A Stalled SoMa Park Gets a New Timeline

Among the immediate beneficiaries is Rachele Sullivan Park, the long-planned half-acre green space on 11th Street between Natoma and Minna streets in SoMa, according to sfchronicle.com. The city says Chesky's money will allow the park to open in late 2028 instead of 2031. That timeline shift matters because, as Mission Local reported, San Francisco's Recreation and Parks department put the project on hold last year after 12 years of planning when it couldn't identify sufficient construction funding. The department has said construction documents for the site are complete, with officials working to identify sufficient funding to move forward, per its own project page at sfrecpark.org.

The remaining four projects getting a boost from the first wave of funding include upgrades to Garfield Square Park and Recreation Center, which the city says will include opening the facilities on Sundays, per the same Chronicle report. In Bayview-Hunters Point, the donation closes a funding gap that will let the city finish the next phase of India Basin Waterfront Park. The city also plans to use some of the money to fully renovate Jackson Playground in Potrero Hill, and funding from Chesky will assist with the ongoing makeover of Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park downtown.

Chesky's Reasoning, and a Pattern of Private Giving

Per the original reporting by SFist's Jay Barmann, Chesky told the Chronicle he loves San Francisco and had long wanted to give back, attributing much of his success to the city's community and people. He said he felt confident the money would be utilized well by an incredible team, and he encouraged others to give gifts to the city or work with Mayor Daniel Lurie. Mayor Lurie, for his part, said the donation would expand recreation access and improve parks for families, adding that the city is coming back and that leaders have an opportunity to participate.

The gift fits a broader pattern described by the San Francisco Chronicle: Lurie has repeatedly turned to business interests and philanthropic donors to help foot the bill for city initiatives. The Embarcadero Plaza redo already has its own private backers — Michael Moritz's Crankstart Foundation and the Downtown Development Corp. are together committing up to $20 million to that project, with Crankstart providing $10 million, according to a separate Chronicle report on the Embarcadero Plaza redesign. That same piece described large-scale downtown public-space projects as increasingly reliant on tech wealth and philanthropy.

The Billion-Dollar Maintenance Backlog Behind the Headlines

The need for outside money isn't new. San Francisco's 2020 Health and Recovery Bond already included $239 million for park improvements, and the 2012 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond put $195 million toward upgrades at 15 neighborhood parks, according to Recreation and Parks Department figures. Even so, the department says more than $1 billion in deferred maintenance and modernization needs remain across the system. A state award separately provided $10 million toward the Jackson Playground renovation, the same city data shows.

Private philanthropy has reshaped other major San Francisco public spaces before. Presidio Tunnel Tops, the popular park overlooking the Golden Gate, benefited from $98 million in private funding before it debuted in 2022, per the Chronicle's reporting. Chesky's pledge, should it play out as described, would dwarf that figure and put a single donor's name behind improvements stretching from SoMa to Bayview-Hunters Point to the Embarcadero.

Attendees can register in advance for the free event, which includes two presentations. Raptor Fest showcases the raptors that share the park's landscape.

The day will include educational presentations meant to highlight how birds of prey fit into the health of the local ecosystem. The event also features booths for wildlife nonprofits dedicated to protecting Bay Area species.

The park’s hillsides are habitat for several raptors that visitors may recognize from the presentation: the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance’s local guide identifies golden eagles and turkey vultures in the area, along with uncommon prairie falcons and American kestrels. The guide also describes open grassland and oak woodland as part of the landscape, giving the event a local setting for discussing how birds of prey use the park.

Wildlife Groups Set Up Shop at the Park

The POST event page lists six organizations as booth hosts at Rancho San Vicente: the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, the Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center, the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, the Predatory Bird Research Group at UC Santa Cruz, and the Talon Ecological Research Group. That lineup spans rescue and rehabilitation work, academic raptor research, and regional conservation efforts, all converging for the single Saturday event.

Rancho San Vicente’s protected status followed a development threat. In 2009, the Peninsula Open Space Trust bought the 966-acre property from private developers who had planned a luxury housing development, then transferred it to the county for parkland. The property is also described as a key link in a 15-mile greenbelt extending from Los Gatos toward Highway 101 near Morgan Hill.

Raptor Fest is an annual November tradition at Rancho San Vicente within Calero County Park, highlighting the role raptors play in keeping the park's ecosystem healthy.

