Climate RWC – January 2023

New Sheriff Christina Corpus Makes History And

By Mark Simon

HHappy New Year! For me, peeling the shrink wrap from a new wall calendar brings the opportunity to admire a different trout every month, and also celebrate important accomplishments—both ours and others’.

Others’ first. Last month, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reached a historic milestone. After a quest of more than 50 years that immersed perhaps four generations of researchers, they ignited a nuclear fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to create. Lawrence Livermore’s achievement resulted from collaboration among brilliant minds across the U.S., the U.K. and France. It’s a thrilling step on the long, continuing road to clean power.

Exciting as it is by itself, it’s particularly pleasing to me. I grew up in Livermore, and a few of my friends (and parents of friends) have worked on the project. My first full-time reporting job, for the old Tri-Valley Herald, included covering “The Lab,” and one of my first stories described the fusion effort. Last month’s success is a reminder that science is often more evolutionary than revolutionary, and that sheer persistence really does pay off.

Now, us. (Drum roll, cymbal crash.) Also last month, Climate won 20 of the 34 prizes for magazines and trade publications presented at the San Francisco Press Club’s 45th annual Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards.

Climate’s staff and contributors received seven first-place awards and completed four 1-2-3 sweeps in the competition’s 13 editorial and graphics categories. In three other segments, Climate took two out the press club’s three awards. Five stories received multiple honors, including prizes for feature writing, cover design, photography, layout and headline writing.

Climate’s recognition especially reflects the excellence of our creative director, Jim Kirkland, and our former editor, Janet McGovern, who retired last year and still writes for the publication. All the stories submitted by Climate were produced on Janet’s watch.

Quite simply, Janet McGovern is one of the best journalists and editors I’ve ever known. She’s smart, funny and uncompromising. This magazine bears her imprint through and through.

As proud as we are to bring you this news, Climate couldn’t exist without the support of you, our loyal readers and advertisers. Thanks to all of you as we enter another year.

As we welcome 2023, it is also time to bid farewell. Danford Fisher Hannig Foundation, on the completion of its 40 year mission, thanks the local community for its participation and support. We include here a partial list of charities receiving a cumulative total of over $15 million in grants from us. We thank the community for supporting The Hannig Cup, an annual sailboat race we sponsored at Sequoia Yacht Club that helped distribute over $7 million to charity. While the Foundation will be closing its doors, much of its spirit will continue with new energy and new areas of charitable endeavor with the Hannig Rainforest & Marine Science Institute, a newly formed public charity, and Hannig Sail It Forward Foundation, which recently announced its initial endowment of over $20 million to assure its future of continuing to help the communities it will serve.

Ted J. Hannig, President & Chair

Partial List of Grant Recipients

10,000 Degrees

4-H 5A Athletes

A Friendly Place, Oakland Abilities United Achilles International Adelante Spanish Immersion School AIDS Lifecycle Aids Project Los Angeles

AIM HIGH

ALS Association Golden West Chapter

Alzheimer’s Assn, Mountain View Alzheimer's Association, Memory Walk American Cancer Society Scholarships

American Cancer Society Walkathon American Cancer Society, Oakland American Cancer Society-Relay for Life American Diabetes Association

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention American Heart Association American Institute for Cancer Research American Lung Association

American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter

Angelman Syndrome Foundation, Inc.

Aquarium of the Bay

Arthritis Foundation of No. Cal., San Francisco

Asian Liver Center, Stanford Autism Speaks

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

Ballet San Jose

Bay Area Cabaret

Bay Area Cancer Connections

(Breast Cancer Emergency Fund)

Bay Area Jewish Healing Center

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Both Sides Now

Boy Scouts - Sea Scouts Ship Gryphon

Boy Scouts, Danville

Boy Scouts, Pacific Skyline

Boy Scouts, Redwood Empire Bread Project, So. San Francisco

Breathe California of the Bay Area

Broadway By the Bay, Youth, San Mateo

Broken Arrow Memorial Fdn, Coupeville, WA

C A R E

California School for the Blind

California Youth Writer’s Program

Camping Unlimited

Canada College Scholarship Fundraiser

Canine Companions for Independence

Capital City AIDS Fund

Capuchino High School Career Center, San Bruno Casa de Asilo

Casa de Redwood Foundation, Redwood City

CASA of San Mateo County

Center for Independence of Disabled

Children to Children Theatre for Youth Dev't

Children’s International Summer Villages

Children's Feeding Network

Children's Health Council

Children's Tumor Foundation

Coastal Repertory Theatre

Colon Cancer Alliance

COPD Foundation

CORA

Coral Restoration

Coyote Point Museum

Create a Smile Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Daly City Library

Dancers' Group (Post Ballet)

Daughters of Saint Paul

Diamaggio Baseball

Dimaggio Baseball

Disabled American Veterans

Dolores Street Community Services

Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose

Dream Volunteers DRED

Earlier

Easter Seals Bay Area

El Crystal Elementary School

Every Mother Counts

Exploratorium

Exponent Philanthropy

Faith Hospice

Family Builders

Filoli

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Floating Doctors

Foster City Community Center

Foster City Village

Foster City Youth & Teen Foundation

Fox Redwood City Foundation

Fresh Takes, Inc.

Friends of Foster City Library

Friends of Youth, Redwood City

Girl Scouts - Mariner Scout Ship Tradewind

Girl Scouts, San Francisco Bay Area Girls Scouts - Troop 62623 Give & Surf

GLAAD

Gleason Scholarship Fund Glenview Fire GO2 Foundation

Goodwill Industries, Sacramento Guide Dogs for the Blind Guide Dogs of the Desert, Palm Springs Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco

Half Moon Bay Coastside Foundation

Hannig Rainforest & Marine Science Institute

Healthy Cities Tutoring

Hearing and Speech Center-Nor. Cal.

HEART of San Mateo County

Help for Wounded Warriors

Helpers Community Hillbarn Theatre

Hiller Aviation, San Carlos

HLAA - Hearing Loss Association of America

Holy Name School

Horace Mann School

Immaculate Conception Catholic Parish

Ingrid B. Lacy School

Innovation Reef & Wildlife Conservancy Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation Inc.

