The Pioneer Newspaper April 21, 2016

THE PIONEER Covering the East Bay community since 1961

California State University, East Bay

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Women’s hoops lose leader SEE OPINION PAGE 4

KOBE BRYANT GETS PROPER SEND OFF

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016 Spring 2016 Issue 3

Warriors win without Curry

Head coach leaves Hayward for Seattle

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SEE FEATURES PAGE 7

420 BLAZES ACROSS THE BAY

NEWS

Cal provost’s bittersweet step-down

By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR UC Berkeley’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Claude Steele, took the Berkeley community by surprise when he announced his resignation last Friday, citing his wife’s health issues as his reason for leaving.

“It has been a privilege to devote my time and energy to growing and supporting the university, and in particular to building a more inclusive community,” said Steele in a statement issued to the campus community by Chancellor Nicholas Dirks on April 15. “Alas, my wife’s ongoing health challenges remain quite significant, and this is simply not a time in our lives where I can afford to further sacrifice our time together. The choice has thus become clear: I can no longer offer UC Berkeley the time and level of commitment it needs from its EVCP, while at the same time being a part of my family in the way I want to be.”

Steele’s announcement arrived in the midst of a firestorm of ongoing criticism about a slew of sexual harassment cases at UC Berkeley that sparked questions about the discipline of staff and faculty members found guilty of sexual misconduct. Earlier this month, an investigation into 17 cases involving Berkeley faculty and staff was released, revealing that a third of the staff members investigated were let go, but accused faculty either resigned or remain employed at Berkeley, according to The Daily Californian.

Students and residents of nearby communities have expressed outrage at the university’s apparent lenient punishments of tenured faculty.

Steele has been the target of scrutiny for his assuaged discipline of former Berkeley Law School Dean Sujit Choudhry, who was found guilty of the sexual harassment of his former executive assistant Tyann Sorrell last year.

Rather than firing Choudhry, Steele ordered a 10 percent dock in Choudhry’s pay for one year, required he see a counselor, as well as write Sorrell an apology letter, according to The Daily Californian. In response, Sorrell sued Choudhry and the UC Board of Regents for sexual harassment last month.

Steele will remain employed at Berkeley and will join the psychology department as a full-time faculty member next year, according to Chancellor Dirks’ statement. The EVCP position will be filled on an interim basis. Specific information about who will assume this role has not yet been released.

Just over a month after the greatest season in school history, the women’s basketball team lost their coach.

Cal State East Bay Head Coach Suzy Barcomb chose to go to her hometown area after she accepted an offer from Seattle University to become their new head coach. This comes on the heels of the first ever California Collegiate Athletic Association Conference Championship and NCAA West Regionals appearance for the Pioneers, who finished the season 27-5 overall and 18-2 in conference, also school bests.

“Over the last six years at East Bay I have gained additional knowledge in building a program from the ground up, creating a championship culture and mindset and more importantly challenged myself to grow as a person, coach and mentor,” Barcomb said.

The young women I have had the opportunity to coach at East Bay have been wonderful and the love that I have for them is immense.

The move up to Division I competition will be a challenge for Barcomb who coached in Division III and II previously. The Seattle Redhawks are part of the

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEITH ALLISON PHOTO BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER

CSUEB Couch Suzy Barcomb during halftime of a home game on Jan. 1st.

Western Athletic Conference, which also has New Mexico State, UT Rio Grande Valley, Grand Canyon, Utah Valley, CSU Bakersfield, Missouri-Kansas City and Chicago State. New Mexico won the conference last season and finished 26-5 overall.

Barcomb finished her career at CSUEB 95-80 overall and 71-59 in CCAA games in her six seasons at the helm since she came from Puget Sound, also in Washington. Barcomb is a native to the Pacific Northwest and also played as a walk-on for one season at the University of Washington.

“Walking around the Seattle Universi-

ty’s campus, I just really felt like I was home again,” Barcomb said.

This comes at a rough time for the East Bay roster who lost six seniors, including the school’s all-time leading scorer Tori Breshers. Barcomb will have her hands full with Seattle who finished 9-21 overall and 3-1 in conference games last year. Seattle will return 11 players with only three listed on last season’s squad as seniors. However, the Redhawks also lost Taelor Ross, their leading scorer, to graduation. Seattle only has one returning player who averaged at least 10 points per game last season, freshman guard Tal Shar.

CSUEB expands housing on and off campus

By Christina Urbina CONTRIBUTOR

Cal State East Bay’s enrollment reached an all-time high fall quarter 2015. More than 1,700 freshman students and 2,200 transfer students were admitted into the school.

As the number of Cal State East Bay students applying for on-campus housing grows, the number of beds available is at a standstill. In response to this on-campus housing shortage, Cal State East Bay’s Student Housing & Residence Life is expanding housing both on and off-campus.

East Bay offers housing to a total of 1,530 students in residential halls that replicate apartments rather than a classic one-room style without amenities.

Two different housing communities are available to students at East Bay: Pioneer Heights on campus, and University Village, located less than a mile off campus on Carlos Bee Boulevard. Pioneer Heights current includes kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms inside each unit, while University Village does not include kitchens in their units.

Students who live in the university’s residential halls are vocal about the crowded housing conditions and why building more residences is a necessity.

Kristine Fleming, a fourth year psychology major at East Bay has lived in Pioneer Heights all four years and says the living

conditions are “not ideal.” Until she decided to live in a single suite — one person per room — there was virtually no privacy because so many people were in the same unit, according to Fleming.

Almeida says more and more students are signing up for student housing but there is simply no room to accommodate everyone on the first-come-first-serve waiting list. According to the Occupancy Strategy on the Student Housing website, “at the start of fall quarter, we still had 140 students on the waiting list who we were not able to accommodate and jeopardized their ability to attend classes.

A housing “Master Plan” currently includes the addition of two new housing facilities: one on-campus, the other off, according to Student Housing Director Mark Almeida. The off-campus housing complex called Cadence is underway and has a target completion date of fall 2017. Meanwhile, the construction of an on-campus residential hall with underground parking is currently pending due to ongoing project negotiations.

Cadence will be able to house an additional 500-600 upper division East Bay students and the housing will include in-suite kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms, according to Almeida. There will be a university police department substation in the building, security access keys, resident assistants who live on site, and an above-ground parking structure.

Officials say Cadence will help alleviate

PHOTO BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER

The new student housing building near South Hayward BART.

the growing wait list of residents who want to live on or near campus. Cadence would be located two miles away from CSUEB at Tennyson Road and Mission Boulevard, in the immediate vicinity of South Hayward BART. Almeida says the university intends to implement a free shuttle service to and from the South Hayward BART station and East Bay’s campus for students living in Cadence as a sustainable and convenient alternative to driving.

Despite being off-campus, residents of Cadence will pay similar housing fees as those who live in Pioneer Heights and University Village. According to CSUEB, for non-freshman residents, housing fees are on average $2,600 per quarter or $940 a month. Heat, water, cable, electricity, dining services, as well as recreational and leisure activities like cooking demonstrations are included in housing fees.

According to Housing’s Master Plan, the proposed on-campus resident halls are currently pending due to ongoing project negotiations and will merge traditional dormitory styles with modern residential halls, similar to some dorms at Cal State Northridge. Located in parking lot C1, the proposed new buildings will have a hallway of bedrooms with communal bathrooms shared among 3-4 bedrooms, communal kitchens, lounge areas and underground parking. Most traditional style dorms have a hallway of bedrooms in which more than a dozen students could share the same bathroom and shower rooms.

Student Housing continues to take in as many students as possible. Freshman housing Juniper, Sequoia and Tamalpais are converting all doubles — two people per room — to triples, which place three people in one room. By converting into triples, 104 additional bed spaces will be available, according to Almeida.

“I know these [students] need a place to live too, but it just gets uncomfortable when six girls are sharing one bathroom,” said Fleming, and she is not alone. It is a common consensus among residents that expanding Student Housing is well overdue.

Building a strong community between residents is one of Housing’s main goals, however some residents feel that having up to three students in the same bedroom can cause conflicts.

Stephen Curry.

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Even without the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, the Golden State Warriors still dominated the Houston Rockets on Monday in Oakland.

Two games into their first round playoff series with the Houston Rockets, who they beat in the Western Conference Finals last year, the Dubs find themselves up two games to zero, however it has come at a price. Stephen Curry injured his surgically repaired right ankle in the game one win late in the first half. Curry tried to come back and play on it in the third quarter, but was in noticeable pain and was inactive for the second game, which the Warriors won 116-105 on Monday night at Oracle Arena.

“We all know we’re down the best player on the planet,” Klay Thompson told reporters after the game. “Next man up, that’s how it has to be.”

Game three will be in Houston on Thursday and the team still hasn’t said if Curry will play or continue to rest with the unspecified ankle injury. It is the same ankle that caused him to miss more than 60 games four years ago, when he had surgery after injuring it during a regular season game.