One of the event’s research partners, UC Santa Cruz’s Predatory Bird Research Group, monitors peregrine falcons in the San Francisco Bay Area, including tracking young birds’ movements, survival and productivity. The group’s work also includes studying contaminants in wildlife, such as lead poisoning in eagles and rodenticides in raptors. Its research and monitoring programs connect the event’s public education to ongoing efforts to understand threats to California birds of prey.

What's Different From Last Year

At the 2025 edition of Raptor Fest, held Nov. 14, the program included two presentations by Master Falconer Kenny Elvin, with attendees asked to register for only one session. Free shuttle transportation was required because of limited parking at the event site, and a flight demonstration might be included depending on conditions. Last year's program offers a reference point, not a guarantee of this year's schedule.

The 2026 event is scheduled for Nov. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Rancho San Vicente, with partner booths and advance registration. Its program includes a sit-and-listen educational presentation by Master Falconer Kenny Elvin; a flight demonstration may be included depending on conditions.

According to The Press Democrat, Sansone will perform with his All Star Louisiana Band, marking a return visit for the musician, who played Petaluma several years ago while touring with the Voice of the Wetlands Allstars. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 7 p.m., and tickets run $55 general admission plus an $11.75 service fee, or $85 for a VIP ticket plus a $13.84 service fee that includes an artist meet and greet. The Mystic Theatre's own calendar lists the night as Merging Music and Humanity: A Benefit for Global Healing, billed as fully seated.

Sansone, reached while traveling in Belgium and heading to Brussels, told the Press Democrat he would jump at the chance to support Global Healing's work. He said he hopes people attend both to support the cause and to hear his original songs.

From New Jersey Sax Player to New Orleans Blues Fixture

Sansone was born in New Jersey and started playing saxophone at age 8, per the Press Democrat's reporting. He committed to a life playing blues after seeing Howlin' Wolf perform when he was just 12 years old — a moment his own biography describes as the point he knew blues would be his lifetime vocation, according to johnnysansone.com.

In the 1980s he toured with Ronnie Earl, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rodgers and Robert Lockwood Jr., the same biography notes. He settled in New Orleans in the early 1990s and eventually founded Jumpin' Johnny & the Blues Party, picking up his nickname while in college. Sansone also added accordion to his instruments after attending a wake for Zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier, the biography states. Today he's known as a multi-instrumentalist and longtime New Orleans resident whose sound blends blues with Louisiana roots music.

Why Roatán's Only Public Hospital Still Matters

The cause behind the concert traces back to 2024, when a fire destroyed Roatán's only public hospital, prompting Global Healing to shift its focus toward the island and efforts to reestablish a working hospital. The Roatán Volunteer Pediatric Clinic, founded in 2003 as a joint project between Global Healing and Public Hospital Roatán, was created to provide medical care to children on the island, according to globalhealing.org. The clinic, housed at the public hospital, typically sees 25 to 30 children a day as outpatients, per the clinic's own account of its work.

The strain on local care became clear in the fire's aftermath. Direct Relief reported that the nearby Clinica Esperanza saw its daily patient count jump from roughly 150 before the fire to about 650 in the following month, before settling to a level still about 50 patients a day higher than before, according to Direct Relief. Building a replacement hospital structure was expected to take 18 months, the same report noted.

Eric Scher, a Petaluma pediatrician and Global Healing board member, has produced fundraising shows in the Bay Area in support of the cause, the Press Democrat reported. Global Healing's history with benefit events stretches back to its earliest days — its first fundraiser was a Mardi Gras-themed party in 2003 that raised money and awareness for the organization and for Roatán, according to globalhealing.org.

Tickets for the November 22 show are available through the Mystic Theatre, with proceeds directed to the Roatán Volunteer Pediatric Clinic's continuing work on the island.

The concert is another Bay Area stop for the Colombian American singer, whose music draws on R&B, soul, pop and Latin sounds. The Chronicle’s account notes earlier area appearances at Chase Center in 2025 and BottleRock Napa Valley in 2024.

Pier 80’s event role and waterfront setting

Pier 80 is not solely an entertainment venue. SFGATE reported that Port of San Francisco communications director Eric Young described the facility as critical to maritime cargo operations and the city’s emergency-response plans. That working-waterfront role is part of the setting for the New Year’s Eve show, but does not establish any specific operating arrangements for concertgoers.

