“The Voice of the Waterfront” October 2018 Vol.19, No.10 Fleet Week Events Return Rising Bay Raises Alarms Blue Angels Fly Back to Bay Area Bold Action Needed on Climate Tech Firm Wins Climate Cup Controversy Roils Vallejo App to Improve African Power Grid Will Council Vote on Cement Plant? COMPLETE FERRY SCHEDULES FOR ALL SF LINES Sip in September TASTINGWINE ON THE WATERFRONT ................................................................. JACK LONDON SQUARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! ................................................................. GET TWO TASTING FLIGHTS For the price of one when you bring in this ad! Offer expires 12/31/2018 ©2018 ROSENBLUM CELLARS. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA | 10 CLAY STREET, OAKLAND, CA | 1.877.GR8.ZINS | WWW.ROSENBLUMCELLARS.COM ROSENBLUMCELLARS ROSENBLUMWINES ROSENBLUMCELLARS 2 October 2018 www.baycrossings.com When using your cell KEEP IT SHORT phone, please… KEEP IT DOWN KEEP IT QUIET KEEP IT OFF! GOLDENGATE.ORG www.baycrossings.com October 2018 3 columns features OPINION 09 WHO SUPPORTS 06 16 THE FERRIES? Three on Vallejo City Council Should Recuse Kevin Connolly by Matt Larson From Orcem Vote by Jeff Carlson guides BAYKEEPER COVER STORY FERRY BUILDING MARKETPLACE 11 12 18 Make the most of your trip Bold Action Needed on Fleet Week Events Return Bay Level Rise to San Francisco WATERFRONT ACTIVITIES by Sejal Choksi-Chugh 19 Our recreational resource guide 14 GREEN PAGES Bay Area Firm Wins 20 BAY AREA FERRY SCHEDULES 15 SAILING ADVENTURES Climate Cup With App to Be on time for last call A Stroll Through Benicia Help African Power Grid AROUND THE BAY by Captain Ray by Bill Picture 22 To see, be, do, know news ON OUR COVER WATERFRONT NEWS October 2018 Volume 19, Number 10 08 Bobby Winston, Proprietor Ports Join Climate Action Joyce Aldana, President Joel Williams, Publisher Movement; Oakland Port Patrick Runkle, Editor Has Record August ADVERTISING & MARKETING Joel Williams, Advertising & Marketing Director by Patrick Burnson GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION Francisco Arreola, Designer / Web Producer WATERFRONT NEWS ART DIRECTION 16 Francisco Arreola; Patrick Runkle; Teatro Zinzanni to Return Joel Williams COLUMNISTS to Waterfront at Broadway Paul Duclos; Patrick Burnson; Sejal Choksi-Chugh; Matt Larson; and Embarcadero Captain Ray Wichmann by Joel Williams WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Bill Picture; Joel Williams; Jeff Carlson CULTURAL CURRENTS ACCOUNTING 17 Cindy Henderson Literary Hijinks and “the Advertising Inquiries: (707) 556-3323, [email protected] Lady Gaga of Opera” Bay Crossings SF Ferry Building Store The City of San Francisco welcomes the return of Fleet Week to (415) 362-0717 by Paul Duclos Clipper customer service center the Bay Area from October 1 to October 8. As the largest and (877) 878-8883 most significant event of its kind in the nation, San Francisco’s For Transit Information – Dial 511 Fleet Week brings numerous popular events, including the Corrections & Letters Bay Crossings Blue Angels, back to the Bay Area. This year marks the 37th Ferry Building, #22 We appreciate the opportunity to publish our readers’ San Francisco, CA 94111 anniversary of Fleet Week. www.baycrossings.com comments, letters or requests for corrections, which can be A Division of Nematode Media, LLC sent to [email protected]. Photo by Joel Williams 4 October 2018 www.baycrossings.com THE EMBARCADERO @ BEACH STREET | 415.981.PIER | PIER39.COM Birthday Fireworks OCTOBER 13TH | 5 – 8:30PM | PIER39.COM FOR DETAILS FREE AUDIO TOUR AVAILABLE IN NINE LANGUAGES BRING YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET OR OTHER WI-FI ENABLED DEVICE ENGLISH | DEUTSCH | ESPAÑOL | FRANÇAIS | ITALIANO | 日本 | 한국 | 中国大陆 | 台灣 Get your tickets at PIER 39 415.773.1188 • blueandgoldfleet.com Event and fireworks are weather permitting and subject to change without notice. www.baycrossings.com October 2018 5 OPINION Three Vallejo Councilmembers Must Recuse from VMT/Orcem Vote BY JEFF CARLSON development initiatives were underway, both public and private, aiming to shape the character of future development proposal to demolish historic along the Mare Island Strait waterfront. structures and construct a private The Vallejo City Council voted to form Photo by Joel Williams marine terminal serving large a Mare Island Economic Development Acargo vessels and a cement plant at the Committee, which included then- Protestors against VMT/Orcem gather in front of Vallejo City Hall in September 2016. Subsequently, the project was rejected by Vallejo’s Planning Commission before four councilmembers (now mouth of the Napa River has been a councilmember and current Mayor dubbed the “Orcem-Four”) have kept the proposed project alive. source of controversy in Vallejo for the Bob