminal justice major Sam Hadwan. "It seems like we have around 300 people. It's also the beginning of the school year, and with that turnout, we're really happy."

Many people experienced Ramadan for the first time at the event.

"Today I actually fasted for the first time in my life," said Brandon Buchanan, a junior studying recreation parks and tourism. "I withheld, and I finished, and I was able to feast with everyone."

For the San Francisco Unified School District's class of 2014, the path to graduation has suddenly become more challenging.

A measure implemented by the district in 2009 has mandated that starting with this year's freshman class, all students will be subject to meeting California State University and University of California eligibility requirements in order to receive a high school diploma, whether or not they have their sights set on higher education.

"In coming to this decision, we recognized that currently most living wage life options require a much higher degree of preparation than in the past," said district Chief

Academic Officer Francisca Sanchez. "Even jobs that are still considered 'blue collar' often require the same level of academic preparation that is routinely provided by a college prep course sequence."

The choice to attend college is up to each student, but with this new requirement, the district is hoping high school students will choose to continue their education.

"Raising the graduation requirements ensures our graduates have every possible opportunity to go to college," said SFUSD public relations coordinator Heidi Anderson.
Criteria satisfying the university guidelines, or the "A-G requirements," include at least two years of a foreign language, elective credit, three years of mathematics and three years of a laboratory science.

However, all classes meeting university specifications must be passed with at least a C grade. Students in years past who received D's and in some cases F's were given passing grades and were able to earn diplomas.

Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, which focuses on helping low to moderate-income students and their families, agree with the decision and want to combat the district's high dropout rates among minority students.

"Black, Latino and Pacific Islander students in the district have had much lower rates of graduation than those of white and Asian background," said Pecolia Manigo, head of the
Education Equity Campaign at San Francisco's Coleman Advocates. "We want to push students to be prepared for the 21st century. We also want high school graduates to be prepared for college and if not going to college, the job market."

According to a 2007-08 report by the California Department of Education, black and Latino students accounted for more than 60 percent of all high school dropouts within the SFUSD.

Those who do graduate often see SF State as an ideal destination. According to the University website, students of color account for 67 percent of the undergraduate student body,

"Our task force here at Coleman wants to see that all high school students are fully prepared under these new guidelines, regardless of race or economic background," said Manigo. "We hope that when students are motivated more, they will have the desire to succeed."

Manigo stressed the need for school improvement in low-income neighborhoods and emphasized student power.

"The city needs to do more to combat these high dropout rates," said Manigo. "Not all schools require the same amount of money and attention. However, it's our right to be entitled to an education and we're responsible for our future."

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) praised the post-9/11 GI Bill and SF State's role in serving veterans at the University's Seven Hills Conference Center September 2.

"It's great to be here at SF State and under your leadership. It has served as one of the finest public urban campuses in the country," Pelosi said to the audience, referring to SF State President Robert Corrigan, who was also grateful for the veterans' tours of duty.

"As veterans, you make a special contribution to SF State," Corrigan said. "Your presence diversifies our student body of over 30,000."

Pelosi emphasized the importance of the new GI Bill, which provides veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with a fully paid four-year college education, extends financial benefits to the families of veterans and strength-ens the quality of health care that veterans receive.

"We must prioritize this bill," Pelosi said. "Our work will not be done unless we are worthy for what our veterans have done. We're really proud that several hundred thousand veterans have taken advantage of this bill."

However, Pelosi, while heralded during her visit, did not discuss California's woeful state of economic affairs and unintentionally addressed another concern: higher education in the state.

"I think she (Pelosi) is good at what she does and I'm glad to see what she did for those war veterans," said SF State political science lecturer Kathy Emery. "But the California Master Plan of 1960 would have allowed everybody to get a college education for free."

The plan in question was a past goal for California in which all in-state residents would have been entitled to a tuition-free education at any public university or junior college.

With rapidly-changing socioeconomic policies and an exploding population throughout the past 50 years, it was never fully implemented.

"College should be free for everyone, war veteran or not," said Emery.
Pelosi also mentioned other domestic issues and promised better treatment of veterans to ensure they play a more influential role in American society.

"We must reduce our dependence on foreign oil, rely more on clean technology and have veterans play a significant part in doing so," Pelosi said. "Every day in Congress is Veterans Day."

Before Pelosi addressed the crowd, a group of veterans-turned-SF State students thanked the San Francisco representative for her efforts in passing the new bill.

"I want to thank Speaker Pelosi for her leadership role in passing this bill because now I won't have to worry about finances," said junior Ian Petrie, 27, who served in the Coast Guard. "Now that I am focusing on school and not worrying about money, I was able to achieve straight As."

Nhan Huynh, 24, a business management major and an Iraq War veteran, who is graduating this semester, took a lighter tone when thanking the congresswoman. "I am a living example of your tax dollars at work."