Past events offer context, not a forecast for this concert. At the separate 2024 Portola Music Festival at Pier 80, the Entertainment Commission received 224 complaints through the city’s 311 line and the festival hotline, KTVU reported. That figure concerns Portola, not the New Year’s Eve show, and by itself says nothing about noise conditions on Dec. 31.

The venue has also been part of New Year’s programming plans: Swedish House Mafia was scheduled to perform at Pier 80 on Dec. 29 and 31, 2025. For a separate set of Pier 80 concerts during Super Bowl week, SFMTA listed the T Third route to Third/Marin, two blocks from the venue. That event-specific notice does not confirm transit service or access arrangements for Uchis’s New Year’s Eve concert.

The program is the work of Dr. Heba Ismail, a pulmonary specialist and director of CPMC's Lung Nodule Center, who leads the GLAMS initiative, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Ismail has described lung cancer in nonsmoking women as a growing and under-recognized problem, per the same report by Chronicle health reporter Catherine Ho. GLAMS began as a pilot more than a year before publication and had already screened about 100 patients during that period, the Chronicle reported, before expanding this month into its first formal study phase.

In that first phase, mammogram patients who already meet current national screening guidelines are being offered the option of a lung cancer scan during the same visit, with those CT scans covered by insurance, per the Chronicle's reporting. A second phase, expected to launch in early 2027, would extend CT scans to mammogram patients who fall outside standard guidelines but carry study-defined risk factors — with those scans paid for through philanthropic donations. CPMC has secured funding to cover up to 1,000 qualifying women, according to the same account.

A Patient Whose Cancer Came Back Nine Years Later

The Chronicle's story centers on Jennifer Morrice, a San Francisco resident who was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer at age 45 despite never having smoked. Morrice was diagnosed 11 years before publication after visiting an emergency room with stomach pain; doctors found tumors in her left lung that likely pressed on nerves and caused the abdominal pain, the Chronicle reported. She underwent surgery to remove her left lung along with chemotherapy and radiation, and reached no-evidence-of-disease status for nine years.

Then in 2024, Morrice discovered a new cancer growth, this time in her right lung. She has ALK-positive lung cancer, a form that can result from changes in the ALK gene, and now takes oral medication meant to shrink cancer spots and prevent their growth, according to the Chronicle. Morrice has said her diagnosis felt unexpected because she had no symptoms beforehand, and she now serves on the board of the American Lung Association's Bay Area chapter and encourages eligible women to take part in GLAMS, per the same reporting.

Why Standard Guidelines Miss Many Women

National screening guidelines recommend annual low-dose CT scans for adults ages 50 to 80 with a 20-pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual low-dose CT screening for adults ages 50 to 80 with a 20-pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, having expanded eligibility in recent years from a 55-to-80 age range and a 30-pack-year threshold. The task force also lists environmental exposures, prior radiation therapy, other noncancer lung diseases and family history as additional risk factors beyond smoking.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and research suggests genetics and environmental exposures contribute to a higher risk of the disease in women, according to the Chronicle. Women, especially those of Asian descent, represent a disproportionately large share of lung cancer cases among people who have never smoked, the paper reported, and women of Asian descent are more likely to carry an EGFR gene mutation that may be triggered by environmental toxins. The CDC estimates that 10% to 20% of lung cancers in the U.S. — roughly 20,000 to 40,000 cases a year — occur in people who never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.

Risk Factors the GLAMS Study Is Tracking

The GLAMS study is screening for a range of risk factors beyond smoking history, including family history of lung cancer, exposure to radon, asbestos or secondhand smoke, Asian ancestry, a history of chronic lung disease or previous cancer, and a history of hormone replacement therapy, per the Chronicle's reporting. Secondhand smoke, asbestos, radon and wood-fire smoke can all raise lung cancer risk in nonsmokers when exposure levels are high, while hormone replacement therapy has a less certain association with the disease, the paper noted. A nurse navigator within the program helps patients work through whether they may have experienced environmental toxin exposure, according to the same account.

The gap GLAMS is trying to close shows up starkly in national screening data. Only 5% of people eligible for lung cancer screening actually receive the recommended imaging, compared with 72% of women eligible for mammograms who get screened regularly, according to a Stanford Medicine report — even though lung cancer kills around 50% more women than breast cancer each year in the U.S. Stanford researchers tested a similar pairing of mammograms with lung CT screening in a 54-woman study and found that a little more than half of eligible women contacted were willing to undergo the combined screening; Stanford Medicine has said it is now beginning to build that approach into its own clinics.

