San Francisco, CA

New San Francisco DA initiative offers beacon of hope for struggling youth

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2024

New San Francisco DA initiative offers beacon of hope for struggling youth

SAN FRANCISCO — Helping San Francisco youth before they set off on the wrong path is the aim of a new initiative being launched by the district attorney’s office.

Bianca Vasquez, a 22-year-old intern at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, is among the many young individuals benefiting from youth programs in San Francisco.

“It’s great because it’s giving youth, especially starting at the age of 16, a chance to avoid gangs and stay off the streets,” Vasquez said. “A lot of teens start to rebel at that age. These programs help them avoid that path.”

Bianca’s journey wasn’t easy. Personal issues forced her to drop out of college, but she found guidance and support through these programs.

“It’s about getting out of that cycle of drugs, violence, and gangs,” she explained. “I think of my own family members who took the hard way out, and my friends who are now running the streets. I’m like, ‘You’re my age, what are you doing?”

Martina Ayala, the executive director of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, emphasizes the importance of partnerships like the one with Bay Area Community Resources, which helped Bianca.

“For us to be able to have paid interns through programs that have been funded to provide youth with opportunities, it’s a wonderful thing,” Ayala said.

Bianca’s story is not unique. Many young people in the Bay Area need similar help. This need is why San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced a significant initiative on Wednesday.

“We’ve called it the Access to Hope Initiative because many people end up in the criminal justice system because they are hopeless,” Jenkins said. “The goal is to create opportunities for engagement and career exploration for our youth and young adults so that they can feel that they have a chance to ascend above their current circumstances.”

The Access to Hope Initiative is now accepting applications. Young people between the ages of 14 and 24 can visit the initiative’s website to take advantage of opportunities like shadow days at the DA’s office and fellowships, which are particularly appreciated by Bianca.

The initiative comes at a critical time, as the number of victims of crime under the age of 18 served by the Victim Services Division has significantly increased in the past year.

“We’ve seen more and more young victims,” Jenkins noted. “With the drug crisis and other challenges, they’ve been exposed to situations that could negatively influence their lives, like drug use and having incarcerated or deceased parents.”

As part of the initiative, the DA’s office partnered with the Sojourn Project, taking a group of San Francisco youth to the Deep South to learn about the Civil Rights Movement from those who lived it. Another trip is planned for the near future.

Bianca believes these programs offer a beacon of hope, demonstrating that young lives can be redirected with the right support.

“To know that it is available until the age of 24, that’s a big opportunity,” she said. “Why would you miss that?”

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Giants Linked as Landing Spot for Struggling Outfielder

Published

6 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

San Francisco Giants Linked as Landing Spot for Struggling Outfielder

The San Francisco Giants are in a weird spot which could lead them into buying-low at the MLB trade deadline rather than going after the big names.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic went through every team’s needs and assigned them potential targets. An intriguing name for the Giants was Baltimore Orioles star Cedric Mullins.

Mullins has been a historically solid batter to along with a great glove, but is struggling mightily at the plate this season. With the Orioles looking to win a World Series this year, they could be in the market of trading him for a pitcher while looking for another “win-now” option in the outfield.

He was slashing just .197/.245/.343 at the plate entering Friday. On June 20, he hit his first home run since the end of April, breaking out of a huge slump.

The last time that he was this inconsistent at the plate the was the beginning of his career.

The North Carolina native was drafted in the 13th round of the 2015 MLB draft by Baltimore. He made his debut in 2018. While he was already showing promise in the field, he was way behind as a hitter.

He slashed .235/.312/.359 in 45 games as a rookie. Things got worse after that, though, as he logged just 22 games the next season with a horrid slashing line of .094/.181/.156.

The Orioles didn’t give up, though, as he bounced back a year later to finally look ready to be consistent at the big league level.

His first full season came in 2021 and it was better than anyone could have expected. He earned his first All-Star nod and Silver Slugger award. He had a 30-30 performance launching home runs and stealing bases constantly.

While he’s never surpassed that .291/.360/.518 slash line, he’s still been ok at the plate.

A trade could make sense for the Giants. While they have battled to stay relevant in the playoff race, going all in for this season could make sense.

Not having as much pressure for an immediate turnaround could also be in Mullins’ favor. While it would be nice to have him perform at a better level for the rest of the campaign, next year could be more important.

Moving Jung Hoo Lee to one of the corner outfield spots could also proved to be beneficial. Mullins is able to cover more ground while Lee has a much stronger arm.

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San Francisco, CA

No sales after midnight: San Francisco places curfew on Tenderloin shops to curtail crime

Published

13 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

No sales after midnight: San Francisco places curfew on Tenderloin shops to curtail crime

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a pilot program that will place a curfew on overnight retail stores and shops in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Retail food and tobacco shops in the high-crime area will be prohibited from operating between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. Businesses that hold a state […]

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San Francisco, CA

The Bono fountain is broken. Is SF too broke to fix it?

Published

21 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

The Bono fountain is broken. Is SF too broke to fix it?

A huge concrete fountain that Bono famously graffitied during a free concert at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza in 1987 has been drained after “a major mechanical failure” forced the city to shut the water off.

The last pump that serviced the Vaillancourt Fountain, also known as “Quebec libre!,” failed about two weeks ago, Tamara Aparton, a Recreation and Parks Department spokesperson, told The Standard. Now, the 53-year-old brutalist sculpture must have its mechanical and electrical systems replaced. The cost? Upward of $3 million.

“The fountain systems were extremely antiquated and past the end of their useful life,” Aparton said in an email. “Due to [the] age of the infrastructure, the fountain systems require a full renovation.”

It’s unclear if or when those repairs could happen. Aparton said there was “no timeline.” For now, the department is working with the Arts Commission to install temporary container plants in the fountain.

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