Jesuit Retreat Center

Jewish Community High School

Job Train

Joe DiMaggio Baseball

John Gill Elementary School

Junior Giants

Junior Police Academy, SF

Juvenile Diabetes Research Fdn. Kainos Home & Training Center Kara

Kids Outdoor Sports Camp

KQED, San Francisco

Larkin Street Youth Services

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

LifeMoves

Lions Eye Foundation

Living City Partners

Maitri

Make a Wish Foundation

March of Dimes

Marine Science Institute

Mid-Peninsula League of S.F. Symphony

Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation

Miss Redwood City Scholarship

Mission Hospice & Home Care

Mouse Squad of California

Movember

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Music and Memory

National Brain Tumor Foundation

National Child Safety Council

National Kidney Foundation

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

New York Firefighters Relief NOH8

Notable Music and Art Organization

Notre Dame de Namur University

Notre Dame Elementary School

Notre Dame High School

Oakland East Bay Symphony

One Life Counseling

One Mind for Research

One World Children's Fund

Ophelia Project

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School

Pacific Legal Foundation

Parkside Intermediate School

Pathways Hospice Foundation

Paws and Claws, Pleasanton

Peninsula Boys and Girls Club

Peninsula Christian Center Church

Peninsula Clergy Network

Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center

Peninsula Family Services

Peninsula Humane Society, SM

Peninsula Italian American Scholarship

Peninsula Stroke Association

Peninsula Sunrise Rotary Club

Peninsula Symphony Association

Peninsula Volunteers

Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation

People to People Sports Ambassador Program

Pets in Need, Redwood City

Planet Hope

Planet Rehab

Police Activities League, Redwood City

Queen of Hearts Cancer Fund, Danville

Rafael House

Read Write Now

Rebuilding Together

Redwood City Community Theater

Redwood City Girls Softball League

Redwood City Internat'l (Amigos Project)

Redwood City Library Foundation

Redwood City Rotary Charitable Foundation

Richmond/Ermet AID Foundation (REAF)

RIDE

Riverside Baptist Church

Rollingwood Elementary School

Ron Davis Autism Foundation

Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area

Rotary International

Sacred Heart Prepratory

Saint Anthony Foundation, Menlo Park

Saint Anthony Foundation, San Francisco

Saint Dominic Church, San Francisco

Saint Francis Center of Redwood City

Saint Francis Foundation, San Francisco

Saint Francis High School

Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

Saint Luke's in the Desert, Saint Pius Church

Saint Pius School

Saint Vincent de Paul, San Mateo

Saint Vincent de Paul, Santa Clara County

Saint Vincent de Paul's Catherine Center

Salvation Army, Redwood City

Salvation Army, SF for San Bruno/San Mateo Samaritan House, San Mateo

San Bruno Park School District

San Francisco Aids Foundation

San Mateo County – Day Laborer Program

San Mateo County Colleges Foundation

San Mateo County Health Foundation

San Mateo County Medical Center

San Mateo Historical Association

San Mateo Sheriff's Office

Santa Clara University

Save the Bay

Science From Scientist

Selby Lane School Air & Space

Self Help for the Hard of Hearing

Sequoia Awards, RC

Sequoia High School

Sequoia Hosp. Kennett Nursing Scholarship

Sequoia Hospital Foundation

Sequoia Village

Sequoia Yacht Club Junior Sailing

Service League of San Mateo County

SF Bay Area German Shepard Rescue

SF Center

Shanti

Sheriff's Activity League, San Mateo County Shriners Hospitals for Children

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

SMCBA Scholarship

SMUIN

Somewhere2turn

Soroptimist International South Bay Opening Day

Special Olympics Northern California Stanford University School of Medicine

Start Out

StarVista Street Life Ministries

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Tapestry Church

Temple Beth Jacob, RC

The Painted Turtle

The Representation Project

The Tower Foundation of SJSU

Tim Griffith Foundation

Toys for Tots

Trevor Project

UCSF Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Unlimited Dreams to Reality

Urban Entertainment Institute

Vallemar School

Variety Children's Charity

Verde Valley Humane Society

Veterans Memorial Senior Center

Visual Aid

Women's Recovery Center, Burlingame

Woodside High School Musical Boosters

World Affairs Council

YBCA

Ygnatio Valley High School Music Boosters

YMCA – Camp Jones Gulch

YMCA of Silicon Valley

Young Latino Leaders, Redwood City

This ad was provided as a courtesy of Neighbors helping neighbors - since 1938

MAGAZINE

Publisher

S.F. Bay Media Group

Editor

Scott Dailey scott@climaterwc.com

Creative Director Jim Kirkland jim@climaterwc.com

Contributing Writers

Mark Simon Dan Brown

Vlae Kershner Aimee Lewis Strain Jim Clifford Susan Jenkins Jim Kirkland Photography Jim Kirkland

Advertising Director

Scott Dailey scott@climaterwc.com

Editorial Board

Scott Dailey Jim Kirkland Adam Alberti

Advisory Board

Dee Eva Jason Galisatus Connie Guerrero Matt Larsen Dennis Logie Clem Molony Barb Valley

CLIMATE magazine is a monthly publication by S.F. Bay Media Group, a California Corporation. Entire contents ©2022 by S.F. Bay Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. CLIMATE is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. CLIMATE offices are located at 570 El Camino Real, Ste.150 #331 Redwood City, CA 94063. Printed in the U.S.A.

Top Cop

Christina Corpus is San Mateo County’s first Latina sheriff.

By Mark Simon

By any measure, Christina Corpus’s career in law enforcement was a success—notable, in particular, for her groundbreaking status as a Latina who rose steadily through the ranks of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

A sheriff’s captain who was serving as titular chief of police in Millbrae, she was well regarded by her colleagues as unusually compassionate and sensitive without surrendering any sense of the authority bestowed by rank. After more than two decades in the sheriff’s office, she was considering retirement and, only in her 50s, pursuing a variety of other interests. But she also was unhappy with the department in which she had grown up and for whose staff she felt an abiding and caring loyalty. She was convinced the sheriff’s office had lost its way. It was losing deputies at a rapid rate. She believed standards had drifted and the wrong people—a group of insiders—were in charge and failing to provide the level of technical and personal support badly needed by an overworked rank-and-file.

For all those reasons, and because of her own credentials and a quiet, confident manner that pervaded her leadership style, she was being urged to run for sheriff against entrenched, well-financed incumbent Carlos Bolanos. And she was thinking hard about what it would mean to run and possibly to lose.

Not the least of her concerns was that she would be running against her boss. It was not inconceivable that an offhand criticism in the heat of the campaign could be turned by the incumbent into an accusation of insubordination.

Then there was the prevailing and widespread discomfort with law enforcement since the George Floyd killing and the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement, along with an associated ad hoc effort locally to create an independent commission that would oversee the sheriff’s department. There may have been a coalition of interests who would support a challenge to Bolanos, but that would only increase the pressure on the campaign, and Corpus, should she win.

Decision Time

As she tells the story, Corpus reached a point where it was time to decide, and she lay awake at night. Better than anyone, she could list all the reasons why she should not take on Bolanos.

“I had everything against me,” she says. In particular, her opponent would be an incumbent with a substantial war chest and prominent endorsements. “But I didn’t see him out there,” Corpus says, “talking to people who would vote.”