A separate Sutter Health patient story describes Ismail using robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to investigate a suspicious lung nodule in Morrice after her cancer recurred. A separate NBC Bay Area report described Ismail launching the broader GLAMS initiative to integrate lung cancer risk assessment into routine mammography visits, asking patients about lung cancer risks and potentially recommending further testing.

The bar is accessed through the bakery, and reservations are recommended, though customers can also ask there whether seating is available, according to Sonoma Magazine. The bar keeps a low profile.

A Small Bar Built Around the Bakery

The adjoining room was originally intended to become a larger production kitchen. It now houses the wine bar.

The room has black-and-white mosaic floor tiles, wrought-iron bistro tables, long banquettes and dim lighting.

A Short Menu Built Around the Bakery Next Door

The short menu draws on the bakery next door. Sonoma Magazine reports that it includes assorted breads with French salted butter, charcuterie, and baguette sandwiches with ham and cheese or ham and butter.

The Wine List and the Practical Details

Orders are placed through a small window into the bakery.

The department also says responsible beverage service training has been required for on-premises alcohol servers and their managers since July 1, 2022; servers and managers must obtain certification within 60 days of their first date of employment. This statewide requirement does not establish the certification status of any particular Bistroquette staff member. See the department's responsible beverage service guidance.

What Shariat Is Really Going For

Bistroquette de Goguette brings together wine, bread and salted butter.

The project is described in city planning documents reviewed by The Mercury News, which reports that the development team behind Casa de Novo is seeking city planning staff approval under Assembly Bill 2162 provisions. That state law streamlines review of supportive housing projects, and according to the City of San José, it requires affordable housing projects with a supportive housing component to be permitted through a ministerial process in zones where multifamily and mixed uses are allowed, including some nonresidential zones.

Abode Services and Allied Housing teamed up to develop Casa de Novo, the outlet's report notes. The planned building would rise six stories and include 10 studio units, 39 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units, for a total of 59 homes.

Two-Phase Plan Would Demolish Existing Hotel First

The project is slated to be built in two phases. Phase one covers the 59 units and demolition of the existing hotel structure, while the project team plans to separately submit an application for demolition work and construction of a second housing-development phase, per the same report.

The proposal states that referrals for the existing short-term units will stop before construction begins, leaving the building vacant without displacing current tenants, the article notes. The existing hotel structure that would be removed currently contains 27 transitional housing units.

Site Has Long History Tied to Homeless Housing

The Alameda address is no stranger to housing proposals aimed at homelessness. A decade ago, the site — then known as the Santa Clara Inn — was the subject of a 2016 proposal that would have converted the property into housing for homeless people, with 27 studio units planned as permanent housing and another 29 units used to house homeless individuals for stays of up to 28 days, according to a separate Mercury News report from 2016.

Even earlier, a 2015 San Jose draft resolution described the Santa Clara Inn as three motel buildings totaling 59 motel rooms proposed for transitional housing for homeless households, according to city records published through San Jose's Granicus system. That same resolution recommended a city acquisition and permanent loan of up to $8.65 million to Abode Services to acquire the property.

Abode Services, which already operates housing at the address, describes Casa de Novo on its website as a permanent supportive housing community located in San Jose, Santa Clara County. The nonprofit says the site currently offers 27 one- and two-bedroom units generally available to income-qualified households earning up to 30% of Area Median Income, according to information posted on Abode Services' website.

Casa de Novo's proposed 59 units would mark a significant expansion over what currently exists at the site. With at least half of those residences reserved as permanent supportive apartments, the project would continue the Rose Garden-area property's long association with housing for people exiting homelessness, even as the specifics of financing, timeline, and formal approval remain tied up in the planning process.

The tour kicks off March 12, 2027, at the Salt Shed in Chicago and ends April 3 at The Masonic in San Francisco, according to Rolling Stone. The Masonic's own listings confirm the stop, showing a Live 105 Presents event billed as Dashboard Confessional: Unplugged 25th Anniversary, according to sfmasonic.com.

The tour commemorates Dashboard Confessional's April 24, 2002, performance on MTV's Unplugged series, a show that the outlet's report says brought frontman Chris Carrabba's acoustic-driven songs to a much larger audience and helped cement the band's place in the early-2000s emo scene, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The set was released that December as the live album MTV Unplugged 2.0, a year before the band's 2003 breakout record, A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar, the same Rolling Stone report notes.

