San Francisco Giants Prepare Baseball Park for Monster Energy AMA Supercross FIM World Championship

It's going to be a dirty but thrilling weekend down at the San Francisco Giants' baseball park.

The spruced green turf is covered with plastic sheeting and wood and has become a building site. All in preparation for one of the Giants' biggest events of the year, the  Monster Energy AMA Supercross FIM World Championship.

Denny Hartwig, press spokesman for the event, is expecting a stadium of over 40,000 people.

Last year saw a large crowd attend, 'but we're attracting better than last year,' he said.

'Everywhere we go in San Francisco there are welcome arms and everyone here seems to have some kind of interest in motorcyles, either in the street or in sport. I think we have a built-in fan base,' he said.

Bringing the huge, annual event to San Francisco, the only Northern California location of the championship, has a distinctive feel.

'It's cool!' Denny said. He is from Chicago, and says the downtown feel of the AT & T Park is quite different. 'It's a big park...and this is a huge major city in the US, but it feels like a neighbourhood venue.'

The event, sponsored locally by Big O Tires, is only the fourth so far in the world championship series of 17 races. Outside the ballpark today, a mobile office for promoters, Feld Motor Sports,  was in action, and  the area around McCovey Cove is a gigantic truck fest.

A mobile medical center with rescue jeeps is parked immediately outside the gates on the cove side, and across the water the Giants' grounds have been transformed into the pits, with trucks gleaming with team and sponsorship logos.

At midday, the pits were quite quiet with only a few mechanics and team managers around.

Enjoying a casual lunch under their canopy were the Yamaha team of mechanics with Team Manager, Brad Hoffman.

Brad leads the Factory Yamaha 250 cc Team, which has two West Coast riders. His young charges are 19-year-old Broc Tickle and one of the youngest competitors, 16-year-old Max Anstie.

Brad has high hopes for them. 'These guys have been, speedwise, capable of winning, they've won qualifying races, but they have made some mistakes in the main races.'

Their highest placing has been fifth, but Brad is optimistic that a win is there for the taking on the track. Of tomorrow, he said, 'We hope to be on the podium - top 3. Our guys are all fast enough to do it. You have to have a (good) start, be fast and not make mistakes.'

So what makes a star rider?

'You have to have riding ability, kind of a natural talent,' said Brad, but after that boys 'train like a top athlete.' They cycle, go to gyms and focus on nutrition. 'Most of these kids have been riding since they were three-or -four-years-old,' he said, 'and that's because dad's rode or raced.'

At 16 years, Max, who's father was a professional rider in England, is at the youngest age possible for someone to enter the sport professionally. In the 250 cc range, the top age is around 25 years, whereas in the 450 cc class, riders continue into their 30s.

Brad has worked his way through the sport beginning as a rider - 'I went pretty far at amateur level' - then training as a mechanic before becoming a Team Manager. pic Dave, Ricky, Eric Brad, Karl

Under the Dunlop canopy, there was a small production line energetically fitting tyres onto wheels. The team kit out all 80 bikes in the competition.

Of the new tyres, Brady said, 'They're more intermediate whereas normally it's a hardpack.'

Both Brady - centre pic - and John - left - run their own businesses during the week, Brady an engine repair business in Michigan, and John, a motorcycle shop in Murrieta, Southern California.

Why do they work for supercross at weekends?

'I like it a lot!' said John with great enthusiasm.

'There's something different every week. I get to work with a good group of guys,' said Brady.

Safety is paramount and Risk and Safety Officer, Joe, who works for the promoters, was wandering around the ballpark late this afternoon.

How does he find the burden of responsibility?

'It's pretty laid back. It's all about common sense, there's not a book on it,' said the Ohio man who has been running the safety aspects of the races for 32 years. His number one priority is 'safety of people on the floor. There's no place where you are immune from being hit with a motor cycle.'