“He’s doing better than yesterday,” Head Coach Steve Kerr told reporters during Tuesday’s shootaround. “We’ve got guys that can play, Steph’s missed three or four games this year, we just have to find ways to score.”

Despite the positivity on Curry’s health from the entire team, his status will still be a gametime decision.

Several Warriors picked up the slack in his absence. Guard Shaun Livingston started in place of Curry and was a force on both ends of the floor. Livingston dominated the ball and along with sixth man Andre Iguodala, the two combined for 34 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

Thompson also had a stellar night showing off some of his ball handling and driving skills that he normally doesn’t. The other half of the splash brothers finished with a game-high 24 points in the win.

Game three will be at 6:30 p.m. in Houston and game four is scheduled for Sunday at noon, also in Houston.

#PIONEERNEWS /thepioneernewspaper @thepioneeronline @newspioneer

2 OPINION

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Are tattoos and piercings still frowned upon?

By Christina Bleakley CONTRIBUTOR I have a total of seven ear piercings and one nose stud. I am also on the verge of getting an elephant tattoo on my wrist, the size of a silver dollar, that I have been debating on for two years. But the question nagging at me is: In 2016, are tattoos and piercings really frowned upon in the workplace, or have we gotten past that?

I work for the San Jose Sharks as a member of the Young Professional Board that’s a part of the Sharks Foundation, the official non-profit of the hockey club. I have two managers that have tattoos on their feet, and a former manager of mine had a nose stud just like mine. I can recall going in for my first interview with the organization seven years ago, thinking that I wasn’t going to get hired because of my nose piercing, but was relieved to see that a future manager of mine had one.

Three years after working for the organization, one manager told me she never even knew I had my nose pierced and asked me if I just got it.

I promptly replied, “Nope!” And she responded, “How funny, I never even noticed. It looks good on you. I like it!”

Not everyone has it as easy. It’s clear that tattoos are no longer the sole province of gang members, garage mechanics, students that want to rebel against mom and dad, or guys who are admirably confident that they will have the same girlfriend forever and ever.

According to a Pew Research poll from 2010, 23 percent of Americans have a tattoo, with 32 percent of Americans between the ages of 30 to 45 reporting having at least one.

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF KARLA FRAZETTY

Every year students graduate from schools with the hopes of landing a dream job and some of these students have tattoos. And though it may seem that the negative connotations about piercings and body ink have subsided among millennials, every time a friend of mine contemplates inking-up, it’s not that they hesitate about choosing the artist or image, they worry that having a tattoo might “brand” them in a way that they will regret. Body art is a way to express yourself. It’s a way to show your unique personality.

But for some businesses, it’s not

what they like to see in their corporate workforce. In 2012, an annual survey by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania reported that 61 percent of human resource managers said yes, it would hurt a job applicant’s chances if they had a tattoo or piercing. That was up 57 percent from the same survey done in 2011.

Expressing yourself is guaranteed by the First Amendment. This right seems to include your ability to spread tattoos across your body or be adorned by numerous piercings. How-

ever, for most jobs, employees must follow the appropriate dress code of the company and appear professional and convey the desired look.

Facial piercings and tattoos may not be acceptable in situations where you are face to face with clients, or in a more conservative work force.

Seventy-six percent of respondents in a 2013 SFGate survey said tattoos and piercings would hurt their chances at being hired during a job interview. More than one-third — 39 percent of those surveyed — believe that those with body art reflect poorly on their employers.

In conclusion, 42 percent feel that visible tattoos are inappropriate at work, and 55 percent reported feeling the same way about body piercings.

However, even though a law office may not welcome your freedom of expression, or a conservative office might be taking awhile to get over the “tattoo-taboo,” there might other professions that welcome it.

A San Jose Mercury News story from 2010 stated that generally more progressive lines of work such as marketing, technology, coffee shop baristas, graphic design shops, cosmetology and even some sales are more likely to be accepting of tattoos.

Maybe this “tattoo-taboo” is slowly becoming the new norm in today’s society afterall. I think I just may carry on and get that elephant tattoo I have been debating on.

I will be able to cover it with a watch and/or a bracelet. Then if someone ever decides to ask about it, or sees it, I can explain its significance.

Local job fair not ideal for everyone

By Marquis Jaramillo CONTRIBUTOR As I walked through the main lobby of the Hayward City Hall for the 4th Annual Young Adult Job Fair on April 6, I could feel the eyes gleaming at me and I could sense the anxiousness from the numerous representatives behind company tables, who seemed ready to jump at me to assault me with their job pitches.

Youth Enrichment Services, Hayward Adult School and KRA Corporation hosted the event, which catered to 16 - 24-year-olds in and around Hayward seeking employment. Tables scattered two floors of city hall and more than 40 companies showed up to inform participants about their organizations. These organizations ranged from Sephora, Home Depot, Xfinity, Lowe’s, FedEx, Planet Fitness and the Goodwill, to name a few.

The problem was, nothing caught my attention. I found nothing that interested me and what I want to do for a career. The 16 - 20-year-old version of me would have definitely been interested in getting a job with any of the companies. At that age I didn’t have the clearest career path.

I would have been ready with several resumes and dressed up ready to impress. A mediocre minimum wage

job was something I was interested in just to have enough money to buy my own shoes and skateboards.

However, at 22, as a graduating senior in college, I have my career plans laid out before me, and none of the companies could have served me or bettered my path. I want to watch and talk about sports. I want to be apart of organizations such as ESPN, NBA, NHL and Fox Sports. This event had me ready to leave after my first round of tables because there was nothing that could help me.

I would have liked to see more services and organizations that traverse the vast job opportunities that California offers. We have so much opportunity statewide. While the tables were open to any company, I believe the organizers should have reached out to what the Bay Area is known for: technology. Apple, Google, Comcast, Snapchat and multitudes of other businesses surround Hayward, and there is opportunity all around the Bay Area.

Eunice Lee, business services representative and a Cal State East Bay alumni, organized the event. She said the number of organizations that participate has fluctuated. Last year there were over 50 attendees compared to this year’s 40. According to Lee, the Youth Enrichment Services support communities such as Hay-

ward, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, Fairview, Ashland and Cherryland. The range and diversity of companies who show up, however, has not changed much over the years.

The event showcased a wide array of opportunities for those looking to get their feet wet in a real world job.

Many of the attendees, estimating more than 100, came directly from high school, some armed with resumes and others exploring the possibilities and openings provided by local businesses.

One company that really stood out to me was the Goodwill of Hayward.

Not only do they provide opportunity for youth, Goodwill of Hayward is the only Goodwill in the region with a clean slate workforce development program for citizens with criminal backgrounds. Kim Lewis was the representative on site and explained to me that the Goodwill has had an Apprenticeship Academy program for the past 20 years to help employees learn their jobs, allowing them to move up in rank and pay. I would consider looking into this opportunity, but I’m currently employed and sports are where my head’s at.

Hayward is a community looking to help its youth by providing a job fair. However, with Cal State East Bay being in its jurisdiction, they should also try their best to host a

career fair. Even the career fairs on campus don’t provide a wide range of opportunities for students. The perfect job fair would include a multitude of career opportunities in one single concentration for each fair. I’m not looking for a career at Sephora.

Taking initiative and a little luck got me to where I am today with my score-bug position at Pac-12, the college sports conference which covers all sports played by Division 1 schools who are members of the conference, including UCLA, USC, Cal, and Stanford. I did not find this opening at a job fair. My saving grace came in the form of a college professor who worked for Pac-12.

He gave us the opportunity during spring 2015 to come into Pac-12 headquarters to see if any of the positions — replay, bug-operator, studio camera operator — interested us. I jumped at the opportunity and it paid off.

In the end, getting yourself where you want to be requires connections, perseverance and good timing. For some getting an ordinary job is a small step in the direction they want to go, but to each their own. So many people have dream jobs that span so many fields — job fairs should try to accommodate as many fields as possible.

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OPINION 3

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Steph Curry: The next face on Mt. Rushmore of Bay Area athletes?

Local legends define region

By Shomari Block CONTRIBUTOR The Mount Rushmore of Bay Area sports — let’s call it Mount Baymore — would feature the greatest of the greats who have played professionally on Bay Area pro teams. Former 49er quarterback Joe Montana belongs there. Former Giants centerfielder Willie Mays would sit front and center, and former 49ers receiver Jerry Rice would flank Mays’ right cheek.

No professional Bay Area basketball player has ever belonged on this imaginary monument, until one Wardell Stephen Curry began sinking three pointers at twice the rate of great shooters before him.

Many basketball greats have played in the Bay Area. Warrior legend Wilt Chamberlain played only three seasons in San Francisco. Other Warrior Hall of Famers like Chris Mullin, Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond haven’t had the impact of Mays, Montana or Rice. They represent more of an Andrew Jackson.

They could appear on the $20 bill, but Curry’s face belongs on the mountain.