Carrabba Reflects on a Pivotal Moment

In a statement, Carrabba called the original Unplugged performance “a pivotal and unifying moment for the band and our fans.” He added that he was excited to celebrate the milestone, language echoed in the same statement cited by the report.

Carrabba also said he recently performed intimate solo acoustic shows in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles that carried an electric energy, according to the same account. He said he's excited to carry that spirit into bigger venues with the band arrangements from the original Unplugged performance, per Consequence.

Audience singalongs were a defining feature of the original 2002 taping, with one account noting that without them, the recording would feel incomplete, according to an oral history from The Ringer.

Ticket Timeline and Band Background

Fans can access a Saints & Sailors Fan Club presale beginning Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. local time, followed by an artist presale at 10 a.m. local that same day, the Rolling Stone report states. General tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 13, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster, according to Consequence's report.

Dashboard Confessional, formed in 1999, has released eight studio albums, with 2022's All the Truth That I Can Tell standing as its most recent, according to the Chronicle's reporting. The band also parted ways amicably with Chris Kamrada this year, the same Chronicle report notes.

Beyond the Unplugged anniversary run, Dashboard Confessional has other touring plans on the books: the band intends to join Denver outfit The Fray, known for the 2006 hit “How to Save a Life,” for dates in Australia and New Zealand, and also plans to appear on Hilary Duff's “Lucky Me” arena tour, per the Chronicle.

According to Silicon Valley Business Journal, JLL is pitching development concepts for the site ranging from about 600 apartments to nearly 950 units. The listing comes months after lender BrightSpire Capital, acting through an affiliate, took control of the property through a deed in lieu of foreclosure, according to Mercury News. Public real estate documents filed Aug. 12, 2025, show a Related Cos. affiliate surrendered its ownership of the property, per that same outlet's reporting.

The 9-acre site had been slated for nearly 950 housing units before the foreclosure, Bisnow reported in its own account of the lender takeover. Bisnow's report also noted that construction on the planned residential project never got off the ground, and that no plans had been announced for the Santa Clara property in the aftermath of the foreclosure.

A Deal That Soured After Years of Financing

The Related-controlled entity originally bought the two parcels in 2015, though the reported price differs by source: Mercury News puts the figure at $64.1 million, while Bisnow cites $64 million. BrightSpire Capital provided the Related California affiliate with the loan tied to the property in 2019, the Mercury News report states.

Related floated two potential building schemes for the site in 2023 — one calling for two high-rises, the other for two mid-rise buildings — according to Bisnow's account. Neither concept advanced to construction, and the unresolved status of the site left it vulnerable when the loan went into default and ownership reverted to the lender.

Bigger Plans Taking Shape Nearby

The Tasman Drive site sits within reach of Santa Clara's broader push to remake the area around Levi's Stadium. City officials have been working to turn a 45-acre industrial district near the stadium into a walkable urban village of at least 7,500 homes, according to The Real Deal. As part of that effort, Related California has separately committed $12 million to affordable housing in what's known as the Clara District, while also planning shops and restaurants there, the outlet reported.

Related California has already developed two apartment towers in the Clara District totaling more than 1,000 units, per The Real Deal's reporting. The district currently has seven apartment buildings slated to open within six months, nearly 2,000 units under construction and 4,500 approved homes in the pipeline, the same report states. Silicon Valley Power is also investing $400 million in infrastructure upgrades, including substations and battery systems, to support the new housing and data centers moving into the area.

Momentum May Be Cooling

Santa Clara's housing production hit 2,685 completed units in 2025, but city officials don't expect that pace to hold this year, according to the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Several large, previously financed projects drove last year's surge, the publication reported, suggesting the pipeline could thin out without new deals getting financed.

Elsewhere in the Clara District, developer Ensemble broke ground on a $190 million apartment project at Parkside, and expects 500 to 1,000 more units to follow in the area within a few years, per a separate Silicon Valley Business Journal report. Whether the Tasman Drive site adds to that count remains an open question: no buyer, financing plan, or construction timeline has been announced since BrightSpire took over, and JLL's marketing materials represent proposed concepts rather than an approved project.

