“The Voice of the Waterfront” September 2019 Vol.20, No.9 Even More Endangered Once-Through Not So Cool Trump Targets Rare Animals Waterfront Data Center Halted Another Ferry for Vallejo Stadium Raises Concerns Vela to Relieve Crowded Runs Oakland Port Space Quandary COMPLETE FERRY SCHEDULES FOR ALL SF LINES #1 on your back-to-school list Youth Clipper® Card: Easier than Back-to-School Shopping Get your student a free Youth Clipper card for automatic discounts on Bay Area transit. Apply by mail, email or fax. Great for weekend trips around the Bay Area, too! ©2016 Noah Berger clippercard.com | 877.878.8883 Great food to celebrate life in the City! 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WWW.BIGBUS.COM www.baycrossings.com September 2019 3 08 columns features 07 WHO’S ON DECK? 12 COVER STORY Keysha Scarfone Trump Administration Puts by Matt Larson Endangered Species Act on Legal Chopping Block by Bill Picture guides 14 BAYKEEPER A Zombie Sighting in ENVIRONMENT BAY AREA FERRY SCHEDULES 16 20 Be on time for last call San Francisco Bay Sustainable Contra Costa by Sejal Choksi-Chugh Brings Green Ideas Together AROUND THE BAY by Bill Picture 22 To see, be, do, know 19 CULTURAL CURRENTS Ahoy Ferry Riders: SFO news Stages Billy Budd ON OUR COVER by Paul Duclos 06 WATERFRONT NEWS Oakland Stadium Project Raises Concerns at Port by Patrick Burnson September 2019 Volume 20, Number 9 FERRY NEWS Bobby Winston, Proprietor 08 Joel Williams, Publisher New Ferry Vessel; Tideline Patrick Runkle, Editor Gets an Extension ADVERTISING & MARKETING Joel Williams, Advertising & Marketing Director by Dan Rosenheim GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION Francisco Arreola, Designer / Web Producer 09 FERRY NEWS ART DIRECTION Francisco Arreola; Patrick Runkle; Haught Johnson, Ferry Joel Williams Pioneer, Dies at 74 COLUMNISTS Paul Duclos; Patrick Burnson; by Bobby Winston Sejal Choksi-Chugh; Matt Larson; WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Teatro Zinzanni Project Last month, the Trump Administration announced changes to Bill Picture; Joel Williams; 11 Dan Rosenheim Heads Toward Approval Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations. Environmental groups ACCOUNTING say the move is just the latest attempt by Secretary of the Interior Cindy Henderson David Bernhardt to poke holes in the ESA and afford oil and gas Advertising Inquiries: Cell Phones or VHF Radio companies access to land that the ESA previously protected from (707) 556-3323, [email protected] 15 Basics for Boaters mining and drilling activity. Polar bears are among the animals Bay Crossings SF Ferry Building Store (415) 362-0717 that will be affected by the changes. Clipper customer service center Weak El Niño Impacts (877) 878-8883 17 For Transit Information – Dial 511 California Wildlife Photo by SeppFriedhuber Bay Crossings Ferry Building, #22 San Francisco, CA 94111 A September to Remember Corrections & Letters www.baycrossings.com 18 A Division of Nematode Media, LLC at Jack London Square We appreciate the opportunity to publish our readers’ comments, letters or requests for corrections, which can be sent to [email protected]. 4 September 2019 www.baycrossings.com EXPERIENCE OUR NEW RIDE! 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The team has even trend in U.S. West Coast shares of total gained the Port of Oakland Board of Port U.S. container trade and of transpacific Commissioners’ unanimous approval to container trade,” said Tioga’s principal, an exclusive negotiating term sheet. Dan Smith. “The Port of Oakland Image courtesy of Big – Bjarke Ingels Group Still, the port’s cargo division has handles nearly all containerized imports Artist rendering of the proposed new waterfront stadium for the Oakland A’s on land currently expressed its concerns about the impact and exports for Northern California, as serving the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal. of the project on port operations, and has well as some intermodal cargo moving ongoing meetings with all stakeholders to and from inland points. Oakland scheduled to take place this fall. competes for different trade flows in congruent with maritime operations,” antitrust, competition and regulatory The Athletics plan to develop 3.3 different ways.” she said. approvals. Meanwhile, CargoSmart will million square feet of housing, 1.5 For example, Oakland competes for While the Athletics have four years continue to run pilot applications to million square feet of commercial and Asian imports to Midwestern consumer to complete an environmental impact prove the viability of the GSBN and office space, a hotel and a performance markets with the ports of Los Angeles report, negotiate lease terms with the demonstrate the high potential value center in the area surrounding a new and Long Beach. For exports, Oakland’s port and secure additional regulatory creation through the GSBN. stadium on property currently serving geographic position near California approvals, the organization has stated And Oracle continues to support the port’s Howard Terminal. agricultural production gives it an that is has plans to break ground next CargoSmart with a capable blockchain A new study prepared by the advantage. “Oakland is also often the last year. platform for decentralized consortium consultants Tioga Group and Hackett port of call before vessels return to Asia, “The Oakland A’s may think they governance, on-chain mechanisms Associates for the San Francisco Bay providing a later and faster shipping have hit a home run, but the industry for business confidentiality, and Conservation and Development option for exporters,” said Smith. “As a is far from throwing the game,” said performance at scale required for tens Commission (BCDC) warns that plans result, Oakland is one of few U.S. ports Vellutini. “We are still swinging for the of millions of shipments that underpin to accommodate a new generation of where containerized exports often exceed fences.” world trade. megavessels may be at risk if the port imports.” “Together CargoSmart and Oracle loses acreage intended for a new turning Karen Vellutini, a vice president with Conference to Focus on have been working on this effort for basin on the property. Oakland-based Devine Intermodal and Blockchain Initiatives almost a year,” said Frank Xiong, The report, titled “Bay Area Seaport author of a monthly newsletter, recently Oracle’s vice president for blockchain Forecast,” examines our region’s ocean stated her opposition to the ballpark. When Bay Area shippers convene in San product development. “From the outset, cargo gateways for throughput and “We don’t believe 3,000 to 4,000 homes, Francisco for Oracle OpenWorld this the foundation of this approach has capacity. It says that the 50-acre Howard small watercraft, personal vehicles, month, much of the talk will be about been a decentralized, multi-party, fully Terminal site “is below the current pedestrians and added congestion are new ocean carrier blockchain initiatives. managed enterprise-grade blockchain Oracle has recently collaborated network that enables trust, while with CargoSmart in what it is calling maintaining confidentiality of the a “significant milestone” in forming commercial relationships as required by the Global Shipping Business Network shipping industry regulations.” (GSBN) blockchain consortium. Nine He added that by speeding up leading ocean carriers and terminal the deployment of the initial pilot operators signed a service agreement with applications based on the platform’s CargoSmart earlier this year to commit rapid development and integration to provide resources to establish a not- capabilities, CargoSmart has moved for-profit joint venture to accelerate the through quick innovation cycles to digital transformation of the shipping respond to “members’ priorities.” industry. The signatories of the GSBN Patrick Burnson is the executive Services Agreements plan to complete editor of Logistics Management. the establishment of the GSBN in early www.logisticsmgmt.com 2020, subject to obtaining all requisite 6 September 2019 www.baycrossings.com WHO’S ON DECK? Keysha Scarfone BY MATT LARSON Scarfone estimates she encounters has a miniature horse, a few thousand people every day, which at 260 pounds, named suits her well because those interactions Mayhem, who is also a or just over a year now, make up for her favorite part of the job.