Like Montana, Curry entered the

professional sports scene as a question mark. Both were called “undersized.” Scouts questioned if Curry’s style of play — he creates his own shots on the perimeter, not on the inside — could succeed in the NBA. NFL scouts had the same questions about Montana, who won four Super Bowls with anticipation and accuracy, not brute strength. Curry is known for long distance shots. Montana was known for his game-winning drives. Most importantly, both players changed the idea of what an NFL quarterback or a NBA guard is.

ILLUSTRATION BY CRYSTAL JEFFERS/THE PIONEER

Like Rice, Curry has set records that seem as if they will last forever. Curry’s record of 402 three-pointers this season eclipses his own record by 116.

Klay Thompson’s 276 three-pointers ranks third. And Curry owns three of the top four totals on the list. Rice’s career receiving-yards total nearly 23,000 yards: No other player has even

reached 16,000. Randy Moss broke Rice’s single season touchdown record, by one touchdown, in 16 games. Rice set the record in 12 games. Both Rice and Curry produce at a rate no one thought possible.

Like Mays, Curry’s game is well-rounded. Curry dominates with a combination of shooting, ball han-

dling, and basketball IQ that exceeds any player before him. Mays’ brilliance stemmed from his ability to excel in all five areas of baseball. He hit for average and power. He had great speed, sound defense and excellent base running skills. An encyclopedia article defining a “five tool” baseball player should include a picture of Willie Mays. Curry may represent the most complete offensive weapon in NBA history.

In order to earn to earn his place on the mountain, Curry must maintain this level of excellence over time. Mays played in 24 All-Star games when very few players even play 24 years. At 39, Rice gained over 1,200 receiving yards in a season. Montana’s career featured four Super Bowl wins and countless game winning drives. Curry will likely earn his second MVP award this year and his Warriors are favored to win their second straight championship.

But two seasons does not make a career.

The others on Mount Baymore elevated themselves into another category of athlete over time. They did not just play the game better than anyone before them. They created a new model for future athletes to emulate. NBA scouts now seek the next Stephen Curry. Like “The One” of the Matrix films, we seek these athletes each generation to show us what is possible in the field or court of play. Curry has reached this height.

If he stays there carve him in, staring majestically over the Bay Bridge.

FROM THE WIRE

Oakland drawing more tech startup companies

By Marisa Kendall THE MERCURY NEWS When Uber opens its massive new headquarters near downtown Oakland next year, flooding the area with as many as 3,000 workers, it will become part of an already thriving tech scene.

As the city makes an effort to become more tech friendly, dozens of other startups have joined longtime anchors Pandora and Ask.com in Oakland over the past few years. The growth provides an early sign that the city may be on its way to becoming the next San Francisco or Palo Alto.

“I think in general there is a realization across most tech companies right now that there is unrealized value over in Oakland,” said T3 Advisors managing director David Bergeron, who helps tech clients find office space.

But just as Oakland’s startup culture is making a name for itself, costs in the city are skyrocketing.

Oakland’s commercial rent prices have increased by almost 34 percent this year — the biggest hike in the city’s history, according to data from JLL, a Chicago-based commercial real estate services firm. The average yearly rent for high-quality spaces in Oakland’s business district jumped from $38 per square foot in 2015, to $51 per square foot this year. That’s still cheaper than San Francisco, where average comparable rents were $75 in the first quarter of 2016, according to JLL. Rents in Palo Alto’s business district were $102 at the end of last year, according to the most recent data available.

But as a possible consolation to the higher rents, Oakland startups are drawing more attention from investors. Vas Natarajan, a partner with Palo Alto-based venture capital firm Accel partners, said five years ago, the firm had no Oakland ties. Since then, the firm has invested in graphic design company 99designs and Oakland-based mobile photography company VSCO. “We’re crossing the bridge more than ever,” Natarajan said.

The expansion of Uber’s headquar-

PHOTO COURTESY OF D. ROSS CAMERON/BAY AREA NEWS GROUP/TNS

Branding Consultant Cory Miller works at his desk at 99designs, a company that crowd-sources design work, at the company’s offices in Oakland, Calif., on March 31, 2016. The firm recently moved from the financial district of San Francisco for a larger, airier space in the Uptown neighborhood. ters into Oakland likely will inspire more tech movement to the city, but the effects may not be noticeable until the office opens next year, said Amber Schiada, vice president and director of research for JLL. Uber is renovating a historic Sears building — a seven-story structure with 330,000 square feet of office space and plans for retail shopping on the ground floor.

Uber also will open a new, expanded campus in San Francisco.

Though tech accounted for just 3 percent of jobs last year, according to the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, the city already is winning out over the larger tech hubs in the eyes of some entrepreneurs. Graphic design startup 99designs moved its U.S. headquarters to Oakland’s uptown neighborhood last summer after the company outgrew its San Francisco space. CEO Patrick

Llewellyn said after five years in San Francisco, he had some reservations about making the move across the bay.

“I was concerned about changing the routine too much,” he said.

But after struggling to find a space in San Francisco that wasn’t too expensive or in an inconvenient location, he ended up finding his dream office in Oakland’s uptown neighborhood. He’s outfitted the 14,000-square-foot space with all the quintessential startup trappings. The fully stocked kitchen, lined with huge windows that look out over Oakland, is complete with beer on tap, an espresso machine and a faucet that dispenses sparkling water. There’s an exercise area with weights and yoga mats, a pingpong table and showers.

“We’re paying about the same as we were paying in San Francisco,” Llewellyn said, “but we’re getting double the

space. So it is significantly more cost effective.”

As Oakland’s startup scene expands, so do the services in the city that cater to entrepreneurs. Organizations are popping up to train aspiring tech professionals, such as the Learners Guild and LearnTech Labs. Co-working spaces also are becoming more prominent in Oakland — Impact Hub opened in 2014 in an abandoned car showroom, and the Port Workspaces expanded last year.

Many entrepreneurs also take a certain amount of pride in their Oakland location. VSCO, a digital photography startup that’s been in Oakland since 2014, says its address differentiates it from the competition.

“I think it really embodies how we see ourselves as a company,” said spokeswoman Elisa Richardson.

“Scrappy and hardworking, but we are very diverse and we have an international community.”

Other companies are trying to make sure Oakland doesn’t turn into a mirror image of the tense scene in San Francisco, where tech workers are blamed for skyrocketing rents, housing shortages and clogged streets. Clef, an Oakland-based authentication startup, hosts weekly community dinners as part of an effort to connect techies and their non-tech neighbors. A year ago the company co-founded the Tech Equity Collaborative with the goal of creating a more diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem.

The city is getting involved as well.

Mayor Libby Schaaf reached out to Roofstock, an online real estate investment platform, when the company launched in Oakland last month, said CEO and co-founder Gary Beasley.

“She said, ‘Listen, we’re trying to be much more business friendly, and just wanted you to know we appreciate you being in Oakland,’” Beasley said.

In 2014 Marisa Raya became Oakland’s first official liaison between the tech community and the city. The very existence of her job is a testament to the tech sector’s growing prevalence in Oakland. Raya says that growth has pushed downtown’s vacancy rate to less than 5 percent.

“That is definitely exerting some upward pressure on rents,” she said. “As a city, we’re trying to get ahead of that and offer more resources for nonprofits or cultural arts-based businesses that maybe might not be able to adjust as quickly.”

For the Pan Theater, Oakland’s commercial growth has made it hard to find additional space for rehearsals and classes. The theater’s lease is up next year, and its landlords haven’t decided if they want to renew, founder David Alger said. If they decide against it, the theater will be in a difficult position.

“For us, it is a double-edged sword,” Alger wrote in an email. “The increased population has increased show and class attendance. The downside is the impact on rents and on space availability.”

4 NEWS

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Logan High School wins national award in competition

By AJ Luna

CONTRIBUTOR In the span of one month, a group of students at James Logan High School in Union City built an electric vehicle charging station. They made it out of wood and modeled it like a small shack, big enough to fit a car inside. Students installed a combiner box, breaker box and solar charger, along with eight solar batteries to power the system. Following the construction, they were able to fully charge the battery in their teacher’s electric car.

Logan High entered their creation in the Solve For Tomorrow STEM competition hosted by Samsung, which began last September and concluded this month. An acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, STEM focused education is seen as a national priority in the Unit-

ed States, expanding the capacity and diversity of the workforce, according to the STEM Education Coalition.

Samsung’s program aimed to provide education in high-tech and high-paying careers for students in the tri-area school districts: Fremont Unified, Newark Unified and New Haven Unified.

James Logan High School was named one of five national winners of the competition and was awarded a Community Choice Award on April 11.

“It feels like an honor every day to be the representative of all the students who put in their hard work into this project as well as everyone who supported us,” stated Logan High senior Jashene Tongco. “Also, just knowing the fact that all the effort that was put into the project paid off and we claimed the title we deserve.”

Although it’s not a school that focuses on STEM education, students from Logan High are learning the facets of

STEM, according to automotive technology teacher Ebadut Mohamed.

Samsung provided the school with two tablets and a camera to create a video that demonstrated the use of STEM in creating their electric vehicle charging station. Logan High School’s project was based on renewable and sustainable energy with a focus on fossil fuels in gasoline and electric cars, according to Mohamed. For their submission, the students built the charging station that provides a renewable and sustainable energy source.