According to The Press Democrat, the anniversary concert takes place Nov. 14, 2026 at the Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St. in Petaluma, with doors set for 6:30 p.m. Admission costs $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and the lineup will include current and former members of Skitzo sharing the stage together. A Bohemian profile of the band, meanwhile, lists the show as occurring Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, at the venue it calls Petaluma's Phoenix Theatre — a discrepancy between the two accounts that hasn't been independently resolved.

Ozanix began his career with Skitzo as a bassist before switching to guitar, and he's spent the decades since fronting a band that has shared stages with W.A.S.P., the Misfits, Venom and Tool. The Press Democrat reports the band still tours the West Coast and played the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles alongside Kings of Thrash, a group that includes former members of Megadeth, last year. Skitzo has released 21 full-length albums over its run, according to both The Press Democrat and a recent Bohemian feature, which calls that output over 45 years no small feat.

Old Faces Returning for the Reunion

The Press Democrat reports that former members Jason Sullivan, Ron Klinger, Kelly Gillis and John Crowhurst are expected at the show, all of whom played in Skitzo's 1980s lineups — Sullivan on drums, and Klinger, Gillis and Crowhurst on guitar. The band's roster of alumni also includes drummers Noah Smith and “Drumin” Dave and guitarist Jason Spray, per the same outlet. Skitzo's current lineup is listed as drummer Liz Say, guitarist Jason Wright, and bassists Sherri Stewart and Nate Clark, though Bohemian's own recent account describes the current lineup somewhat differently, naming just Ozanix, Say and Clark.

Ozanix has been revisiting older Skitzo material to get ready for the show, and rehearsals have sometimes started as early as 9 a.m., The Press Democrat reports. He's also been building towering stage sets himself. “We would play high schools and puke their school team colors,” Ozanix told Bohemian, recalling the band's wilder theatrical routines from its early years. He also described the band's 1988 U.S. tour to the outlet as an eye-opener.

Bringing Back the Green Slime

Ozanix has promised an elaborate production for the anniversary show, with multiple drum kits, towering sets and the return of the band's signature green-slime effect, The Press Democrat reports. The stunt has history: Skitzo performed the green-slime bit on two episodes of The Jerry Springer Show in the 1990s, and Ozanix also appeared on The Howard Stern Show and was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not, according to Bohemian. Ozanix told the outlet that the band's 40th anniversary show happened during COVID and instead used a puking robot that blasted green confetti.

The slime stunt has also landed Skitzo in stranger territory. Per The Press Democrat, a concertgoer once sued Ozanix on Judge Judy, claiming his onstage antics ruined her dress. Bohemian's earlier profile of the band similarly reported that Ozanix was sued after a concert for ruining a young woman's dress, and that vomiting neon-green foam and slime became a staple of Skitzo's live set over the years.

A Heavy Metal Party With Support From Three Bands

Ozanix called the anniversary concert a big production with two drum sets onstage and, elsewhere, simply a heavy metal party, according to The Press Democrat. The bill includes performances by Ancestors Wrath, from the Bay Area; Weapons, from Sonoma County; and Unprovoked, from Sacramento. Looking ahead, the band plans to release a 22nd studio album in 2027, per the same report.

Skitzo's history with the Phoenix Theater runs deep. The band marked its 35th anniversary with a show at the venue, described at the time as celebrating 35 years of thrashing with many special guests. The theater itself, according to DoTheBay, opened in 1905 as the Hill Opera House before becoming the Petaluma venue known today for all-ages punk and metal shows.

The proposal would establish an entertainment zone on Ramona between University and Hamilton avenues, where participating businesses could apply for special permits allowing outdoor drinking during designated events, according to Palo Alto Online. The zone would run from noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, with participating merchants required to use clear cups and stay within those hours, per the same report. The item was scheduled to go before the committee at its Nov. 4 meeting before heading to the full City Council for approval.

That timeline tracks with on-the-ground outreach described by the Palo Alto Daily Post, which reported that council member Keith Reckdahl and Alex Andrade, the city's new economic development manager, met with Ramona Street business owners on Oct. 28 to discuss the proposed zone. Reckdahl said he had hoped for more enthusiasm from merchants, according to the Daily Post's account of the meeting.

