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7 awesome Bay Area things to do this weekend, Aug. 25-27

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

This weekend has got it all, from great movies and live shows to a beloved brewpub and an abundance of tasty heirloom tomatoes (and we know just what to do with them). So let’s get to it, shall we?As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 WATCH: Summer’s surprising new hit comedyIf you thought “Strays” was going to be late-summer’s go-to comedy, you were barking up the wrong tree (sorry, we couldn’t resist). Instead, try “Bottoms,” the outrageous new film from Emma Seligman, which tops our roundup of new movies and shows you should know about. And if you’re a film fan who loves a good bargain, did you know that Sunday is National Cinema Day (with $4 tickets)?Anaita...

Mapping California mountains with the most fantastic summit views

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

Hiking to the summit of a mountain can take considerable time and effort, so if you’re going to do it, you’d better pick a good one.Here to help is a nifty visualization of California mountains with the absolute best views at the top. Made by Kai Xu of San Mateo, the viz shows “on top of the world” mountains in the state – those that when you stand athwart the peak, there’s nothing on the earth that rises above.“There’s a particular allure to mountains that are the highest in their surrounding areas,” Xu says via email. “Being in the Bay Area, often do we find ourselves gazing at Mount Diablo’s towering presence. Hobbyists (engaged in) peakbagging and highpointing have long been interested in summiting the highest mountains of their respective counties – the so-called county high points. But I wanted to create a new definition of ‘local high point’ that’s based purely on physical geography, rather than on political boundaries.”What exactly qualifies as ...

Campspot’s top camping spots in North America include 6 California sites

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

Campgrounds bustle with activity during the summer months, when kids are out of school, and families make the most of the time off to go camping and roadtripping. But fall tempers both the temperatures and the crowds, making it much easier to find a tent or RV site in some lovely park or private campground. Think Casini Ranch on the Russian River or Lake Siskiyou near Mount Shasta.Judging by the 2023 Campspot Awards, that’s exactly what camping enthusiasts thought.The private campground booking site used user reviews and bookings to nominate sites across a dozen categories, including best family campgrounds, best glamping, best for ages 55+ and — personal fave — best for spontaneous campers. (So much more tactful than calling us “failed-to-plan-ahead campers, now you’re cranky that everything’s booked.”) Then site users voted for their favorites.Paso Robles’ Sun Outdoors — which has swimming pools, fire pits, a wellness center, d...

Starbucks’ 20th year of Pumpkin Spice Lattes starts today — with new drinks

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

If you’re a big fan of autumnal drinks. today is a day of reverence.Twenty years ago, back in aught-3, on a day that should go down in brand marketing history, Starbucks introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte and set off a fall beverage revolution.The anniversary celebration starts this morning with the legendary drink’s return to Starbucks shops.Besides the PSL, the menu features two new seasonal drinks: Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte, based on customer and barista innovations, and Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, made with Starbucks’ Blonde Espresso. Returning to the menu are Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato.The new fall food item is the Baked Apple Croissant, which looks to us like a kouign amann. (Like Starbucks, we’re not sure all customers are ready to tackle that pronunciation.) Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and Owl Cake Pops have returned.The PSL craze started by Starbucks has led to competitive launches. This year, 7-E...

Who is responsible for overseeing homeless housing in the Bay Area?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

Mold, cockroaches and security issues at two of the Bay Area’s largest homeless housing sites in San Jose have raised questions about the level of oversight of the desperately needed homes for the city’s most vulnerable residents.As San Jose works to double its total homeless housing stock under growing pressure to get a handle on the crisis, who exactly is responsible for making sure it’s safe and habitable? And are there similar levels of oversight for the rest of the Bay Area and California?San Jose officials say oversight efforts are shared among city and county agencies and nonprofits, which each own, operate and invest in local sites. Local officials contend that coordination, which extends to cities across the South Bay, makes Santa Clara County unique in California and puts it in a better position to manage and regulate homeless housing.State regulators also monitor many homeless housing sites across California. Their role varies from following up on self-r...

Could ‘smart’ stoplights cut fuel waste and carbon emissions? Roadshow reader runs numbers

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

Q: The time wasted when stopped at traffic lights should not be the concern. What should be a concern is the fuel wasted. This state burns roughly 14 billion gallons of gas per year. For each gallon burned, 20 pounds of carbon go into the atmosphere. If we could reduce the amount of fuel burned by just a little more than 7 percent, we could save roughly 1 billion gallons of gasoline and keep 20 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere. At 5 bucks a gallon that is also $5 billion in savings to motorists each year. I say this could easily be done by adjusting traffic light cycles. We don’t have to wait for smart lights.I know one intersection that constantly seems to have changing cycles, Los Padres and El Camino in Santa Clara. One recent morning at 7 a.m., the complete cycle took about a minute and a half. No cars went through the intersection for roughly one minute of this cycle, Southbound Los Padres was green for 30 seconds so one car could go through. Multiply this by the ...

Maui was criticized for not using sirens during wildfires. Does the Bay Area have a smarter approach?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

As Maui recovers from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in the last century, many have criticized Hawaiian officials for not sounding the island’s emergency sirens — prompted by fears of unintentionally sending residents towards the flames.That disaster led San Francisco leaders this week to reinvigorate long-overdue repairs to the city’s World War II-era siren system — an early warning service not every county across the Bay Area is equipped to offer.Instead, a patchwork of old-school and cutting-edge alert systems have been implemented across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties — culminating in a hodgepodge of sirens, loudspeakers, social media, texts and even doorbells to warn residents of impending disaster.By 2008, emergency coordinators in San Mateo County had installed eight sirens along its low-lying coastline that are sounded exclusively for tsunami warnings, according to coordinators Rick Reed and Jeff Norris. Rather than set u...

St. Francis quarterback has already scored season’s biggest win by beating cancer

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

MOUNTAIN VIEW – When Aaron Knapp would close his eyes last spring, his hospital bed became a football stadium and the chemotherapy drip in his arm had no effect on his throwing motion.The St. Francis High School quarterback was not reliving past victories. Instead, he envisioned the day he would lead his team onto the field.That day will be Friday.Since the end of last season, Knapp successfully fought off lymphoma, going through nine weeks of chemotherapy to make it to Friday night’s home game in Mountain View against San Diego-area powerhouse Helix.When the St. Francis offense steps onto the field, Knapp, 17, will be under center.“It was definitely a journey, but there was never any doubt in my mind that I would be there,” Knapp said.St. Francis quarterback Aaron Knapp throws during practice at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) That journey began in November 2021, when Knapp was listening to a teach...

All westbound lanes back open on Bay Bridge

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

(KRON) -- All westbound lanes are now open after previously being blocked Thursday morning on the Bay Bridge due to police activity, according to the California Highway Patrol. Traffic is expected near the toll plaza and police are asking the public to avoid the area. This is developing news. Stick with us for updates.

9 years since 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Napa

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:41 GMT

(KRON) -- Today marks 9 years since a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Napa. The earthquake hit at 3:20 a.m. back in 2014, just a few miles from American Canyon.The earthquake was felt widely throughout the Bay Area. Police, fire departments and radio stations immediately began receiving calls following the quake. Scientists solve deep-sea ‘Octopus Garden’ mystery off California coast One person died and at least 208 people were injured. In Solano County, at least 50 people were injured. Buildings and infrastructure were heavily damaged as fires began throughout Napa County. The earthquake caused more than $400 million in damages and was the largest to hit the Bay Area since the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.