Because STEM is considered a national priority by the United States, large companies such as Samsung encourage students to enter the field of STEM by holding nationwide competitions like this one. This competition was designed to allow students to see the opportunities in STEM education.

The competition gave schools across the United States the opportunity to win

a technology grant of $120,000 dollars, along with $9,000 dollars worth of Adobe software. Logan High was awarded $60,000 dollars for the school, a third of that in Samsung technology.

The five winners were chosen on April 11 based on three different types of decisions. James Logan High School won the Community Choice Award, which was decided by online voting and Brooklyn Technical High School in New York won the Samsung Ambassador Choice award, which was decided by Samsung employees.

The final three grand prize winners were decided by judges based on the presentation of the projects. These winners were Horizon Middle School in Colorado, Ridgewood Middle School in Missouri and Loudon Valley High School in Virginia. The five winners will be honored in Washington D.C. during an awards celebration.

“This feeling is unlike any I have ever

had before,” said Logan High senior Shaneel Narayan. “To be a finalist in a national competition is so prestigious — all the students felt proud of themselves.

To participate in this and know that we aren’t just doing a project that is just for the competition, but to help the community and the nation itself. To me and many of my fellow students, that is the grand prize itself.”

Mohamed said he would like for his students to go out and make an impact on the world, using the knowledge and passion they showed during this project.

Through this project he hopes that the students will take what they learned and apply it later in life.

“Although students are at an advantage for living in the tech capital, I also think that they are at a disadvantage because they are competing with people from all over the world,” said Mohamed.

“I simply wanted to equip my students to compete with the best.”

OPINION

I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe

A farewell letter to Black Mamba

By Marquis Jaramillo CONTRIBUTOR

Kobe’s greatness transcended the game of basketball. Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Kevin Durant, Eric Koston, Lionel Messi, Lebron James and Roger Federer — athletes who were all inspired, captivated, motivated and determined because of one Kobe Bryant.

April 13 was the last game Kobe Bryant ever played in the NBA, and in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey. Why does this matter? Why the sold-out home and away arenas? What did this man do to deserve standing ovations at all twenty-nine road venues? Why the gifts? I’ll tell you why: Respect.

Kobe Bryant played 20 seasons in the NBA. His accolades range from Most Valuable Player, to scoring champion, to NBA champion and 3rd on the all-time points scored list. But most importantly, he was what we all wish to be: the ultimate professional. He trained harder

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOOPXPRESS

than any of his teammates. He stayed late in the gym getting his shot up. He studied films of those respected greats that came before him. That is why he is respected.

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This man not only played the game of basketball, he studied it. He borrowed and stole moves from Michael Jordan, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Julius Erving and many more

NBA Hall of Famers. And he admitted he stole these moves. In his eyes, they were the best to play the game and they are all champions. If they played that way and won, then why couldn’t he play

that same way and win?

Kobe is now done with his last season.

He played his last game, and will finally hang up his jersey. In every game he played for his 20th and final season, he was welcomed in the arenas that once cursed his name.

He was given gifts by players who admired him before they made it to the NBA. He was definitely sent off in a fashion those in the NBA can only hope and dream for.

I respect Kobe Bryant. He showed me that perseverance, hard work and determination either leads to failure or success. He showed me that you have to be willing to accept failure and success, because without one, the other can never be obtained. I will never forget the moments when we won the championships.

Because his love of the game bled out into our city, it was not only 11 guys winning, it was a whole city. And that’s what Kobe did best. He brought us together; that’s what great players do.

I thank you Kobe Bryant, for your loyalty and the love you have shown Los Angeles, the game of basketball and fans all around the world. I may shed a tear for you, but you are a legend, and legends are never forgotten.

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THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Ruins of a makeshift encampment lie unused near the Coyote Creek trail off of Tully Road in San Jose near the area known as “The Jungle.”

PHOTOS BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER

Homelessness hits close to home Wandering beyond the remnants of the concrete jungle

Left: A homeless woman sleeps at one of the entrances of the Coyote Creek Trail on Tully Road in San Jose early Saturday evening. Bottom left: A homeless man makes his way to an entrance of the Coyote Creek trail on Story Road in San Jose. This area infamously known as “The Jungle”, was once filled with hundreds of homeless people and now only a handful have returned since the City of San Jose cleared out the area.

Bottom right: Vanessa Pineda (left) with her mother Rosemarie and her sister Amanda in 1998.

By Vanessa Pineda CONTRIBUTOR The last time my younger brother and I visited my mom, she was living in “The Jungle,” a former homeless camp in San Jose. She has been a crystal meth drug addict for 16 years and is currently homeless. My mom hasn’t always lived this lifestyle; she was such a great person and caretaker. Her name is Rosemarie and will be 46 years old this upcoming May. My mom became homeless about eight years ago, when I was in 9th grade. Before, my mom lived a normal life, married to my father and was a stay-at-home mom.

When my siblings and I were younger, she would always get us dressed and do our hair before school, have the best home-cooked meals prepared every night, and even babysit other kids that lived in our neighborhood apartment complex. My mom would make a large tray of beef enchiladas and all of our friends loved to come over and eat the delicious food. She was known for her great homemade recipes.

After several years of happiness, adventures, BBQs on football game days and family parties, eventually my parent’s marriage started having problems and they began arguing on a daily basis.

My mom became depressed because her marriage was falling apart and she had a lot of time on her hands. One day when my mom was home alone, a friend introduced her to meth.

She started using the drug more and more, until eventually it took over. My mom is the the strongest, most fearless woman I know, and I say that she still is because it takes a certain kind of strength to live on the streets knowing that you are never truly safe.

The Jungle is an open dirt area in San Jose across the street from Happy Hollow, on Coyote Creek, right behind the San Jose Sharks Ice official practice facility.

During our short one-hour visit, my mom gave us a tour of her living quarters. We walked down a short trail as she pointed out where all the others were staying and the people she was a friend with.

A majority of that dirt area was occupied by different people of all ages, even families with kids. Some people had their cars parked there and were living out of them, while others lived in tents. There were also underground caves, grocery carts, dogs and a lot of

miscellaneous items. Overall, the area was very cluttered.

My mom walked us all the way to the section she set up. She used a black tarp, which went as high as my knees.

I looked under the tarp and she had a blanket set up on the floor with a pillow, which was her bed. She had a lawn chair and a small lamp beside it. It looked like a room. Outside her tarp, she had a grocery cart full of random items, including blankets and a flashlight that she collected and found in the streets.

My mom was content with her area.

I looked at this short tarp and thought, “How could my mother, the woman who raised me, live here?” As much as it broke my heart to stand there and see where these people had to live, to them it was home.

The total number of the homeless population in San Jose is 4,063, based on the city Point-In-Time Census & Survey. Thirty-one percent are sheltered which means they live in emergency shelter, transitional housing or a safe

haven. There are 69 percent unsheltered homeless: on the street, in abandoned buildings, in cars or in encampments areas.

The city of San Jose decided to shut The Jungle down. Over a year ago it was cleaned out and closed off. According to a letter from the Housing Director of San Jose, the city teamed up “with the Santa Clara Valley Water District and other local agencies to jointly remove trash, debris, and other waste from sites throughout.” Issues of safety, detriment to the environment, and health arose with the unsafe nature of the encampment. Now when I drive by, all I see is a gated area blocked off by a black fence.

Since The Jungle is gone, we don’t know where my mom is, and we haven’t talked to her in over nine months. That was the last place I saw her.

My mom usually calls our house phone once in awhile, but she hasn’t recently. I worry about my mom’s safety and her well-being. It pains me to see her go through this unimaginable circumstance.

There’s nothing I want more than to help my mom — that’s why I plan to go out and find her in the streets of San Jose.

FEATURES 7

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Keep it lit on 420 Inhale the vibes

By Wendy Medina COPY EDITOR

The one day when it’s acceptable and even celebrated to roast a bone out in public, April 20 evokes the gathering of thousands in one of the biggest sessions of the country, right here in the Bay. Tons of misconceptions and myths about the origins and cultivation of the term 420 linger in the air, some which have to do with Jim Morrison or Bob Marley, some about the amount of compounds found in marijuana and some about it being a police radio code. Let’s set the record straight: For fellow stoners who might’ve never heard about the true genesis of this unofficial celebration, the only code 420 means is let’s get high.

In our very own San Rafael in 1971, a group of high schoolers known as “the Waldos,” so named for their hangout spot in front of a wall at their school, were the ones who coined the term “420.” It was shortened from “420 Louis” since another spot they burned at was in front of a Louis Pasteur statue on campus.

In a San Francisco Chronicle article published in 2000, a co-creator of the term who went by “Waldo Steve” explained, “It was just a joke, but it came to mean all kinds of things, like ‘Do you have any?’ or ‘Do I look stoned?’ It was kind of telepathic just from the way you said it. Parents and teachers wouldn’t know what we were talking about.”