That night, she concluded, “Fear is the devil’s answer. … I can do the unthinkable.”

It turned out to be entirely doable.

Outspent almost 4-to-1, Corpus defeated Bolanos by nearly 14 points, a substantial and convincing victory. She is the first female and Hispanic sheriff in San

It is tempting to use the widely favored line that there’s a new sheriff in town. It may be more accurate to say it is an entirely new era—with a new set of expectations.

Mateo County’s 167-year history. Along with Yesenia Sanchez, voted into office in Alameda County last June, Corpus is one of the first two Latinas ever elected sheriff in California. She is scheduled to be sworn in on January 3.

It is tempting to use the widely favored line that there’s a new sheriff in town. It may be more accurate to say it is an entirely new era—with a new set of expectations.

Crime Victim Turned Cop

Corpus can trace the precise moment she decided to enter law enforcement. The daughter of immigrants from Nicaragua and Mexico and raised by a single mom, she worked a variety of jobs, including babysitting and helping her mother clean the skyboxes at Candlestick Park. She saved her money and, at 16, bought her first car, a Toyota pickup truck.

One night, she drove to Tanforan Shopping Center in San Bruno and parked outside a record store to wait for a friend. There was a tap on the window. A man was standing outside.

“I could just see the barrel of the gun,” Corpus says. The man forced himself inside, pistol-whipped her and tried to hijack the truck and kidnap her. She fought back and made her way out of the truck. The man took off and, after a highspeed chase that involved gunfire, was arrested in Daly City.

“The way the San Bruno Police Department helped me,” Corpus says, “they were compassionate, thoughtful, caring. They really gave me confidence at the scene and through the trial. Ever since then, I wanted to be a law enforcement officer.”

She attended City College of San Francisco and College of San Mateo, and held a variety of jobs before landing a position in 1995 as a receptionist at the county’s Department of Child Support Services, which operates under the district attorney’s office. Ultimately, she became a caseworker before applying for a position with the sheriff’s office.

A Latina who stood a petite 5-feet-2, she took the department’s exam in “a room full of men,” many of whom, in her own words, “looked like they should be on a football team.”

Out of 150 applicants, Corpus and another woman were the only two to be offered positions as corrections officers. She was happy, but she had no illusions about the career she on which she had embarked.

“I work in a male-dominated field,” Corpus says in an interview in her sparsely decorated office at the Millbrae police station. On one wall is a sign that reads: “Be Bold. Be Fearless.” On her desk is a small model of the iconic Star Wars robot, R2D2. It’s a reference, she says, to law enforcement as “the last Jedi.”

“Because of my size and how I look, sometimes people don’t take me seriously,” she says. “I had to work twice as hard. I knew I would have a tough road and had to prove myself.”

Eyes Opened

In 2002, she went to work in the county women’s jail. There, she saw not hardened criminals, but women with drug problems, women who had been exploited and abused—emotionally and physically—by lovers, family and friends.

It was a revelation. “I learned not to be judgmental about people based on how you meet them,” Corpus says.

Soon, she was promoted to deputy, and began 20 years of steady advancement. She was assigned to patrol in North Fair Oaks, where she found she had a knack for community policing and engagement. It’s also where she met her husband, John Kovach, who retired last year as a sheriff’s lieutenant.

Her career ran a broad gamut—commander of the North Fair Oaks Bureau, the operations division, the Bayside Patrol Bureau, the K-9 unit, among others—reflecting promotions up the ranks from sergeant to lieutenant and, ultimately, to captain. She assumed a growing range of responsibilities. Along the way, she started or ran more than a dozen programs, including a local branch of the I’mPossible Run Club for children, a Women in Law Enforcement Boot Camp and Symposium and an initiative that surveys the community about law enforcement performance.

She has also served as a board member for several local nonprofits, including Casa Circulo Cultural in North Fair Oaks and Redwood City-based LifeMoves, which addresses homelessness. During all this, Corpus obtained a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement leadership from Union Institute and University, an Ohio-based online college—all while working fulltime and raising two children.

For all the places she went, her career repeatedly led her back to community policing, and to North Fair Oaks, where “I look like the community. When you have commonality with the community, it opens some doors.” And builds relationships. When Corpus was pregnant with her first child, the residents of North Fair Oaks surprised her with a baby shower.

“These are the people who, all they wanted was to help their children have a better life,” Corpus says. “I was always around for people.”

Odd Woman Out

Still, she felt like an outsider in a sheriff’s office whose hierarchy she found increasingly insular. She was transferred to Millbrae, where the sheriff’s office serves as the police department. It was quieter and allowed her to obtain a master’s degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership from the University of San Diego in 2021.

Maybe the department’s leaders thought they were shipping her to an outpost where she could be shunted aside. “I guess I wasn’t in line with the administra-

“I look like the community. When you have commonality with the community, it opens some doors.”

tion,” she says. “I wasn’t in line with that group.”

If that was the case, it may have been a strategic error. “It gave me time to reflect,” she says, and to consider changes the office needed, and whether she was the person to bring them about.

She hired Dan Mullen, a Petaluma-based campaign consultant who could look at the race against Bolanos unburdened by any conventional wisdom that might discount her chances of winning.

He concluded: “There was an appetite among voters for change.”

High Expectations

That appetite has not slackened. Corpus won the election with considerable support from a loose coalition of people dissatisfied with Bolanos. Some were still angry at then-Undersheriff Bolanos for being on the scene at a police raid of a Las Vegas massage parlor in 2007. Others opposed his policy of cooperating with ICE in handing over county prisoners as they left jail. Some felt Bolanos had done little to make himself a high-profile and accessible presence in the community. Still others worried about incidents that resulted in accusations that sheriff’s personnel had used undue and, in some cases, lethal, force.

And there was a broad, underlying desire for law enforcement to change. It was often called “defund the police,” but, more generally, it reflected an aspiration for greater accountability within police departments, better resources for responding to mental health issues that devolved into police activity and better training in de-escalating confrontations.

Even as the campaign for sheriff got underway, an ad hoc group, Fixin’ San Mateo County, began lobbying for a civilian

oversight board and inspector general that would have direct jurisdiction over the sheriff’s office to investigate complaints of abuse, excessive force and other misconduct. Both entities would have subpoena power. It has been endorsed by nearly every elected official in the county, and the board of supervisors has appointed a subcommittee to research the idea.

Acknowledging that many of the people behind the oversight effort supported her, Corpus nonetheless is wary of such an organization.

The membership of the board “has to be people who understand law enforcement,” she says. “Lived experience is not enough. This could be a recipe for disaster. This really needs to be thought out.”

“I believe in transparency,” Corpus continues. “What I don’t want is something to be rushed. I really hope we can do some studies and look at what works best for San Mateo County. I hope they will give me a chance to be a sheriff that is about transparency, trust and accountability."

