San Francisco, CA
Berkeley passes EMBER proposal, creating strict fire safety regulations
While there was heavy opposition, the Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to implement one of the strictest fire safety regulations in the state.
The EMBER proposal would force residents to clear any vegetation within 5 feet of a home, and it would go into effect at the end of this year.
But a group of Berkeley hills residents said they are contemplating pursuing legal action.
The talk high above Grizzly Peak in the Berkeley Hills is all about the EMBER proposal. George Perez Velez with the Alliance for Practical Fire Solutions was disappointed with the council’s vote.
“I was not surprised,” said Perez Velez. “I was heartbroken. I knew that the city had already made its mind up.”
Perez Velez feels the proposal is overreaching and puts a financial burden on homeowners who can’t afford to comply with the new regulations. He said the alliance is talking about what the next steps should be.
“I think that some members within the alliance are exploring the possibility of taking legal action in certain aspects of the proposal,” he said.
The public comment on the EMBER agenda item took hours. Some commend the council for taking action before the state announces its regulations in 2029.
“We cannot wait for the state because fires don’t wait,” said resident Dara Schur.
The council promised to review and make changes to EMBER as it gets ready to roll out the ordinance in the next year. Some residents said the tougher regulations couldn’t come soon enough.
“This ordinance may not be perfect,” said Schur. “It might need some tweaking, but it is better to act now to protect our homes and preserve insurance than it is to wait.”
Some fellow neighbors disagree. They feel like there’s too much ambiguity with EMBER, making it difficult to comply with all the rules.
“I think it’s a flawed, ineffectual, incomplete action,” said resident Fred Bamber.
The Alliance for Practical Fire Solutions has 30 days to decide whether to take legal action. Perez Velez said the entire community is committed to keeping the area safe from the next big fire. The question is, what’s the best way to make that happen.
“Is this really necessary,” said Perez Velez. “Is this proposal going to accomplish what they say it is going to accomplish.”
In San Francisco, there is already concern about potential impacts from rain and winds during the storms expected this week. San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management said it has been coordinating with the National Weather Service and other agencies since earlier this week to prepare for the storms.
As of Sunday night, rain started to come down hard onto San Francisco streets, where some roadways already saw minor pools of standing water.
The Department of Emergency Management is urging residents to prepare immediately by securing loose items, charging devices, and getting ready for possible power outages. Residents should also expect possible delays in transit and are advised to allot extra travel time.
Even if you’re not traveling on the roads, you may still face travel delays. At the San Francisco International Airport, the duty manager told NBC Bay Area that the airport experienced weather-related ground delays for much of the day on Sunday, and by Sunday night, the average ground delay was four hours and 14 minutes. The duty manager also said that because of the winds coming from the south, aircraft are currently directed to take off and land in a different direction than normal.
San Francisco city crews have been working through the weekend to keep leaves out of storm drains and to respond to downed trees.
In the Amazon Crocker neighborhood, one large portion of a tree came down on Drake Street following what neighbors said was several hours of light to moderate rain. Neighbors said the broken section of the tree blocked off the entire street.
San Francisco Fire crews responded shortly after and were able to clear the roadway. No people were hurt or property was damaged in this incident.
“This is one of the things that San Francisco people should be worried about: trees coming down, the drains getting full, you know — clean the drains, and just keep an eye out for each other,” said Xavier Haro, who lives right across from the tree that fell.
If you see a downed tree in San Francisco, call 311 to report it if it is not an emergency issue. If it is an emergency, call 911.
If you want hyperlocal alerts in San Francisco, you can also text your zip code to 888 777.
A spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Public Works said that sandbags will be available to residents Monday through Saturday (including on the President’s Day holiday). You can find more details here.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Vs New England Clam Chowder: The Difference Between These Quintessential Comfort Foods – Food Republic
No list of quintessential New England staples would be complete without clam chowder. This thick, comforting soup comes in many regional variations, including the white, milk-based New England style, the tomato-based Manhattan version, and the clear-broth Rhode Island take. Yet far away from the Atlantic coast, San Francisco has carved out its own iconic place in the history of this hearty dish.
Interestingly, San Francisco and New England clam chowder resemble each other in many ways. For starters, both are rich, creamy soups built around fresh clams, potatoes, and savory seasonings that give them a cozy profile and briny depth. At face value, the New England style more closely resembles San Francisco than its closer cities, and while there are many ingredients you can add to clam chowder, it’s instead the way that it’s served that puts San Francisco in a league of its own. Skipping the bowl, the Bay Area version instead opts for a hollowed-out sourdough bread bowl to soak up all of the soup’s creamy goodness.