A safety upgrade is that every group of workers is colour-coded by their clothing, eg TV crews, of which there are only two, 'house' and CBS, flag stewards, promotors, medics. Instead of having to scrutinize identity tags, Joe can see at a glance where everyone is and, importantly, immediately pick out anyone who shouldn't be there.

Referring to the stands, he said, 'There are people up there - and he mimicked using binnoculars - and they're on the phone to me all the time. This is the greatest motor cycle spectacle in the world. This is very professional.'

And 40,000 people is no great shakes! There are 72,000 in Atlanta, Georgia, he tells me calmly.

Does he enjoy his job? 'I wouldn't be here if I didn't! I like meeting people, you meet people in all phases of life, that's an education,' he said.

Plus, there is one small bonus. For the 18 locations - 17 races and the US Open of Supercross - he sees home only on a Monday and Tuesday.

'Then I'm on vacation seven months of the year!' he said, with just a hint of a smile.

Someone who is ready to champion the riders is Scott, who had just purchased his ticket.

'It seems like they're really athletic, it's a real endurance race, and they don't get the recongnition they deserve for how hard and dangerous the sport is,' he said.

'And I feel they should get better TV time on prime time.'

All the $10 dollar tickets had gone, so Scott had a $25 dollar ticket, but paid $18 dollars with a coupon.

He's looking forward to tomorrow!

One-Week Urgent Campaign by Environmentalists to Save Ocean Beach

 

A one-week urgent campaign against time and tide to save part of Ocean Beach has been launched by the Save the Waves Coalition and Surfrider Foundation. 

They are calling on people to write to the city's Board of Supervisors opposing plans to place a barrier of large rocks, known as 'armoring', on the beach, and to sign an online petition and attend next Tuesday's Board meeting when the issue will be reconsidered.

The race is against time because the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have given residents and environmentalists just one extra week to oppose Department of Public Works plans to use the rocks to prevent erosion. The armoring will cost $2.6 million.

And against tide, because recent winter storms have eaten away 30 ft of coastline and caused erosion of up to 70 ft since 2007, creating the emergency situation. The Great Highway running from Sloat Boulevard past the San Francisco Zoo has two southbound lanes closed, and a major 10-million gallon sewage pipe, the Lake Merced Wastewater Tunnel, is endangered as the erosion has gone under the road.

The Save the Waves Coalition, the San Francisco Chapter of  Surfrider Foundation, the Ocean Beach Vision Council and local residents presented their case  at a Board of Supervisors' meeting on Tuesday night. On Monday night, Lara Trupelli, chair of the Ocean Beach Vision Council had convened a town hall meeting at the Park Chalet for the DPW to present their plans to the community.

'The declaration plans to dump 300 yards (3 football fields) of boulder sized concrete blocks onto the beach and coastline. This would not only erode the coastline at a faster rate but also destroy the beach and use of it,' say SF Surfrider in their press release.

Environmentalists and residents are calling on the city to accept a 'managed retreat' solution that was proposed in 2003, to use sand to help reduce the rate of erosion, and to move the road and the pipe inland, but essentially to accept the natural process of erosion and preserve the use of the beach.

Part of that alternative could include rerouting traffic around the zoo, they say.

They blame the city for the current state of the coastline. Save the Waves say the issue has 'been a sore point for city officials, residents and environmentalists for almost two decades,' but the findings of the original Ocean Beach Task Force 'have been largely ignored by the City for over seven years. This inaction is partly responsible for the severe erosion problems and infrastructure risks that the City now faces.'

The Board of Supervisors' meeting at City Hall will be held at 2 pm on Tuesday, February 2.

info and petitions:  

http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=627 

http://www.savethewaves.org/news/view/109

pics from Surfrider Foundation website

Queen Victoria Leaves San Franicisco After Maiden Visit

With three blasts of her horn, the Queen Victoria edged cautiously away from her berth near Fisherman's Wharf at about 6.45 pm tonight after just a few hours in the city.

Surrounded by police boats she sailed close to the end of Pier 39 where a crowd of about 50 people had assembled to watch and take photos.