Supporters of oversight say they believe Corpus will represent an improvement in transparency and accountability. They add that they’re worried about “the next sheriff” (after Corpus), who might lack her commitment.

In response, she says, quietly, “I want people to give me an opportunity.”

Internal Challenges

Then there are the issues within the department. Authorized for 800 positions, the sheriff’s office is down 75 personnel.

“It’s a hard time in law enforcement,” says Carlos Tapia, president of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The 430-member union stayed neutral during the campaign.

“It has been a rough three years,” Tapia adds. “Morale’s at an all-time low.”

Working through the public’s rising distrust of the police has been especially difficult, says Tapia, a sergeant. “The whole Floyd thing happened, and that was horrible,” he says.

Like virtually all organizations, the sheriff’s office was hit by the pandemic and associated staffing shortages that have led to 60- and 70-hour work weeks. That has been compounded by the absence of a contract and increasingly uncompetitive pay. Until last month, the deputy sheriffs had gone three years without a contract. The local cost of living is driving deputies to commute from farther and farther away.

“It’s really hard to live in San Mateo County,” Tapia observes.

Supporters of oversight say they believe Corpus will represent an improvement in transparency and accountability. They add that they’re worried about “the next sheriff” (after Corpus), who might lack her commitment.

The election created its own internal strife, and the possible oversight board is another source of tension among the ranks.

“Do I believe in transparency? I absolutely do,” says Tapia. “I hate dirty cops. One does one thing wrong and it’s on all of us.” But they should “go through the process if they get in trouble. Let him have his day.”

Tapia says the state already mandates a law enforcement oversight agency with subpoena power, and the county should complement that with civilian advisory committees “in all the areas we patrol,” a position advocated by Corpus.

Leadership Matters

It starts at the top.

Look at any law enforcement agency and the behavior of individual cops is a direct reflection of the person with the most stars on the uniform collar and that person’s tolerance for misconduct.

Corpus expects to move swiftly to put into place an entirely new executive staff.

“It would be harmful if I kept the existing executive team,” she says. “It would be harmful to the organization. When people are loyal to one person, that is problematic. I want them to be loyal to the organization.”

She says she wants the opportunity to build trust within the ranks and within the community before any other major steps are taken.

Within the office, that means she will seek increased training in de-escalating potentially dangerous circumstances and in recognizing and responding to mental health issues, including programs and partnerships with mental health professionals. She plans to develop clear guidelines for the use of force, including tasers, and provide additional training in alternative methods.

She also says she wants to “change our model” and adopt practices, such as

wellness programs, used in the private sector to recruit and retain employees.

“I think the majority of the organization is hopeful,” she says. “People are excited. There is a small fraction who are not excited. I will give people the opportunity to conform. I’m not asking them to do things I wouldn’t do myself.”

Externally, she plans to continue her practice of connecting with people, saying, “I want people to know I’m the sheriff because I’m out in the community.”

But she will have to find her way through a thicket of expectations, not all of which she embraces. Her views on the oversight board constitute one example. Another is her statement that she will exercise her authority to turn over to ICE recently released jail prisoners who represent a clear threat to the safety of the community. It is a position for which Bolanos was strongly criticized by advocates of zero cooperation with ICE.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Corpus says. “It’s going to be a really tough road.”

She hopes the public will be reassured by her commitment to key values that form almost a mantra in the frequency with which she recites them: Dignity, compassion, integrity, respect.

Of all the law enforcement executives in San Mateo County, only the sheriff is elected, directly accountable to the 738,000 residents served by the office.

“That’s a lot of bosses,” Corpus says. “I won’t be able to make everybody happy.”

Of all the law enforcement executives in San Mateo County, only the sheriff is elected, directly accountable to the 738,000 residents served by the office.

“That’s a lot of bosses,” Corpus says. “I won’t be able to make everybody happy.”

Burgers, Beers and the

Boys in Red and Gold

Tim Harrison and his Canyon Inn are forever tied to the San Francisco 49ers.

By Dan Brown

Back in the early 1980s, when the 49ers still trained in Redwood City, a distress call went out at team headquarters in search of Dwight Clark.

The receiver had finished practice and apparently forgotten about a phone interview he had scheduled with a big-time sportswriter from the East Coast. So public-relations man Jerry Walker scrambled to play catch-up.

After a cursory check of the locker room turned up empty, Walker tried the second-most obvious place.

“I called the Canyon Inn,” Walker recalls.

Bingo. That’s where Clark was. Of course, it was. He was there, accompanied by a teammate or two, with beers foaming in pint glasses and burgers sizzling on the grill.

The Redwood City hamburger joint was a popular hangout for anyone in the 49ers organization those days, from rookies to veterans, from coaches to executives, from obscure players to the guy who wore No. 87 and made the most famous catch in National Football League history.

“They said Dwight was there,” Walker says, picking up the story. “I said, ‘Tell him I’ll be right up.’ So, I went up there, and those guys had already ordered their beers, and the burgers were cooking. Dwight and I went in and did the interview right there from (Canyon Inn owner) Tim Harrison’s office.”

Sightings

What was true then can sometimes feel just as true now: If you’re on the lookout

for someone from the 49ers’ glory years, there’s a decent chance that person is about to settle into a booth at the Canyon Inn. In the least, a photo is probably on the wall someplace. Clark (who died in 2018 of ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease), retired quarterback Joe Montana and defensive back Ronnie Lott are well represented in the decor. At best, someone might actually be here in the flesh. Former running back Roger Craig, kicker Ray Wersching and defensive lineman Dwaine Board are among

those who continued to stop by for a bite long after their playing days.

That’s in large part because of the players’ enduring loyalty to Harrison, who bought what was an abandoned 7-Eleven on this spot and reconfigured it as a family-friendly restaurant in 1973. On his original menu, a pitcher of Budweiser cost $1.75. An upgrade to Michelob came to $2.25.

It took nearly another decade before Harrison had a wacky idea that transformed the quaint eatery into the 49ers’ second home, the one less than a mile-anda-half from Red Morton Community Park, which served as the 49ers’ practice facility from 1956 until the team moved its headquarters to Santa Clara in 1988.

It came when the Niners were, in a word, woeful. Harrison figured the team needed a boost after finishing 2-14, 2-14 and 6-10 the previous three seasons, inspiring general indifference among the fans. He offered a deal: Free burgers for anyone in the organization after every 49ers victory.

The plan called for any card-carrying member of the franchise to get one (1) burger within a week of the win. (Harrison naively thought the players might pony up for a side order or two. Good one, Tim.)

The letter of agreement, which hangs on the wall near the restaurant’s entrance, is dated September 9, 1981, and is signed by R.C. Owens, the 49ers receiving great who became a front-office ambassador.