Jewelers, Spa and Hotel Raise Objections

Representatives from the Cardinal Hotel, Forest Spa Boutique, De Novo Fine Contemporary Jewelry and Mansoor Fine Jewelers raised concerns about the proposed entertainment zone during the meeting, per the Daily Post. Reckdahl said most of the discomfort expressed about Ramona Street centered on trash, amenities and the street's overall appearance rather than alcohol itself, the outlet's report noted.

Not every merchant on the block is opposed. Guillaume Bienaime and Nancy Coupal voiced support for an entertainment zone that would bring energy to the middle of Ramona Street, according to the same report. Bienaime, who owns The Pro at 541 Ramona St., said the business was not seeking house parties and currently had nothing planned, the Daily Post reported.

Under the framework described by Palo Alto Online, businesses in the zone could obtain event permits allowing outdoor drinking, with beverages sold in clear cups made of neither glass nor metal, and anyone drinking in the zone required to wear a wristband. The proposed zone would cover the sidewalk portion between the Wine Room and Forest Spa Boutique, per the outlet.

A Smaller Test Before Going Further

Given the mixed reaction, council member George Lu and Reckdahl recommended allowing open alcohol containers at three pilot events rather than a full rollout, with those events required to end no later than 9 p.m., according to the Daily Post. Lu said the city should move forward on allowing drinking while addressing business concerns, and added that some experimentation made sense, the outlet reported. Any version of the entertainment zone still needs approval from the Palo Alto City Council.

The idea builds on a similar effort already underway on California Avenue, where the city currently allows public drinking during Thursday live music events. The California Avenue zone has been activated five times, according to Palo Alto Online's November report, and business owners there reported that the public-drinking change either had no impact or increased sales by less than 5%, per a city report cited by the outlet.

Back in March, the Economic Development Committee unanimously endorsed setting up a zone on California Avenue and potentially extending it to the car-free stretch of Ramona Street, Palo Alto Online reported at the time. A separate account from Citizen Portal says that on March 18, the committee unanimously advanced an entertainment-zone ordinance based on Senate Bill 969 to the full City Council and directed staff to conduct outreach with Ramona merchants before any expansion there. The same outlet separately reported that city staff planned to survey businesses and attendees on Aug. 26 to help decide whether the entertainment-zone model should extend to other districts, including Ramona Street.

State Law Opened the Door

The push traces back to Senate Bill 969, which took effect last year, according to the Daily Post, and gives cities more flexibility on outdoor drinking. Bill text from the California Legislative Information site shows the law amends several sections of the state's Business and Professions Code and adds two new ones governing alcohol consumption in designated outdoor zones.

Other California cities have leaned into the concept more aggressively. Sacramento has expanded its program from five entertainment zones to 11, according to the Sacramento City Express, which reported that alcohol there may be carried and consumed only during approved events and within the dates, hours and boundaries set by each permit. Businesses at the first weekend of one Sacramento activation reported a 30% jump in visitors compared with prior weekends, and businesses at the city's 2025 Rainbow Festival reported increased sales over the previous year's event, the outlet noted.

Whether Palo Alto follows Sacramento's broader approach or sticks with a cautious, pilot-sized test on Ramona Street now rests with the City Council, which must sign off on whatever version of the entertainment zone advances next.

The deal, made alongside Vander Capital Partners, was reported by The San Francisco Standard, which noted the purchase values the building at roughly $10 million more than when Long Market Property Partners bought it from Golden Gate University in 2023 for $17.6 million. The building at 40 Jessie St. is occupied entirely by Google, whose lease runs through 2030, according to the Standard's reporting, and about 60% of the space is designated lab space.

A Florida Hotel Specialist Pivots to Bay Area Offices

1754 Properties CEO Joe Smith told the outlet his company is looking well beyond this single purchase. “We're very excited about San Francisco and would love to build a larger portfolio in the Bay Area,” he said, adding that the firm is seeking similar office buildings and local partners to expand its footprint in the city.

Notably absent from that expansion plan: hotels, which is 1754's specialty elsewhere. Smith said hotels are off the menu in San Francisco because of “the high concentration of unions and the high cost of labor,” per the same account. The firm's portfolio currently includes hotel properties in Florida and Mexico, according to the report.

Betting on a Recovering Office Market

Smith pointed to San Francisco's improving commercial real estate conditions as the reason for the firm's interest, citing the city's artificial intelligence sector, leasing momentum, and a declining office vacancy rate, now below 30%. “You have a leasing market that's probably the best it's been in 12 years,” he told the Standard. He said he expects single-digit office vacancy rates in the city within four or five years, and anticipates more investment money flowing in from around the country.