Further popularized by Grateful

Dead followers, aka Deadheads, this counterculture observance to spark up when the clock strikes 4:20 exploded throughout the country and the following decades, into the worldwide stoner holiday that we have today.

While 420’s association with weed is considered general knowledge — even to those who don’t hit the bong — it’s baffling to hear a handful of people don’t know about the actual day in April reserved for the coming together of a massive ganja party. The actual tokin’ together didn’t start right away in 1971; that actually came two decades later, the announcement first making rounds among Deadheads, around Christmastime 1990 in Oakland.

According to the Huffington Post, then-reporter for High Times Magazine, Steve Bloom, came upon one of the first flyers ever to announce the April 20 celebration, which he published in their May 1991 issue. In it, the unknown author writes, “There’s something fantastic about getting ripped at 4:20, when you know your brothers and sisters all over the country and even the planet are lighting up and tokin’ up right along with you … Get together with your friends and smoke pot hardcore.”

Amongst the most famous of the seshes going down, and San Francisco’s largest unsponsored event, is the gathering on Hippie Hill at Golden Gate Park, where over 15,000 bodies flood the green knolls to be part of California’s biggest smoke out.

Already thriving in life and culture on a regular day, the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood becomes even more amplified with the energy of 420. The streets are thick in smoke and hundreds

“Relish in the mighty clouds of smoke that simultaneously arise in the Bay.” of people march together from all different directions to reach the hill, a few dressed in costumes adorned with weed leaf ornaments.

It’s a must-do stoner experience in which everyone blazes it together, eagerly awaiting the unanimous chant to the countdown, just to puff out an even greater cloud of smoke that blankets the park for a while.

Of course, it being the Bay, you won’t go without meeting an array of interesting people who are just as blasted as you are and also there to enjoy the day, vibing to the various reggae and psychedelic music blasted in the distance.

However, waiting in line for the porta-potty does kinda suck.

The BART, the Muni, city buses and of course the streets in general are significantly impacted every year, prompting city officials to have to lay down some rules to make sure no problems

ensue with such a huge turnout of people. “To be clear, there is no sponsor for ‘4/20,’ and therefore no fiscal organizer to hold accountable,” said Board of Supervisors President London Breed in an official statement.

“But as a City who welcomes visitors from all over the world, we need to do everything possible to ensure a safe, peaceful April 20th for both visitors and residents.”

Consequently, there are street closures and increased police presence — in both uniform and civilian attire — all over the neighborhoods surrounding Golden Gate Park. They won’t be enforcing any cannabis laws, and are only there to ensure public safety, prevent park and property damage and attempt to keep the park from getting trashed as it has years before, according Breed’s statement.

You can bet that the rest of the Bay will also be lighting up to commemorate the greatest natural herb in existence. If you have a medical card, there’s HempCon, America’s largest marijuana convention that sparks a massive crowd; 1st place winner in all three strain categories this year being SF-based JAH-netics. Memorial Glade field at UC Berkeley is a prime spot where you’ll definitely be smelling the excitement in the air, and might even catch a live per-

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LOUIS LAVENTURE & TAM DUONG JR. /THE PIONEER

formance, as rapper Danny Brown has made an appearance in the past. Santa Cruz gets so lit every year, the UCSC vice chancellor even has to send out an official email blast to all students and faculty about being safe and keeping it orderly during the festivities, as stated on the school website.

Something which was once an underground phenomenon has now flourished into a global observance, a whole culture-defining movement that has spilled over from the hippie era and has only gotten stronger as the decades progressed, along with the weed.

Relish in the mighty clouds of smoke that simultaneously arise in the Bay every year when the clock strikes 4:20 p.m., wherever you happen to be; or if not, in the fact that thousands of strangers participate in an unorganized, unofficial session simply to blaze together — commemorating not only Mary Jane, but also acting on the spirit of peaceful expression and good vibes that have their roots right here as well. Clearly, the Bay is the place to be on 420.

8 FEATURES

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Left: A BBQ pork rib lunch with wheat bread and potato salad from Everett & Jones in Hayward. Right: A chicken lunch plate, also with potato salad and wheat bread from Carmen’s. The two Hayward restaurants are located on A Street in North Hayward and separated by less than a mile.

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BBQ in Hayward: The choice is yours Carmen’s and Everett & Jones dominate local scene

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As a lifelong Hayward resident, there is one thing I have come to learn about my city: people have distinct tastes when it comes to their barbecue. For some, any place will do. However, for many Hayward residents like myself, a choice must be made. That choice: Carmen’s or Everett & Jones?

If you don’t know what I’m referring to, then you must not be from Hayward.

These two barbecue restaurants have been around for decades and are separated by less than a half-mile on A Street in North Hayward. However, that short distance means everything to devoted fans and faithfuls alike.

“Everett & Jones got too much fat on the meat,” Carmen’s enthusiast William Tengui said. “I know fat is flavor but damn I paid for some meat. You see now Carmen’s though, they got that perfect balance of meat to fat where I don’t feel ripped off. Plus the taste is just better.”

Both establishments utilize the traditional California style of barbecue cuisine, which means it is grilled and/ or smoked over coals or wood and then smothered in a sweet barbecue sauce.

Carmen’s and their flagship store in Hayward has been around since 1979.

Another aspect of Carmen’s that fans prefer to Everett & Jones is its authenticity. At Carmen’s, on any given day you can actually meet Carmen, who might give you a one word answer to your questions, tell you to speak up or not acknowledge you at all, but it is all a part

of the charm of the place. You can also meet her kids, grandchildren and other family members that work in the establishment part time.

Carmen is from Jamaica, which is apparent inside the storefront. From the maps of Jamaica on the salt and pepper shakers, to the Jamaican ginger beer she sips while tending customers at the counter, her home-country is readily apparent. One of her customers, Tanisha Walker from Oakland said, “I’ll never look as good as her when I’m 80-yearsold.”

Carmen was quick with a response for her customer. “Keep working hard and you look like me.” She went on to explain that at 80 years old, she still works six days a week at the Hayward location.

Their success, dedication, and island flare in Hayward eventually led to stores in both Fremont and Tracy.

Everett & Jones’ story is a little different. Fresh out of a divorce with nine kids to care for, Dorothy Everett, who worked as a pit master for a barbecue restaurant for years, decided to open her own business and Everett & Jones was born in 1973. She got a loan, a line of credit and used word of mouth and free samples to drum up some interest in her food, which was overwhelmingly popular in Oakland and beyond.

After opening the first restaurant in Oakland, it became a huge hit and eventually led to the opening of multiple restaurants throughout the Bay Area, as well as a deal with the Oakland Coliseum to sell barbecue at games and events.

The history and accomplishments of the eateries have transitioned into a fierce competition, not created by the establishments, but by the patrons.

Many people will eat only one or the other but not both, a strong show of loyalty

to their barbecue palace of choice.

“We aren’t trying to compete with anybody,” Everett said. “You can’t control what somebody likes. All we want to do is make great food and feed the people like we always have.”

The differences are apparent. Everett & Jones has a higher fat content on its meat and its sauce is darker, thicker and sweeter than Carmen’s. However, Carmen’s meat is much meatier with less fat and their barbecue sauce is lighter, thinner and more acidic than their counterpart down the street.

“I will not eat Everett & Jones, that’s all there is to it,” 27-year-old Hayward resident Robel Shadiuq said. “Carmen’s is more like I’m eating at my granny’s house, Everett & Jones is kinda fast foodish, wham bam thank you ma’am here’s your food, raise up out of here type of spot. I want to feel comfortable when I’m grubbing, I feel like I’m at home or something at Carmen’s.”

For myself and other lifelong Hayward residents, it seems a side must be taken. For me it is a no-brainer: Everett & Jones. However, there’s a personal reason behind this. When I was younger, twice a month my grandfather would go to the A Street location right by his house and get us two dinner plates.

From the smell of the sauce to the smoky fat on the meat, it just takes me back to being a kid. I love the meaty portions at Carmen’s, but it is the nostalgia and trip down memory lane through the sauce that gets me every time at Everett & Jones compared to Carmen’s.

“It’s tradition, almost like church,” 29-year-old Hayward resident Michael Tavares said. “People can say whatever they want to say about the meat and the fat, but when it comes down to it, Everett & Jones just tastes better.”

PHOTOS BY LOUIS LAVENTURE/THE PIONEER

Above right: A firewood BBQ pit at Everett & Jones packed with beek links, pork ribs, sliced beef and chicken. Above right center: Pork ribs from Carmen’s sit on an outside grill. Bottom left: The storefront of the Carmen & Family Barbeque Hayward location on A Street in North Hayward. The front of the Everett & Jones BAR-B-Q location in Hayward on April 18.

FROM THE WIRE 9

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Dublin: Popular I-580/680 bypass road to close for up to seven months

By Sam Richards EAST BAY TIMES

Anthony Jurado had bought the house on Tassajara Road just a month before a stranger knocked on his side door and told him that, soon, the road in front of his house would close for seven months a few miles to the south. It wasn’t welcome news.