Anyone remember what happened that ’81 season? The upstart 49ers promptly went 13-3, knocked off the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs behind “The Catch” and went on to win the first Super Bowl in their history.

Paydirt

The cockamamie and potentially ruinous promotion brought huge rewards. The

—Retired 49er Randy Cross

Canyon Inn, which turns 50 this year, is so ingrained into the 49ers’ dynasty that one of the players’ golden-hued “Eat Free” membership cards is entombed in the 49ers Hall of Fame and Museum at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Randy Cross, a 49ers lineman from 1976 to 1988, says the gesture simply embodies Harrison’s approach to others.

“Tim Harrison has been all about everybody else for the entire time I’ve known him,” Cross says. “He’s pretty special the way he’s taken care of people and never made a big deal about it.”

In fact, Harrison is still here, holding court on this Sunday morning early in December, just as the NFL action flickers to life on the TV screens behind him.

Harrison is scrolling through new text messages from old linebacker Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds, who earned his nickname by sawing an abandoned 1953 Chevy Bel Air in half during a prolonged fit of frustration after his University of Tennessee team suffered a brutal defeat. Reynolds,

in a recent clarifying text to Harrison, noted that he went through 13 blades in getting that car properly bisected. Such attention to detail makes him Harrison’s kind of guy; it’s why there’s a Hacksaw Burger on the menu.

These are the tales Harrison tells while reflecting on a restaurant career that has somehow survived a half-century of highs and lows. He grew up in Long Beach before his family moved to the Pleasant Hill area when he was eight years old. He was raised, of all things, an Oakland Raiders fan.

Harrison was a gifted cook and trained with the likes of Bill McCormick, half of the namesake for the upscale McCormick & Schmick's restaurant chain.

But his quest to run his own restaurant led him here, to 587 Canyon Road, having discovered the building was for rent—for $650 a month—when he pulled over at the gas station across the street to use a payphone (Google it, kids) to get directions to a girlfriend’s place.

Harrison hardly takes the Canyon Inn’s survival for granted, even now, especially not after a pandemic and a recession and whatever the heck is coming ’round the bend.

On the night he bought the restaurant on a lark, he lay in bed staring at the ceiling and wondering what in the world he’d done. That part hasn’t changed much, not least because he has a family now: His wife, Stephanie, and their children Alicia, 18, and Timmy, 16.

“I’m still so involved with keeping it going, I’ve never been able to step back and relax,” Harrison says. “You unlock the door, and you hope that people are going to come in, you know? That's always been my thing.”

“Tim Harrison has been all about everybody else for the entire time I’ve known him.”

Tim Harrison with wife Stephanie, daughter Alicia and son Timmy.

Superstition

Then again, he owes his entire restaurant career to that preposterous leap of faith. In all, the 49ers during their regular seasons went 84-35-1 and won three Super Bowl titles from 1981 to 1988, the years Harrison’s offer was in effect.

Was it the genius of Montana and Head Coach Bill Walsh? The bruising defense led by the young Lott?

Or was it the irresistible lure of cheeseburgers and fries, provided gratis by Harrison?

“If nothing else, athletes are incredibly superstitious,” says Cross, drawing out the “cred” in “incredibly.” Cross now lives in Georgia, but still visits the Canyon Inn whenever he’s nearby. “So, you start winning, and you’d be hard-pressed to convince the guys on that team that part of the reason we were doing it wasn’t Tim and those hamburgers.”

Whatever the motivation, all that winning suddenly meant that the Canyon Inn was firing up orders by the truckload for relentlessly hungry patrons weighing 250ish pounds.

There were also a few not-so-beefy types. Running back Bill Ring was listed at 5-feet-10 and 189 pounds. But the first time the bookish-looking undrafted rookie from Brigham Young tried placing his order in ’81, the cashier mistakenly scolded the little scamp by telling him the cards were for 49ers players only.

Oh, and that stipulation about one burger? It somehow morphed into a free meal—fries, onion rings or maybe even a salad (ha!)—several days a week. There might even have been an assistant coach or two who pushed their luck by loading containers with mountains of grub to take back to their families. In all, Harrison figures he gave away $10,000 to $15,000 worth of food that first season, no small sum now and positively princely in 1981.

The walls of the Canyon Inn depict the history of Bay Area sports and especially the 49ers’ reign as “Team of the Decade” during the 1980s.

The Canyon Inn’s crew serves up fare that includes the Hacksaw Burger, named for former 49ers linebacker Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds.

“I guess there were some moments where I questioned it,” Harrison says, looking back, “but once you make a commitment like that, you’re gonna’ look really bad if you nitpick. I’d tell the employees, ‘Just let it go.’”

Smart move. Because the long-term returns on that initial layout are now incalculable. As a result of Harrison’s generosity, the decor here now doubles as a time machine, with the walls adorned like tattered pages of a scrapbook. Photos and other assorted memorabilia, much of it autographed, burst from every square inch.

Outside, visitors can sit in a pair of old seats from Candlestick Park—Row 6, Seats 22-23. Scan the dining area and there’s a note from that unlikely fullback who apparently no longer needs to prove he played in the NFL. “Dear Tim, Sorry I missed you today, 10-24-22. Connie and I came for a late lunch before going to a movie in Redwood City. All my best—Bill Ring.”

But if the Canyon Inn is the lowbrow Louvre, its Mona Lisa would be the sports page that hangs in one corner not far from the soda fountain. It’s the San Francisco Chronicle’s next-day coverage of “The Catch”—Clark’s skyscraping grab to beat the Cowboys in the NFC title game on January 10, 1982.

Look closely, and it’s signed with an inscription: “Thanks for all the burgers. Best wishes, Dwight Clark.” The receiver put his pen to that page the day after his epic touchdown. After all, the win meant another round of free burgers.

That autographed newssheet now stands as a founding document for a pair of Bay Area dynasties: The 49ers and their five Super Bowl titles, and a plucky neighborhood restaurant with a legacy of its own.

Plant Bar Offers Coffee, Too

By Aimee Lewis Strain

From its terra cotta floors to its attractive, beamed ceilings, Little Green in downtown Redwood City is packed with an eclectic array of local artisan goods and offers one of the best coffee deals in town.

The brainchild of Sharon Grant and Michael Bell, Little Green opened last June at 1101 Main Street. Grant and Bell met during the pandemic, when Bell was managing S'Bastians Coffee on Woodside Road and Grant was renting artisan space there to sell her handcrafted succulent plants. They became friends and created a vision for Little Green that included not only handmade goods, but also an urban feel for shoppers who could browse, pot a plant and enjoy a 10-ounce cup of coffee for $2.