San Francisco clam chowder brings together two local icons
The reason that San Francisco clam chowder and New England clam chowder are so similar is that the dish was brought by New Englanders during the California gold rush. Along with clam chowder, they also brought the ancestor to its future vessel — sourdough starters. Back then, it was just a mixture of naturally fermented flour and water, as store-bought yeast was expensive and hard to obtain. Unknown to them at the time, however, was that a local bacterium (appropriately named Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis) gave the starters the unique, tangy flavor that eventually put San Francisco sourdough on the map.
With both clam chowder and sourdough introduced to the Bay Area, it was only a matter of time before they were paired together, and Boudin Bakery is widely credited for making that happen. Established in 1849, you can still visit this bakery serving the iconic dish in the tourist hotspot, Fisherman’s Wharf. While it may not be as old as New England clam chowder, the dish still has a century of history under its belt and is even served at The Old Clam House, one of the oldest restaurants in the city.
Compared to New England, California is often associated with sunshine and beaches, while clam chowder is generally known to be a comforting cold-weather dish. However, San Francisco’s constant blanket of fog keeps the city cool and gray, making a warm bowl of clam chowder feel just as fitting there as it does in New England.
New England clam chowder is timeless coastal classic
If San Francisco has New England to thank for its clam chowder, New England has got 18th-century European sailors to credit for its beloved dish. Clam chowder is derived from European fish stews, with the word chowder being derived from the French word chaudière, meaning cauldron. It wasn’t only the Europeans who were enjoying clam chowder, either, and it’s known that the indigenous tribes of the area had been making their chowders for centuries using native ingredients like quahogs and corn, which likely influenced the modern version.
Similarly to how lobster rolls became a quintessential New England fare, clams are historically abundant in the region. The first written recipe for clam chowder can be found in the Boston Evening Post, published in 1751, making it over a century older than San Francisco clam chowder — although this version had not yet discovered the joys of a creamy base. The most recognizable version of New England clam chowder can be traced back to 1836, being served up at Ye Olde Union Oyster House in Boston, one of the oldest restaurants in America that you can still visit today, beloved by JFK himself!
New England clam chowder is for sure one of the classic seafood dishes you’ve got to try at least once, and while San Francisco and New England differ in serving vessels, it is becoming increasingly common to find clam chowder served in bread bowls in New England. However, unlike in San Francisco, this is by no means the regional standard and is more of a tourist niche.
San Francisco was bustling on Saturday with both locals and out-of-town visitors celebrating Valentine’s Day. Couples, families, and friends could be seen strolling down the Embarcadero, stopping at the many markets, stands, and restaurants along the way.
While many people made holiday reservations at restaurants, there were plenty of other ways to celebrate too, including lots of free activities.
“It’s exciting, fun for a Valentine’s Day, and different,” said Walter Paulson of San Francisco, who said he has been to four of these pillow fights.
At the Embarcadero Plaza, hundreds of people got together to take part in the annual free pillow fight tradition. This year, participants were instructed to bring only synthetic pillows, no pillows stuffed with feathers.
San Francisco residents Allie McAndrews and Lilly Datnow were among the group of friends organizing the pillow fight.
McAndrews explained that while the San Francisco Valentine’s pillow fight had been going on for more than 20 years, the tradition hit a lull during the pandemic. She and her friend went to the fight last year and thought it was “the best thing,” but it was in need of some more organizing and publicity. McAndrews and her friend took it upon themselves to get the word out about the event this year, and to lead the group in stretches and activities (such as screaming into your pillow).
Many people showed up to the pillow fight wearing costumes. Some veterans of the pillow fight opted to wear goggles as eye protection.
Around San Francisco, couples could be seen walking hand in hand and dining at restaurants.
Others were out in search of their special someone, like those attending BART’s annual Valentraine speed-dating event, where passengers looking for love hopped aboard in the Mission District and rode the train to Millbrae and back.
At Pier 7, people could get their photos taken for free in the giant photo frame art installation on the waterfront, courtesy of the Port of San Francisco and Big Art Loop.
“Cause we’re in love with San Francisco, and it’s Valentine’s Day, and we just wanted to give back,” explained Annabelle Lee with Big Art Loop, which is the group working to install 100 public art sculptures in San Francisco.
Many out-of-town visitors said they enjoyed the Valentine’s energy in San Francisco.
“Yeah, it’s nice to be in the city. I love coming out to the city, it’s a beautiful city,” said Pinne Chao of Stockton.
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