“I’m a contractor, so I’m never going to impede anyone from building anything,” said Jurado, realizing the trip between his current Pleasanton home and future Tassajara home was about to get a lot longer. “But yes, it’s definitely inconvenient.”

The Tassajara Road/Camino Tassajara route connecting Dublin, Danville and San Ramon will be closed from May 2 through early December to replace a culvert at Moller Creek at the north end of Dublin and rebuild the road there.

This will also close a common bypass route for drivers avoiding the interchange of Interstates 580 and 680.

“Our goal is to be finished by Dec. 1,” said Linda Smith, Dublin’s assistant city manager. “We’ve built time into the schedule to allow for weather (delays), so we’re hoping the reopening’s a little sooner.”

The replacement of a 9-foot diameter, 140-foot long pipe carrying the creek under the roadway with an 18-foot diameter, 400-foot long culvert will require the full closure of the roadway, City Engineer Andy Russell told the City Council recently, in part because of the area’s environmental sensitivity.

“There will be a 100-foot hole where

the roadway is today to allow for construction of the culvert,” Russell said.

The creek is typically flowing during the rainy season, and two weeks ago had a small flow. It is usually dry during the summer and fall. The city has been working with state Fish and Game and the Regional Water Quality Control Board as well as with local officials from various agencies to make the work possible.

“We’ve been talking about this culvert for a couple of years now, and now it’s coming true,” said Dublin City Councilman Kevin Hart.

With the fairly deep cut for the creek in that spot and little lateral room, there is no practical way to build a temporary road around the work.

The much longer replacement pipe is for the expected day, years from now, when the two-lane Tassajara Road becomes a four-lane road. The work should also help physically fortify the roadway itself, which suffered a sinkhole in that spot in 2010, Smith said.

The culvert replacement is a condition of approval for the Moller Ranch subdivision of houses, which would be built a short distance to the east along the creek. As mentioned above, in addition to complicating the drive for residents who live near the culvert work, the closure will take away a popular “back door” commuter route for drivers looking to avoid the I-580/680 interchange area between Contra Costa job centers and housing in Alameda and San Joaquin counties. That commute traffic is significant enough to warrant regular attention from the California Highway Patrol, and CHP Dublin spokesman Of-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MINESWEEPER

ficer Derek Reed said local patrols figure to be adjusted accordingly when the construction work begins.

“We figure it will put more traffic on 680 and on the ‘Highland Route,’ and we’ll go from there,” said Reed. The latter route is Highland Road east from

Tassajara (north of the culvert work) to either Collier Canyon Road or North Livermore Avenue to I-580.

Another alternate route for residents north of the creek is Windemere Ranch Road west from Tassajara, which connects with Bollinger Canyon Road

(to I-680) and with Dougherty Road, which connects with I-580. For people south of the culvert work living near Tassajara Road looking to get to I-680, the quickest way is probably taking Tassajara south to I-580, and then west to the 580/680 junction.

Businesses find new opportunity in food that once went to waste

By Tara Duggan

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Bay Area shoppers will soon be able to get a new kind of local produce at Whole Foods stores.

Affectionately known as ugly produce, the fruits and vegetables are perfectly healthy and safe yet are usually left to rot because they don’t meet typical supermarket cosmetic standards.

Bags of the aesthetically challenged produce will arrive at Northern California Whole Foods outposts later this month. To start, five stores — Berkeley (Telegraph), Oakland (Harrison), Cupertino (Stevens Creek), Santa Rosa (Coddingtown) and Sonoma — will sell ugly produce, thanks to Emeryville’s Imperfect, one of several new Bay Area companies taking advantage of crops that are usually wasted in California fields. The move underscores not only the Bay Area’s growing awareness surrounding food waste, but also a new commercial industry growing around the untapped resource.

Of the estimated 62.5 million tons of food Americans waste annually, much more is generated in homes, stores and restaurants than farms, but the loss at farms is more suitable for reuse.

Restaurants and retail account for an estimated 40 percent of wasted food, one of the reasons California passed AB1826, which went into effect April 1.

The bill requires supermarkets and other food companies that produce a certain amount of organic waste to compost or otherwise recycle it, rather than send it to the landfill. California Safe Soil in West Sacramento collects discarded food from Save Mart dumpsters and uses aerobic enzymatic digestion — a combination of enzymes and grinders — to turn it into a liquid fertilizer used

by California almond, walnut, wine grape and strawberry growers.

Food not harvested But farms are still responsible for almost 20 percent of American food waste. For some specialty California crops, such as greens, 50 percent is left in the field because it’s not worth harvesting, said Christine Moseley, found-

er and chief executive officer of Full Harvest, a San Francisco startup that aggregates ugly produce from Salinas Valley growers for Bay Area food and beverage companies. “I found out that there’s this massive problem with food waste, and I saw that as an opportunity,” said Moseley, who recently moved to the Bay Area from New York with the goal of starting a company that would make healthy food more affordable.

So far, she hasn’t reached that goal because her main clients are high-end organic juice companies like Project Juice and Urban Remedy, but she has projects in the works with larger national companies and has contracts in place to deliver 1 million pounds of imperfect and surplus produce this year.

Juice is a natural fit for ugly produce.

Though “juicer” apples have long been available to applesauce and cider producers, there hasn’t been a traditional channel for ugly or surplus versions of most other types of produce, such as the tons of kale, beets, carrots and lemons used in the trending cold-pressed juices.

“In the world of juice, we don’t need it to be perfect, from an aesthetic point of view,” said Paul Coletta, CEO of Urban Remedy, which gets 5,000 pounds of produce from Full Harvest each week, including too-curvy cucumbers and undersized kale leaves.

Moseley spends a lot of time at farms working out ways to make it worthwhile for farmers to harvest their ugly produce and to make sure it meets standards from her buyers, who can’t use anything bruised or punctured but are fine with wind damage, for example, when fruit gets superficial scratches from swaying tree branches.

Since it launched last year, Full Harvest has rescued 15,000 pounds of previously worthless produce — the equivalent of 550,000 gallons of water, Moseley said.

Produce boxes delivered Even before the new deal with Whole Foods, Imperfect was seeing similar success. Last year, Imperfect began delivering boxes of ugly produce to homes in the East Bay, typically priced 30 percent cheaper than usual supermarket

prices. It recently expanded delivery to San Francisco, now delivering over 1,900 boxes per week total.

Cerplus, which launched January, has a similar idea. Co-founder Zoe Wong works with specific farms to find ugly and surplus produce she knows her customers tend to want — caterers, broth or baby food companies, bakeries and even some restaurants — then picks it up from farmers’ markets in San Francisco and Berkeley.

From there, it goes to a warehouse in San Mateo, and she posts it on the Cerplus website, where customers can find excess inventory of avocados, cabbage and even pasture-raised eggs at a 30 to 50 percent discount.

If the food finds a buyer, Cerplus delivers it and the farmer gets paid, which is a better return than they would get if they composted or donated their leftover food. In the past few months, the company has diverted 11,000 pounds of produce.

In addition to the social mission, the price is a draw, said Wong, whose previous company, Revive Foods, made jam with surplus fruit. “A lot of these food businesses are running really tight operations,” she said.

Dan Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz work with a different type of wasted product: what they call “beer grain,” or the edible by-product of beer production. When they began home brewing as UCLA undergrads in 2009, they noticed that 5 gallons of beer would result in 15 pounds of leftover barley or other grains.

“I was just blown away with all the waste,” said Kurzrock.

A use for beer grains They started making granola bars with the leftover mix, including barley, oats, wheat and rye, which led to a business, named ReGrained, that launched in 2014. They now pick up the grain from the San Francisco brewers 21st Amendment, Magnolia and Triple Voodoo. Kurzrock notes that breweries have traditionally donated spent grain to hog farms, but that’s more difficult to do from an urban environment; he estimates there are 28 craft breweries in San Francisco alone.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC PAUL ZAMORA/FRESNO BEE/TNS

Intertwined carrots in a variety of colors are considered "imperfect" by most consumers.

The high-fiber bars are sold at Rainbow Grocery, Gus’s Community Market and Driver’s Market in Sausalito for $2.50 each. They’re not cheap, and neither are cold-pressed juices that use recovered produce from Full Harvest, which start at $7 a bottle (though 4 pounds of produce typically goes into

each bottle). But Moseley thinks prices will go down if the organic and healthy food category continues to grow as projected.

“The way (for companies) to differentiate is with pricing,” she said. “Eventually they’ll be able to pass along the discount.”

10 SPORTS

By Erik Khan STAFF WRITER In 2010, 2012 and 2014, the San Francisco Giants defied the odds and brought a World Series title back to San Francisco. With the Giants 2016 season underway, the Bay Area has to wonder if another even year championship is in the cards?

One thing is for sure: When compared to the three even year World Series Champions, this Giant team has more talent than they did entering those respective seasons.

Let’s start by looking at the pitching staff. The team is led by arguably the top pitcher in the game, Madison Bumgarner. While he is the type of player you expect to give up no runs when he’s on the mound, the rival Los Angeles Dodgers did rough him up last Friday night, giving up 4 earned runs.