Then she sailed gracefully and slowly into the bay, taking half an hour before she went under the Golden Gate Bridge on her way to Hawaii.

The Queen Victoria entered the bay under the bridge at about 6.30 am today on her maiden visit to the city, as part of a round-the-world cruise. She docked at Pier 35 Cruise Terminal on the Embarcadero with about 800 passengers disembarking, either to leave the ship or spend a short time in San Francisco. About 200 new passengers also joined the cruise.

The Queen Victoria Makes Maiden Visit to San Fran - But Not All Passengers Are Happy

The Queen Victoria luxury liner made a maiden visit to San Francisco today as part of a world cruise.



Although she is only in port until 6 pm tonight, her passengers did not disembark until about 11 am. And, contrary to the sumptuous presentation of the ship on Cunard's website, not everyone is  happy with the cruise.

The enormous liner waited outside the bay in the dark this morning for a pilot boat, then sailed majestically under the Golden Gate Bridge at about 6.30 am to berth at Pier 35 near Fisherman's Wharf.

According to NBC11, a handful of people turned out on the Golden Gate Bridge to greet her.

As befitting a queen, the ship has 990 staterooms and can entertain 2,000 guests over 12 decks. Unlike our original queen, however, she weighs 90,000 tons, is 964.5 ft in length, 106 ft wide and 179 ft high.

Other people went to meet relatives or friends off the ship. And although they were expecting an early morning disembarkation, passengers were not streaming off the ship until about 11 am.

Andreina who lives in the Bay Area, stood on the pavement for three-and-a-half hours with daughter, Nicky, waiting to greet her 'good, good friends of 46 years.' They were Betty and Brian from Hampshire, England, whom she had not seen for 'many, many years.' They had joined the ship at the start of the world cruise on January 4 in Southampton.

'I was told the ship would dock at 6.30 am and passengers would be out at 8 am,' she said. 'Wishful thinking!' She had hurried across the Bay Bridge in traffic, telling her daughter, 'We're going to be late! We're going to be late!'

Instead, by late morning she was trying to keep her feet warm in the chill air, while behind her, a long queue of taxis also waited for hours.

Finally, Betty and Brian emerged onto the sidewalk at about 11.30 am.

What did they think of the Queen Victoria?

'Beautiful ship,' said Betty. 'But overall we were slightly disappointed,' said Brian. The interior of the ship, what Brian referred to as 'the fabric' wasn't at fault.

'Lovely people, lovely food,' said Betty, trying to be positive. 'Drinks are expensive,' added Brian.
pic: Brian, Andreina, Betty, Nicky

'It wasn't up to our expectations,' said Brian. 'I guess we were looking for something a little bit more top of the range.'

The couple are veteran cruisers, having done about seven or eight previous ones, but with the Norweigan company, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. This is their first Cunard cruise, and they won't be returning for another.

For three weeks on board, they had paid nearly £7,000 in total.

Judging from a website, cruisecritic.com, Brian and Betty were restrained in their comments. Yesterday, in Member Reviews, someone posted a comment with a litany of complaints over the food, entertainment, the attitude of some of the bar staff and room service.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=62328

According to a security guard at the pier entrance today, 800 people were to disembark, either to leave the ship or spend just a few hours in the city, and 200 new passengers were to board later.

One of the first couples to arrive, to hand over their luggage in advance of boarding, were Sandra and Jim from Sussex, England.

They had flown into San Francisco yesterday and were outside the pier at about 9 am. Veteran cruisers also, this will be their third voyage with the Queen Victoria - and the ship was only launched in December 2007!

What do they like about the ship?

'She's not too big - yes, Sandra really did say that! - and they look after you well,' were her comments, while Jim appreciated 'the activities during the day.'

The couple had flown to the city to join the ship here because they find that cruises taken from America are much cheaper. 'You get more for your dollar than your pound,' said Betty. As a couple, they have paid £8,000 for three weeks, and will be leaving the ship in Singapore to fly back to London.