Those figures track with broader market data. San Francisco's overall office vacancy rate stood at 26.0% at the end of the third quarter of 2026, down from a 2024 peak of 32%, according to Kidder Mathews. The firm also reported positive net absorption of 1,068,105 square feet for the quarter and 2,752,556 square feet year to date, alongside leasing activity of 3,036,496 square feet in the third quarter alone — up 33.8% from the same period in 2025. Kidder Mathews said it expects the strengthening market to persist as demand broadens beyond AI and technology firms.

Out-of-State Money Keeps Flowing In

1754's purchase adds to what the Standard described as a slew of out-of-state investment in San Francisco real estate. A Texas investor began buying up Union Square properties last year, the outlet noted, as did the duo behind Project Uris, and foreign investors new to the city scooped up both the Transamerica Pyramid and Ghirardelli Square this year.

Other recent San Francisco office deals show just how varied the pricing has been. The Real Deal reported that Strada Investment Group paid $103 million, or $771 per square foot, for the 133,427-square-foot One De Haro building, fully leased to Samsara, while StartupHQ picked up the 100,000-square-foot building at 55 New Montgomery for just $20 million, or $200 per square foot, in April. Investors poured $1.7 billion into San Francisco office deals in the first half of the year alone, compared with $1.9 billion for all of last year, the outlet reported, with institutional investors driving much of that activity on growing confidence in the city's AI ecosystem.

Not every deal has gone smoothly. New York-based Madison Capital took control of the more than 606,000-square-foot tower at 45 Fremont for $265 million through a deed in lieu of foreclosure, per the same report, while Yoda PLC paid $691.6 million, or $922 per square foot, for the 750,000-square-foot Transamerica Pyramid complex. Other local investors have leaned into steep discounts: Flynn Properties bought the Market Center towers in 2025 for $177 million, 76% below their previous sale value, after picking up a Class B building at 631 Howard St. for about $36 million the year before, according to the Standard's earlier reporting on the city's pandemic-era real estate bets.

The limits of the state testing system

The Department of Cannabis Control’s final pesticide-testing rules require laboratories to analyze at least 0.5 grams of a representative sample for residual pesticides, according to the department’s final rule text. The text says laboratories must begin applying its Table 2 requirements on April 1, 2028. In reporting published Nov. 8, the Los Angeles Times said the DCC has told regulators it cannot test for every potential substance because the number of possible chemical contaminants runs into the thousands.

What the latest product testing found

The Times commissioned a separate survey of 49 cannabis products bought from licensed California dispensaries, asking three state-licensed laboratories to screen them for a combined 376 pesticides. Previously unseen chemicals considered hazardous to human health appeared in about one-quarter of the inhalable products tested—not one-quarter of all 49 products. One product contained etridiazole at a level 125 times the amount that would prompt safety testing under federal tobacco standards, the Times reported.

An earlier Times investigation offers context, but used a different sample and was a separate testing effort. In June 2024, the Los Angeles Times and WeedWeek reported buying products from dispensaries statewide, selecting some tied to complaints and others at random. The Times’ 2024 testing examined more than 370 products from 86 brands; pymetrozine appeared in 31% of samples, and the investigation identified 45 pesticides that California did not then track in cannabis. The latest reporting found significant amounts of pymetrozine in products from three brands made by the same manufacturer. California is not scheduled to add the pesticide to its screening list until April 2028, according to the Times.

Testing and enforcement are separate challenges

The Times reported that since 2024 the DCC had suspended, revoked or denied licenses for eight cultivators, manufacturers and distributors connected to pesticide-adulterated products. It had not shut down seven other operators linked to similar findings; some continued operating for nearly two years after inspectors found pesticides, the report said.

The agency had tested 35 products taken from store shelves statewide through late August, according to the Times. That figure describes agency activity, not the newspaper’s separate 49-product survey.

How recalls fit into oversight

The DCC describes recalls as a process for removing adulterated or misbranded cannabis goods from the licensed market, according to its recall guidance. A recall is a market-removal process; it is distinct from the Times’ product-testing survey and the agency’s count of products tested from store shelves.

The findings do not establish how common the detected chemicals are across all cannabis products sold in California. The 49-product survey tested for a wider set of pesticides than the state’s screening system, but its results should not be treated as representative of the full market.