After Bumgarner, the pitching rotation is anchored by offseason free agent acquisitions Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. While the Giants have traditionally been a team that builds their squad through their minor league farm system, they aggressively pursued both of these pitchers in the offseason.

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Both Cueto and Samardzija have at one point been a starting pitcher for their respective teams. The fact that they pitch behind Bumgarner in the rotation shows the depth the Giants have at the position. Two other former ace’s, Jake Peavy and Matt Cain, finish out the starting five, yet at this point in their careers, they are viewed as serviceable veterans.

While the starting pitching is the clear strength of the team, the bullpen isn’t too shabby either. Closer Santiago Casilla was in the top 8 for saves last season, with 38. They also have veteran relief pitcher and fan favorite Sergio Romo in addition to Hunter Strickland, Javier Lopez and Chris Heston. As a rookie, Heston threw a no hitter vs. the New York Mets last season.

While the Giants pitching staff received somewhat of a facelift this past offseason through free agency, they didn’t change much on the offensive side of the team.

However, they did sign former Washington Nationals center fielder Denard Span to be their leadoff hitter. Span has battled injuries for most of his career, but appeared to be healthy in his Giants debut, as he hit a homerun and had 5 RBI’s.

The batting order is then solidified by one of the most lethal 2-3-4-5 hitters in the league, with Joe Panik, Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt.

Belt signed a 7 year, $79 million contract extension just a few weeks ago, ensuring that this combination will stay together for years to come.

Next up is Matt Duffy and Brandon Crawford, two of the brightest young players at their positions in the league.

Crawford signed a 7 year, $75 million contract extension this offseason, and rewarded the team with a walkoff home run vs. the Dodgers on April 8.

The order is rounded out by Angel Pagan and the starting pitcher. Manager Bruce Bochy employs a nontraditional strategy and bats the pitcher at the 8 spot and Pagan at the 9. This move essentially allows the Giants an extra leadoff hitter in hopes that the middle of the order will be at the plate with more runners on base.

The Giants pitching and hitting isn’t the only thing that works in their favor in their pursuit of a title. The experience that the team has gained from winning three World Series titles helps out a bunch too. The fact that nearly the entire team has experience playing in the World Series, with the exception of

INFOGRAPHIC BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER

starters Samarzija and Span, bodes well for their championship aspiration.

Bochy also has the experience of winning three World Series rings on his resume, which is key. The mix of the Giants’ experience, their talented lineup and their manager’s insights makes this

the best baseball team San Francisco has ever had. It’s easy to think that this team is capable of bringing home their fourth World Series Championship in 7 years. October is a long ways away, but it’s not too wild to predict the Giants on top once again.

Soccer player a Duke on the field

By Jayakrishna Dasappän CONTRIBUTOR When Duke Driggs was 3-years-old, his mother decided against daycare and put her son on his sister’s soccer team.

He started as a goalkeeper and later became a defensive player to get more ball action. Driggs is now a senior at Cal State East Bay and one of the tallest players on the school’s men’s soccer team, at 6-feet-2-inches. Duke Driggs plays either the center back or the center midfielder positions and has been the team captain since last season.

“My parents came to every game this past season,” Driggs said. “At the age of three I started playing soccer and ever since then, soccer has been my passion.”

Duke realized early on that he needed to work harder to excel at the sport. Determined, he trained as a defender, and now he is comfortable playing at any of the central defensive positions.

Driggs has groomed himself with constant training on the soccer field and at his house. Since 2012, when Duke started at CSUEB, he has played in a total of 68 games and started 55 of them.

Duke also has a total of 4 goals while being one of the best defenders on the

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team.

Head Coach Andy Cumbo was Duke’s club coach prior and offered him a spot on the Pioneer soccer team. “He is a friendly coach if you understand him,” said Driggs about Cumbo. Duke has been under coach Cumbo since since 2012. Driggs managed to build a good relationship with Cumbo, who was a key factor in his growth as a soccer player. Under the coaching of Cumbo Driggs managed to stabilize himself as a defender and learned all the tips and tricks from an experienced veteran in the sport.

Driggs was still unsure which univer-

sity to attend and on a recruiting camp visit, he met all the East Bay Pioneers men’s soccer squad. The team welcomed him and that was the deciding factor that convinced him to choose East Bay. “Duke was a good captain and a great team member,” said Juan Alfaro, a defender on the CSUEB men’s soccer team.

“Duke was a leader in the defensive line who organized the defense and midfield, also maintaining a good relationship with his team on and off the field.”

Driggs is a Business and Marketing major and after two decades of playing soccer, he will hang up his shoes and pursue a career related to his major. “I am

done with soccer, but maybe someday in the future I might play once again.”

Driggs and his team had a rough season this past fall. “It was a new squad and took time for us to get into form,” he said. The Pioneers had recruited over fifteen new players and it took the squad quite some time to get to know each other. “We suffered a couple of tough losses at the beginning that brought our morale down”.

He will graduate this spring from CSUEB and he hopes to be known as an entrepreneur in the marketing world eventually.

Washington Internships for CSU-EB students on Improving America’s Healthcare The Pete Stark Foundation offers CSU-East Bay summer internship Application Deadline: scholarships in Washington, DC to participate in: May 4, 2016 Scholarship: $4,500 for 8 week program

1) writing a paper on actions to help Medicare beneficiaries, and 2) activities taking advantage of educational resources in D.C. The Pete Stark Foundation, established by former Congressman Fortney (Pete) H. Stark, undertakes projects to support California’s East Bay.

For more details and how to apply, e-mail wkvjee@hotmail.com, subject line PSF Internship.

FROM THE WIRE 11

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER

Bay Area rents still rising, just not as quickly as before

By Richard Scheinin SAN JOSE MERCURY

The cost of renting an apartment continued to rise across the Bay Area in the first quarter of 2016, though the rate of increase appears to be slowing after years of dizzying hikes.

In fact, the days of double-digit increases may be on the wane, according to a new report from Novato-based RealFacts. It shows that the average apartment in the nine-county region costs $2,482, up 7.1 percent from the first quarter of 2015.

That’s a significant increase, though not as steep as the one reported last quarter when the year-over-year rise was nearly 10 percent.

The tapering increases are an indication of “resistance by the consumer,” said Sarah Bridge of RealFacts. “They’re just saying that they’re paying way too much. There’s just not enough affordable housing anywhere.”

San Francisco continues to be the most costly market. The average apartment there costs $3,620, though the rate of increase has slowed to 4.7 percent, a sign that some tenants have said “enough” and are moving to surrounding cities. Those include Oakland, where the average apartment now costs $2,866

Kaepernick From Page 12 49ers receive from the Broncos will not land them a player that can make the impact that Kaepernick can make this year. After all, not long ago, Kaepernick, a rising star at the time, led the

and the rate of increase was 7.2 percent — though that was down from the 13.7 percent year-over-year rise reported last quarter.

In San Jose, the average apartment now rents for $2,473, up 8.6 percent on a year-over-year basis. If you’re looking for a relative bargain, try Concord where a studio apartment runs $1,385 and a one-bedroom flat runs $1,474.

Overall, “rentals are still a good alternative to the $6,000 (monthly) mortgage,” Bridge said. In the context of recent rent control measures in San Jose, Oakland and elsewhere, she reiterated, the slowing indicates “that there’s an awful lot of pushback from consumers.

“And it’s not about the apartments’ builders; their costs are high and they’re trying to make their return. It’s just the dynamics of the market right now that make it tough for consumers to find a reasonable — forget affordable — rental.”

The regional leveling off is “a good thing,” said Jeffrey M. Mishkin, regional manager at the San Francisco office of Marcus and Millichap, the real estate brokerage firm.

“The last three years we’ve lived through two to three times the normal rates of increases in rents,” he said. “It’s still a healthy economy and it feels like a healthy rental market. But trend-wise

and anecdotally, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose all seem to be experiencing a little slowdown in the rate of increase — a flattening, not necessarily a dip.”

Even with the leveling, prices are still out of sight for residents without tech industry incomes.

“I’m definitely seeing people pushed to the fringes,” said Stefan Warmuth, whose job at a music store in Alameda includes sales and administrative work.

“I know people who are going to San Francisco State who live in Dublin, or Santa Rosa. Plenty of people definitely are scrambling, wanting to move to San Francisco but going to Daly City — or Oakland, like me.”

Not long ago, he and a friend considered sharing a $1,200 room in Redwood City. He balked and now pays $650 for a room of his own in a refurbished, four-bedroom house that he shares with friends on the edge of the Fruitvale neighborhood in east Oakland.

According to RealFacts, average first-quarter rents were up 6.2 percent year-over-year in Santa Clara County where the average apartment costs $2,610; 6.4 percent in San Mateo County ($2,851); 9.1 percent in Contra Costa County ($1,891); and 8.9 percent in Alameda County ($2,264).