But while they may be accustomed to the Queen Victoria, this is their first trip to San Francisco, and they were eager to enjoy a few hours here. Top of their sightseeing list was a trip to Alcatraz and a ride on the cable cars.

Also preparing to board was Helen, who will be one of the musicians on board. She rushed into the pier building to leave her luggage and a cello at the entrance, before dashing off to meet a friend.

On board, Helen, from London, will be playing a piano to accompany a flautist.

What had attracted her to the cruise?

'It's a very nice way to see and world, and it's work,' she said.

Tonight, Queen Victoria sails across the Pacific to Hawaii, the next stop on her 107-day cruise around the world.

Pier 39 Sea Lion, Abagnale, Recovering

 

Abagnale, the elusive Pier 39 sea lion rescued on Sunday, is continuing to recover in his pool at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.

Now that staff have had time to assess him, they estimate his age to be about seven or eight years, and consider him to be about 100 lbs underweight. He is currently weighing about 250 - 300 lbs.

Today, he has eaten a little herring, and staff are optimistic about his recovery, center spokesman, Jim Oswald, said later this afternoon.

Abagnale is being given antibiotics for the swellings around his muzzle and neck caused by the fishing line, but apart from the malnourishment and dehydration suffered during his three weeks of evading capture, does not have any other health problems, say the veterinarians.

Nevertheless, he is 'a little agitated and very, very wary of humans, which is probably a good thing,' added Jim. Staff at the center hope to be able to return him to the wild and so retaining his instincts as a wild animal will help him adjust once again to his natural environment, he said.

pic shows Abagnale after his rescue - courtesy of the Marine Mammal Center website

www.marinemammalcenter.org

Ocean Beach Erosion - Emergency Plans Controversy

The San Francisco Zoo is literally at the centre of a controversy on coastal erosion: whether to slow down the erosion with sand, close part of the Great Highway and possibly re-route traffic around the zoo, or shore up the receding coastline with rocks and keep the highway open.

Also at risk is a massive 10 million gallon wastewater tunnel under the highway that is only feet away from the erosion.

The area was declared an emergency zone a week ago as over 30 ft of coastline at Ocean Beach has eroded in the winter storms, and 70 ft since 2007.

Last night the Ocean Beach Vision Council, responsible for developing a long-term strategy for the beach, held a town hall meeting with local interest groups and residents in the Park Chalet at the end of the Golden Gate Park to debate the issue with the Department of Public Works.

At the heart of the contention are DPW plans to place a protective barrier of large rocks along the beach, in a process known as 'armoring,' and to re-open the road. Project Manager, Frank Filice, who outlined the plans, was opposed by residents, environmentalists and engineers who argued that armoring accelerates the erosion process, hinders surfing and swimming, and access to the beach.

Today the DPW are seeking support from the city's Board of Supervisors to ratify the emergency declaration and allow the armoring to go ahead.


The emergency area now covers 900 ft of bluff, running from Sloat Boulevard past the zoo and the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Plant.

With El Nino conditions and the recent winter storms, the coastline has not only been eroded by 70 ft in places since 2007 - but has also in part worn away under the Great Highway - the coastal road that runs the length of  California - and is endangering the Lake Merced Wastewater Tunnel, a 14 ft-wide, 10 million gallon facility that serves Daly City.

Efforts to slow the effects of erosion along the coastline have been underway for the last 15 years.

Coastal Engineer, Bob Battalio, and Dean LaTourrette, executive director of Save the Waves Coalition, an organization that works for the preservation of surf spots around the world, and who is also a local resident, both opposed armoring.

Instead, they want to see sand placed on the beach, the highway moved inland and reduced to two lanes with no median, and natural erosion allowed over time to take its course. An alternative, said Bob Battalio, in response to a question from the audience, is to re-route traffic around the zoo.

This 'managed retreat' was proposed by the original Ocean Beach Task Force that met between 1999 and 2003, and Bob Battalio called on the DPW to revert to its findings.