Beyond featuring Grant’s plants, the establishment offers vintage clothing, lotions, pottery, jewelry and other items. There’s a plant bar in one section and a coffee bar in the other. Grant, a longtime Redwood City resident, says the seemingly unusual combination works in unexpected ways.

“We knew that coffee and plants went well together from our days at S’Bastians, but we wanted to create a place where we could curate other artists and bakers to come in and offer their goods, too,” she says. “This would encourage residents to shop local and also enable us to offer interesting things from different vendors.”

Grant took up creating succulent centerpieces as a hobby following nearly three decades as an elementary schoolteacher. Soon her new pastime turned into a business venture. She started selling to local grocers such as Dehoff’s Market, Bianchini’s and Draeger’s. She also began teaching classes and eventually landed in the business partnership with Bell, a coffee and music connoisseur.

The plant section welcomes both individuals and groups. Customers can select a container, succulents and various soil toppings such as sand, pebbles, moss and rocks to create personal plant arrangements.

While planting or shopping, patrons hear vintage music playing on vinyl. Bell, with his years of experience at coffee houses, enjoys his simple coffee bar, which offers selections from Red Bay Coffee, an Oakland roastery. He considers his $2 cup of joe “the best coffee deal in town.”

With an abundance of natural light, 16-foot ceilings and more than 2,300-square feet, the location is also available as a meeting spot. The place already has been rented for small-business retreats, brunches and birthday parties. It also presents live music and has a side space for artisans’ popups where local vendors can “pop in” to sell their goods.

With Little Green’s wide assortment of offerings, it will be interesting to see what sprouts in 2023.

More information about Little Green: www.littlegreenplantbar.com

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Sharon Grant

Photo by Aimee Lewis Strain

History Writer Gets a Lesson

By Jim Clifford

I encountered Redwood City Transportation Manager Jessica Manzi at the recent dedication of the city’s new mural along the Jefferson Avenue underpass, near City Hall. It gave me a chance to ask Manzi whether the city might bring back the fleet of mini-buses that operated successfully until being displaced by SamTrans in 1978. (See the history column in the December issue of Climate.)

I got a quick email reply in which Manzi noted that during her tenure the city has run two shuttles “that were discontinued for lack of ridership.” She added that the ways people get from one place to another have changed dramatically in just a short time.

“Many families have multiple cars, and the default is to drive even for short trips that we used to walk or ride bikes to complete,” Manzi wrote.

Still, things could change. Manzi said the city has adopted a transportation plan that she hopes will “provide safe, high-quality networks that encourage people to walk and ride bikes for short trips.” In addition, she noted SamTrans ridership is up, although she added it isn’t at “the level of service Redwood City had in the past.”

The New Mural on Jefferson Avenue

Sitting next to the Box Building and adjacent to the Sequoia Station shopping center, the piece covers approximately 4,700 square feet on the wall beneath the Jefferson Avenue underpass. The artwork by Oakland painter Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith is billed as an “equity mural,” designed to show Redwood City’s commitment to social justice.

Wolfe-Goldsmith wrote on the website of the city’s Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department that she wanted to “tell an honest recount of history” to share “our hopes and dreams for the future.” The artist added that she wanted to illustrate “historical travesties alongside accomplishments.”

For example, the mural sums up World War II by picturing “Rosie the Riveter,” a popular illustrated character who symbolized U.S. women who worked in military factories. It also depicts the internment of people of Japanese ancestry, along with a segment showing the chrysanthemum fields Japanese Americans cultivated in Redwood City before being forced from their homes. Their success as flower growers in the first half of the 20th Century gained Redwood City the nickname of “the chrysanthemum capital of the world.”

The dedication was held in front of City Hall, just feet away from a monument that lists the names of Redwood City residents killed in World War II.

Art Commissioner Ashley Quintana says she hopes the mural will enhance Redwood City’s sense of shared heritage. “I’m a strong believer that art brings people together, and that’s exactly what this mural does,” Quintana says.

Electronic Distribution for History Journal

A few changes are in store at the Karl Vollmayer Local History Room at Redwood City’s main library. The library’s Archives Committee, which publishes The Journal of Local History, is the victim of rising postage costs, and that means the publication will now be emailed to its 100 or so subscribers. Memberships to the committee are available to the public; members who lack an email address on file will continue to receive the journal via the postal service, says committee president Marian Wydo. She adds that a few copies of each issue will remain in the Vollmayer Room.

The archives committee lost two of its most knowledgeable and dedicated members in 2022. John Edmonds, who died April 8 at age 82, was the author of several books on local history, particularly about Union Cemetery. He contributed many articles to The Journal of Local History, and was the committee’s president for years.

Florian Shasky, a Sequoia High School faculty member and former head of special collections at the Cecil H. Green Library at Stanford, died June 26 at 79. Active in the world of rare books and manuscripts, Shasky has been described as “a true bibliophile.”

Wydo’s mother, Frances Aragon, was another committee member; in Wydo’s words, “She loved Redwood City and saw many changes during her lifetime.” Aragon died June 10 at age 107.

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Oakland painter Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith

Hanukkah Lights Up Courthouse Square

For the past 13 years, Rabbi Levi Potash of the Jewish organization Chabad MidPen of Redwood City has presented a unique theme at the annual Hanukkah festival at Courthouse Square. In the past, the giant menorah has been built from cans of food to highlight world hunger. Another was constructed from Legos to show all humanity is connected, regardless of race or creed.

This year ‘s menorah may have been the most poignant of all. Potash hired a professional graffiti artist to paint a sign that read, simply, “Shine Your Light.”

“This past year, there has been some darkness with antisemitism and other things,” Potash says. “So, we felt this year’s theme should be about transforming darkness into light. What better expression of that than to use graffiti, which some associate negatively, and to use it as a beautiful art form?”

A Stormy Hometown Holidays

“We need the rain” has been the mantra in our drought state for years. And the organizers of Redwood City's Hometown Holidays would agree. Except they might add, “Did it have to storm on December 10?”

But those who braved the gusty, wet weather during the day and still lined up for the evening parade were rewarded with only a light drizzle as the show played on. The parade of bands, penguins, dancers, clubs and Santa did not disappoint a cheerful— if soggy—audience.

Fallin' Around the Roller Rink

As might be expected, the Veterans Memorial Senior Center in Redwood City usually attracts an older clientele. But on December 2, the doors were opened to teens who were invited to travel back to the 1950s, when roller skating was in vogue.

And as only teenagers can, they donned the boots with wheels and then squealed in delight while wobbling like toddlers and falling to the hardwood floor. Aided by a couple of seasoned skaters and an instructor, most began to get the hang of it.

The event was the idea of Recreation Coordinator Telisha Brent of the Redwood City Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department. “Teens are the most underserved demographic in our community,” she asserts. “I wanted to do whatever it took to get them out and socialize.”