Here are a few other highlights of the

report: A typical studio apartment costs $1,802 in San Jose, $1,970 in Mountain View, $2,042 in Oakland and $2,114 in Pleasanton. A tenant moving up to an apartment with two bedrooms and two baths would pay $2,792 in San Jose, $3,513 in Mountain View, $3,615 in Oakland and $2,543 in Pleasanton.

Occupancy rates stand at 95.4 percent in San Jose and 96.9 percent in Oakland. In the nine counties, the occupancy rate was 95.8 percent in the 1,301 complexes with 239,886 units covered

by RealFacts.

Because the company reports on complexes with 50 or more units, smaller and at times more moderately priced complexes, duplexes and homes rented by mom-and-pop landlords do not get factored into the data.

“There are plenty of people who don’t raise rents or raise them more judiciously or are forced by rent controls to have their units priced at lower levels that certainly don’t match the medians you read in the paper,” Mishkin said.

Warmuth, the music store salesman, is one of those people.

His $650 room in Fruitvale has an interesting back story.

Late in 2014, he was considering sharing that $1,200 room on the Peninsula with a friend.

Such a tall price for such a small space was “kind of concerning,” he said.

His mother, who had watched a daughter go through similar renting travails, agreed: “We thought, ‘We can do better than that,’ “ said Ellen Baker, who owns and runs a nursery in Santa Cruz County with her husband. “So we bought the place” in Fruitvale. “It was a fixer-upper. We bought it for $315,000.

It was a wreck.”

They overhauled it top to bottom, doing most of the work themselves — a 15-month family project, with Warmuth pitching in.

He now manages the house and has recruited three tenants, one of whom had been commuting from Stockton, having moved there in search of something affordable.

At a housewarming party last month, the real estate agent who sold the house to Baker informed her that it’s now worth $650,000.

Two of Warmuth’s roommates pay $650 for their rooms, as does he. Another tenant pays $750 for the master bedroom.

“I probably could get at least a few hundred dollars more per room if I wanted to play this market,” Warmuth said. “But I realized how messed-up this market seemed to me, and I’m not interested in doing that.”

49ers to the Super Bowl. Many believe Kelly’s offense fits Kaepernick’s skill set the best. A mobile-running quarterback who can throw and pass opposed to the stationary pocket passer who does not run the ball.

Ultimately, the 49ers control Kaepernick’s fate through his contract. San Francisco cannot trade Kaepernick unless he agrees to pay cuts and contract

terms the new team wants.

Kaepernick is set to make the most money this season as a 49er. The Niners’ best option for quarterback lies with a combination of Kaepernick and Gabbert.

The only reason they would have to trade Kaepernick stems from the fact that he wants a trade. Billionaires yield to the will of none, especially not mil-

lionaires, and ownership has proven that so far.

Unless the Broncos are desperate enough to give San Francisco and Kaepernick what they both want, this trade will not happen. The Broncos have their own fallen star quarterback in Mark Sanchez. They also won a Super Bowl last year with a quarterback in Peyton Manning, that was a shell of his

former self in the championship game, but still won a title.

The Broncos’ interest in Kaepernick resembles a bargain hunter at flea market. They want him, but only at the right price.

Day after day the reports have proven wrong. Would all parties like to make this deal happen? Sure, but not enough to actually make it happen.

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12 SPORTS

THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2016

THE PIONEER Kaepernick trade not likely for 49ers

By Shomari Block CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTO BY KRISTIANA FEDERE/THE PIONEER

CSUEB senior pitcher Sierra Clark fires a pitch at a Chico State batter during a home game at Pioneer Softball Field in Hayward on Saturday.

Softball loses home series to Chico State Wildcats take three of four games from the Pioneers

By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER

Bittersweet was probably the feeling of the Cal State East Bay softball team this weekend. The Pioneers fell in a four game series, 1-3 against the 18th-ranked Chico State Wildcats, but fortunately got the win on their third game, which happened to be their senior day game.

The Pioneers fell to Chico (33-11 overall, 24-10 conference) the first two games on Saturday, losing 6-0 in the first and 4-2 in the second. Despite the two losses, East Bay came to play in their senior game Sunday morning, win-

ning 2-1, and snapping the Wildcats’ 14 game winning-streak.

Freshman Courtney Leyba doubled to left center in the bottom of the inning, giving senior Rose Marston a chance to bat, in which she got a good hit and lead to a Leyba score, giving the Pioneers the win. “We went out there and competed and gave all we could this weekend for our seniors,” said freshman outfielder Courtney Leyba. “We just went out there and played we had nothing to lose.”

Unfortunately the second game on Sunday had a different outcome.

Throughout the first 5 innings, Chico and East Bay were both scoreless, with both pitchers throwing exceptionally well. Chico soon got a little momentum going when junior utility player Cyrena Taylor doubled to right center, leading to

a score by senior first baseman Desiree Gonzalez, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Chico State started to step up its hitting game; the Wildcats scored 6 runs in the top of the seventh, including a stand out play when Gonzalez doubled to center with the bases loaded, which ended up giving Chico three scores from Brynn Lesovsky, Alli Cook and Ari Marsh.

The Pioneers were unable to come back. “We struggled defensively,” said senior Rose Marston. “Our pitchers were throwing great and we weren’t able to provide them with the run support for win.”

Senior Gabby Gonzalez agreed with Rose, adding that, “The team can do better suring up our defense. We gave up a lot of unearned runs and that hurt us in the end.”

East Bay fought hard against the nationally ranked Wildcats in the blazing heat, but unfortunately the Wildcats got the better end of the deal and East Bay must focus on their last two series to finish out their season a good note.

Although they will miss playoffs, the Pioneers are focused and look to compete to the best of their ability. “When we string our bats together, execute and focus on finding a way on base to get the next person up to plate, that is when we are at our best,” said Gonzalez.

The Pioneers will face Humboldt State (45-3-1, 32-2) in Arcata on Friday and Saturday in two doubleheaders.

Humboldt is ranked third nationally and it is the final series of the year before the postseason begins on April 29 in Stockton.

Pioneers compete in third annual East Bay Invitational

PHOTO BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER

Runners from Cal State East Bay and other schools participate in the third annual East Bay Invitational over the weekend at Chabot College in Hayward. The men and women’s teams competed in several events like javelin, shotput and several distance running events as well on Saturday and Sunday.

If you believe the reports, the San Francisco 49ers traded quarterback Colin Kaepernick to the Denver Broncos every day for the last two weeks. This occurred after the 49ers traded Kaepernick to both the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. At this point, a Kapernick trade report should have as much credibility as a weather forecast predicting a blizzard in San Francisco. Still, the reports continue.

The 49ers and Kaepernick have little incentive to make a trade happen. If the lack of action does not provide sufficient proof, the facts of the situation should.

Since the 49ers benched Kaepernick in the middle of last season, reports of his unhappiness with the team from several local media outlets have since surfaced.

For months the media has told the familiar narrative of the disgruntled athlete that desperately wants to leave the franchise he feels wronged him. Most notably, a Feb. 25 report that Kaepernick’s agent requested permission to seek a trade.

Unfortunately for Kaepernick, he ended last season as a backup with a starter’s salary. The few teams interested in Kaepernick want to pay him significantly less than the $12 to potentially $14 million the 49ers already owe him for next season. The Broncos want to pay Kaepernick half of that, around $6 to $7 million next season, according to ESPN. The extra cash must provide a little more gruntle to the disgruntled quarterback.

Reports from local media like KTVU, CSN, FOX and KNBR also indicate that the Broncos want to extend Kaepernick at this backup salary. A split from the 49ers could cost Kaepernick millions in current and future earnings. People have spent lifetimes in bad marriages over less money, so please believe Kaepernick can tolerate the 49ers for one more season.

A trade makes no sense for the 49ers either. San Francisco has over $50 million to spend on player salaries this year, in addition to those already on the team. This makes them one of the few teams that can afford Kaepernick’s salary. The only team still interested in Kapernick, the Broncos, likely can’t afford Kaepernick’s potentially reduced salary.

Meanwhile, the 49ers only have three quarterbacks on the roster, including Kaepernick. Although Kaepernick played poorly last season, replacement Blaine Gabbert only managed competent quarterback play at best. General Manager Trent Baalke and new Head Coach Chip Kelly believe competition at each position gets the best out the players. This philosophy needs a Kaepernick behind a Gabbert, or vice versa, to push the other to prepare, practice and play at the highest level possible. Kaepernick also provides insurance in the event Gabbert suffers an injury.

The NFL draft later this month provides the 49ers the last opportunity to fill the void that Kaepernick would leave. One of the top quarterbacks in the draft, like UC Berkeley’s Jared Goff, may have the type of presence necessary to push Gabbert or fill in, in the event of an injury.

However, the 49ers cannot count on landing Goff or any other top quarterback unless they plan to trade up and give up some picks. If they don’t land a top college quarterback the depth chart will likely feature players even a knowledgeable football fan would have to Google besides Gabbert.

The fourth round pick that the

SEE SPORTS PAGE 11