Sampayan. This official committee past six years. Three councilmembers are never convened a meeting. But council- conflicted and should recuse themselves members Malgapo and Dew-Costa their fellow elected representatives? A Council went far beyond simply having from upcoming votes on the project. organized a private ad hoc committee look at the language emerging from the a favorable opinion of the project prior Vallejo City Councilmembers they named the Mare Island Straits concurrent public planning process to to any impact analysis, but instead Rozzana Verder-Aliga—and two fellow Economic Development Committee update the Vallejo General Plan reveals committed to the project at multiple council members running for reelec- (MISEDC), which councilmember a stark contrast between the public levels in an organized effort hidden tion—Jesus “Jess” Malgapo and Pippin Sampayan was not invited to join. vision for the waterfront and the vision from public view. Their abandonment Dew-Costa have demonstrated a well- The committee soon addedentertained by these special interests. of objectivity is captured in the documented improper level of bias councilmember Verder-Aliga to its roster Where the MISEDC members picture a extraordinary documented measures prior to environmental review and of members, along with the VMT/Orcem marine superhighway and a subsequent taken to incorporate the VMT/Orcem approval of the project sufficient to project executives and an assortment renaissance of heavy industry on the project as an integral part of their private undermine the intent and purpose of of local and regional special interest city’s waterfront, the public planning development plan for Vallejo’s waterfront the California Environmental Quality representatives and political donors, process was demonstrating that a broad without regard for environmental Act (CEQA). There are no tripwires or all with a stake in procuring federal spectrum of the public had something consequences. bright lines to cross that indicate when funding to facilitate heavy industrial very different in mind. The willingness of councilmembers such a level of unacceptable bias prior to development along Vallejo’s waterfront. In July 2014, as the MISEDC to ignore city policy, commandeer environmental review occurs. Instead, it Councilmember Malgapo served as councilmembers continued to meet public resources in support of a must be assessed based on the totality of the committee chair, and reminded behind closed doors, the entire city private initiative, repeatedly violate the circumstances. committee members in an August 19, council officially approved newthe noninterference clause in the City In this case, the circumstances 2014 email retrieved through a public guiding principles to the city’s general Charter, and betray the public trust in strongly indicate that these councilmem- records request that their activity must plan developed with community the open and participatory function of bers should recuse themselves. They not be made public: “Reminder: Our participation. These principles included local government all serve to indicate an colluded in secret with special interest meetings are privileged and attendance statements in support of an active, extreme and unacceptable level of bias. representatives and the applicants, using by invitation only.” participatory and healthy community Three of these participants—Malgapo, the Vallejo Marine Terminal (VMT) Councilmembers Sampayan, Katy that features an iconic waterfront to Dew-Costa and Verder-Aliga—continue and Orcem Americas project to advance Miessner and Robert McConnell re- present Vallejo as a beautiful city that to serve on the Vallejo City Council, a private development initiative that mained unaware of the existence of pursues and promotes environmental with Malgapo and Dew-Costa up for undercuts the city’s public planning the MISEDC secret committee, which stewardship. reelection in November. process. was known only to four of the seven There is no mention in these VMT/Orcem made significant The participants in this clandestine, councilmembers (including then-Mayor guiding principles of any desire to campaign contributions to the MISEDC well-organized effort left written records Osby Davis, whom MISEDC records attract new heavy industry to Vallejo’s councilmembers along with the county of their activity, subsequently revealed show was notified from the beginning). iconic waterfront. The MISEDCbuilding trades-affiliated PAC, Jumpstart through public records requests. It would be well over a year before the councilmembers made a conscious Vallejo. The latter group brings in These communications reflect an early excluded minority of councilmembers choice to put their own personal vision in members wearing safety vests to pack the enthusiastic commitment by members would begin to learn