Brent hopes to do it again in April and have it become a quarterly experience. Judging from how many teens were calling their friends on their cellphones and urging them to hurry over, Brent may have hit on something.

Making the Perfect Tamale

There’s an art to making tamales. Just ask Steve Cortez, former high-tech specialist turned educator and chef. On December 10, Cortez led other cooks in a class on creating the tasty Latin American staple at the Highlands Recreation Center in San Mateo.

Cortez, of Redwood City, found his culinary calling after the dotcom bust. But teaching is where he discovered his passion.

These days, he shuttles among elementary and high schools in San Mateo County, teaching mostly math and science as well as the occasional cooking class. As a bilingual educator, Cortez is in demand at both public and parochial schools.

But Cortez and his wife, Laurel, also lead culinary classes around the world. Their next stop for research will be Sicily and Malta, chosen because of the historical cross-pollination of cultures that has, over the centuries, led to a great variety of intriguing dishes.

For information on classes: cortez_sc@yahoo.com

Big Changes in Ocean Cruise Industry as Lines Rebound After Covid

My mother was a Mermaid / My father was King Neptune / I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep…

That bit of doggerel comes from “Reef Points,” the handbook of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Just as career officers feel attached to the service, I feel as though the cruise industry has been in my blood ever since I walked aboard my first passenger ship in 1977. I immediately decided that, somehow, cruising would become my life’s vocation.

During my time in the business, I’ve seen many remarkable changes. When I started 45 years ago, about 90 cruise ships were marketed to North American vacationers. Today, around 325 ships are available worldwide, with more under construction.

Imagine that the average cruise ship used to weigh around 20,000 to 30,000 tons and carried between 600 and 700 passengers. In 2022, Royal Caribbean International introduced the world’s largest ship, the Wonder of the Seas, at a whopping 236,857 tons. Carrying 5,734 passengers at double occupancy (plus 2,300 crew), it boasts 18 decks and stretches nearly the length of four football fields. It may take you a week to find your way around, but I can think of worse places to get lost!

Travelers looking for lots of excitement can certainly find it all on such large ships. Excellent restaurants, fabulous gyms and spas, full casinos and dazzling nightclubs will keep everyone entertained. Families traveling with children will enjoy the many supervised youth activities, shipboard water parks, go-cart tracks, laser games, rock-climbing walls, ziplines above the pool area and even ice-skating (I’m not making that up).

Passengers looking for a more relaxing, deluxe vacation will appreciate the smaller, more luxurious ships such as those operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, Silversea, Ritz Carlton and Crystal Cruises. A particular advantage of the small-ship experience is the many perks included in the fare. Smaller ships also can get close to spectacular destinations such as the glaciers in Alaska, the pristine islands of Tahiti, the Norwegian fjords or the Maldives, a beautiful archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

I was recently invited to the naming ceremony for Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, the Celebrity Beyond.

As you may know, every ship has a “godmother” who “christens” it with the traditional bottle of champagne smashed against the hull as the guests proclaim,

“God Bless this ship and all who sail on her…” This time, the designated godmother was U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. What an event it was! Lots of other travel professionals, travel writers and industry executives were in attendance. It’s always a thrill to welcome another impressive ship. The last time I attended such a memorable event was the christening ceremony for the fabulous new Regent Seven Seas ship, the Seven Seas Splendor. It was in Miami during February 2020, about three weeks before the pandemic shut down the world. Supermodel Christie Brinkley served as godmother. Who knew that just a few weeks later, the entire industry would cease operations for every cruise ship worldwide?

Nearly three years later, the business is finally bouncing back. Most lines are offering attractive discounts for the coming season. For experienced seagoing travelers, it’s full steam ahead. And if you’ve never taken a cruise, I encourage you to think about a vacation that can provide exceptional value along with a lifetime of memories.

Checkmate!

The Menlo Park Chess Club highlights the Bay Area’s role as the ancient game roars back.

By Vlae Kershner

The soft thump of plastic pieces stamping on green-and-white vinyl boards filled the room. Occasionally a player burst out in an exclamation. With only seven seconds remaining on his clock, a reporter moved his black king out of check and pushed a button, stopping his countdown and turning his opponent’s timer on. Clyde, a towheaded nine-year-old boy, lifted his white rook and set it down on the reporter's back row. “Check… and mate!” he exulted.

The action came in a December blitz tournament at the Menlo Park Chess Club. Each player had only three minutes, plus a two-second increment after each move, for the entire game. With such a quick time control, the entire five-round contest took only an hour. The 20 players ranged from ages 8 to around 70.

The reporter finished with a dismal record of 1-and-4 and an adrenaline rush that made it hard to sleep.

The weekly action has been going on since longtime Menlo Park resident Mark Drury formed the club in January 2022.

Drury says that 20 years ago, the area was home to several chess clubs. “They disappeared,” he laments. “Online chess killed them.” That left no place to play

over the board between the Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club in San Francisco and the Kolty Chess Club in Campbell.

Rise

Of Internet Chess

Online chess exploded after Covid struck in 2020. The leading website, Chess.com, doubled its monthly active user base, and now has more than 97 million members. The New York Times called the boom the greatest since the Bobby Fischer-Boris

Spassky world championship match half a century ago.

Recently, people seeking social engagement have begun looking for overthe-board games, Drury says. Surveying the local landscape, he found lots of places for schoolkids but few for adults.

The club meets on Wednesday nights at the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center in Burgess Park. Players range from beginners to masters. One recent tournament attracted 63 contestants and was won by international master Olivia Smith from Wales. Smith is rated at around 2,050 points under the International Chess Federation’s official “Elo” system, which calculates a player’s prowess after every game played under tournament conditions. (Current world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway averages around 2,860.)

Drury says all competitors are welcome, adding that he can find an opponent within 100 rating points for anyone who wants to play. Beginners can also be linked up with a local chess teacher. The club is free, though non-residents are subject to a $3 facility fee. Players come mostly from San Mateo south on the Peninsula, with a few from across the bay.

Formats vary from week to week. They include classical, in which each player must complete 40 moves in an hour; rapid (10 minutes); blitz (three minutes); bullet (one minute); and duck (where both players can place a rubber duck on the board to block attacks). Recently gaining in popularity is a variety called Fischer Random, in which pieces are shuffled to discourage memorized openings.

Long History Across Continents

A non-lethal representation of war, chess has its origins in a game called chaturanga, which was played in sixth-century India. The pastime spread across the globe, its pieces gradually gaining power, and reached its standard form in 16th-century Spain. A Spanish priest, Ruy Lopez, published a

The Menlo Park club’s formats include classical, in which each player must complete 40 moves in an hour; rapid (10 minutes); blitz (three minutes); bullet (one minute); and duck (where both players can place a rubber duck on the board to block attacks).

chess book in 1561, giving a still-popular king’s pawn opening his name.