Dean LaTourrette said surfing would be adversely affected by armoring, and there were several surfers on his staff who lived and surfed at Ocean Beach. Furthermore, the DPW had not taken sea rise into consideration, he said. He urged the DPW not to 'try to reinvent the wheel.'

Frank Filice presented the results of the DPW consultations, showing the three options the department had considered: to erect a sand barrier, costing $14 million; an armor stone revetment for $2,578,000; or sand-filled super sacks for $2,564,000.

Closure of the southbound road is affecting 11,660 vehicles daily, according to a 2002 study, he said. Also affected by erosion is the rock crown of a treated wastewater outfall pipe four miles off shore.

The DPW hope to work towards protecting the top of the bluff this year. In the long term, 2010 - 2015, they plan to work with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, and other local, state and federal agencies. Plans include rebuilding the beach, protecting the bluff and public infrastructure, and road improvement.

They also aim to 'make every practical effort to preserve and protect wildlife habitats and the natural beauty of Ocean Beach and the surrounding area.'

About 150 people attended the meeting that was convened by Lara Trupellli - pic above - chair of the Ocean Beach Vision Council.

Entangled Pier 39 Sea Lion Rescued At Last!

The entangled Pier 39 sea lion was rescued yesterday afternoon at Moss Landing after 20 failed rescue attempts in three weeks.

He is now recovering in the Marine Mammal Center headquarters at Sausalito, and sporting the new name of Abagnale, after the con artist in the Leonardo diCaprio movie 'Catch Me If You Can.'

 His rescuers from the Marine Mammal Center, including two veterinarians, achieved a 'first' in their style of rescue: they shot sedatives into him to slow him down in order to net him. This has never been done before in a free-swimming marine mammal in the wild, say the center, because of risks that too much sedative could cause the animal to drown if he eludes rescue and swims off in the water again.

But Abagnale's condition was deteriorating - he was severely dehydrated and malnourished - and the team were getting desperate.

'We knew that all of our options were running out and that this animal was getting weaker and that he might not live much longer,' said Dr  Frances Gulland, Director of Veterinary Science at The Marine Mammal Center. 'We had to do something to save this animal, especially since he was entangled in marine debris in the first place as a result of human carelessness.'

Veterinarians Dr Nicola Pussini and Dr Bill Van Bonn went out in the team's Zodiac craft.

'With the boat’s motor off, drifting stealthily toward the sea lion, Dr. Pussini saw the opportunity, and with the first shot, delivered the dart into the animal,' said the center in their press release. The sea lion dived back into the water but then climbed out onto another dock, and Dr Pussini was able to shoot a second into him. The darts were filled with the anti-anxiety sedative, Midazolam.

Once netted, he was lifted into a large metal carrier and then transported via truck to the Center’s Sausalito hospital headquarters.

There, veterinarians anesthetized him and 'removed the monofilament that was deeply imbedded into his neck and mouth.' The sea lion is now on medication and veterinarians will continue to treat his injuries and run tests to see if he suffers from other medical complications.

The sea lion had been spotted on the evening of New Year's Day in Pier 39 with fishing line wrapped tightly around his neck and muzzle. Rescue attempts the following morning failed and volunteeers scoured the bay for him.

But he swam nearly 100 miles south to Moss Landing at Monterey and hauled out on the floating docks there, where the local unit of the marine center made other rescue attempts. Although they noted he was dehydrated and malnourished, in consultation with veterinarians and the National Marine Fisheries Service, they adopted a 'stand down' policy, due to him becoming distressed and concern that rescue attempts were causing the fishing line to tighten.

But by the end of yesterday, the team were celebrating.

'It’s a wonderful feeling of relief to be able to rescue this animal, said Sue Pemberton, leader of the Water Rescue Team unit. 'At the end of the day, no matter how difficult a rescue becomes, it is all worth it when we succeed,' she said.

About eight per cent of animals rescued by the center last year were entangled in marine debris.

pics courtesy of the Marine Mammal Center website

www.marinemammalcenter.org