By the mid-20th century, players from the Soviet Union dominated the game, but were briefly overthrown by American chess genius Bobby Fischer in 1972, causing the game’s popularity to explode in the United States. The enthusiasm faded three years later when the tempestuous Fischer gave up his crown in a dispute with match organizers.

In the Bay Area, chess was popularized by Belgian-born international master George Koltanowski, a memory whiz renowned for playing as many as 34 games simultaneously while blindfolded. He wrote a chess column for the San Francisco Chronicle for 52 years until his death at 96 in 2000. His nickname lives on in the Kolty Chess Club in Campbell.

Around the time Koltanowski died, a threat to human chess supremacy began developing in the new digital world. Computer scientists programmed a machine to play perfect tic-tac-toe in 1952 and could

hardly resist chess, which is estimated to have 10 to the 120th power possible moves, more than the number of atoms in the observable universe.

The first chess engines, as the programs are known, played poorly. It wasn’t until the 1980s that they became competitive with expert players. Finally, in 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue defeated world champion Garry Kasparov under tournament conditions, ending the reign of humans over one of the world’s most complex brain teasers.

Still Unsolved

Unlike in checkers, which was shown in 2007 to result in a draw if perfectly played on both sides, computers have not yet fully cracked chess. It remains unknown if an ideal sequence of play would bring victory for the white pieces, which move first, or a draw.

World champion Carlsen’s rating in the mid-2,800s pales next to the latest publicly available version of the Stockfish engine (a free, open-source, computer-driven chess program). It’s rated at more than

3,500. That means anyone cheating with a phone theoretically could beat any human in almost every contest.

High-level chess engines at times seem to be playing a different game. For example, it is usually a fatal blunder to allow a major piece to be captured without being able to recapture it. But in a recent tournament, another engine called Leela Chess Zero left a rook (the castle) hanging for half the game. Stockfish refused to take it, both sides apparently calculating the piece would not play a part in more imminent checkmate threats.

When Kasparov, a self-exiled political foe of Vladimir Putin, got into a Twitter battle with Elon Musk over the Russia-Ukraine war, the Silicon Valley billionaire taunted him, tweeting, “While it’s true that Kasparov is almost as good at playing chess as my iPhone, he is otherwise an idiot.”

Musk’s comment may have been rude, but it pointed out a huge problem for a game synonymous with intellectual challenge. Cheating is difficult to catch without sophisticated programs that evaluate whether a player is getting help.

“Game That Broke Internet”

In September, chess made international headlines following suggestions that American 19-year-old Hans Niemann had cheated to beat Carlsen in the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, an over-the-board tournament in St. Louis. Rumors flew that Niemann had received electronic signals from a vibrating sex toy.

Niemann, who twice as a juvenile had been caught cheating online by Chess.com, vigorously denied the allegations and sarcastically offered to play naked. For weeks, the chess world argued about “the game that broke the Internet.” Niemann has since filed a $100-million defamation suit against Carlsen, his company (Play Magnus Group), Chess.com and others.

Niemann was born in San Francisco

and was the youngest winner of the Mechanics’ Institute Thursday Night Marathon tournament at age 11. He now lives in New York, the center of U.S. chess.

But the local region appears to be catching up. “The Bay Area is quite the chess hub—almost rivaling New York, not quite,” says Wolfgang Behm, who works for Bay Area Chess, a San Jose nonprofit that promotes the game. Run by enthusiast Salman Azhar, it establishes tournaments, camps and clubs for children K-12, mostly from first to fifth grade. Players who have taken part in the program include 17-yearold Christopher Yoo, now a grandmaster who four years ago became the youngest international master in U.S. history.

On Saturday mornings, Bay Area Chess holds a tournament at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, with an average of 12 to 24 players a week. On a recent Saturday, a group of children averaging ages 7 and 8 gathered for a quad tournament, a round-robin competition matching players of approximately equal strength in groups of four.

Slow Recovery from Pandemic

During Covid, the games had to move online. “We’re not even close to back where it was,” Behm says. “We need more coaches,” he adds, noting many were forced to move to other jobs.

Several factors have sparked local interest, starting when India’s Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand became a five-time world champion in the early 2000s, attracting Indian American youngsters from places such as Cupertino. Behm says Carlsen is also popular in the Bay Area.

“Queen’s Gambit,” a hit Netflix series in 2020 about a Kentucky orphan who rises to challenge the world champion, also engaged new players, especially girls. In the real world, the closest equivalent to the fictional Beth Harmon may be Hungarian-born Judit Polgár, one of the world’s 10 top players in the early 2000s.

Still, a tournament of 50 players might include just five or six girls “if we’re lucky,” Behm says. He considers it unfortunate because he finds girls typically more focused and easier to teach than boys.

Considering the queen is the most powerful piece on the board, it might be time for that to change. Perhaps the newfound popularity of chess on the Peninsula will play a role.

For those seeking a more casual over-the-board experience, the City of San Carlos recently installed a pair of chess tables in Frank D. Harrington Park on Laurel Street.

When Kasparov, a self-exiled political foe of Vladimir Putin, got into a Twitter battle with Elon Musk over the Russia-Ukraine war, the Silicon Valley billionaire taunted him, tweeting, “While it’s true that Kasparov is almost as good at playing chess as my iPhone, he is otherwise an idiot.”

Club founder Mark Drury gives instructions.

A Tale of Two Soups

Often during the winter, I've traveled to Italy, especially Tuscany. In my opinion, it's the ideal time to visit. The weather can be cold and rainy, but it also chases away many of the crowds. Besides, much of Tuscany’s history and art can be appreciated indoors.

My favorite Tuscan destination is Florence, and my preferred hotel is the Palazzo Alfieri (“Alfieri Palace”). Named after the 18th-century Italian playwright and poet Vittorio Alfieri, it sits downtown near the Arno River, around a five-minute walk from the famous Uffizi gallery (home of Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and other masterpieces).

Among the many day trips from the city center are excursions to the nearby Chianti Classico grape-growing region. One of my favorite wineries there is Casa Emma, where the Bucalossi family has preserved the historical features of an organically producing wine estate. Along with many of their other wines, the Bucalossis’ Chianti is delightful, particularly when paired with tastings of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheese, salami, prosciutto and bruschetta.

Back in Florence, my go-to eatery remains Ristorante Mamma Gina, across the river and another five-minute walk from the hotel. In addition to its fresh pasta selections, I have discovered Mamma Gina’s remarkable soups. I have two favorites— ribollita and Tuscan bean. Both are exquisitely flavorful and robust, equally comforting in cooler weather.

Ribollita literally means “re-boiled.” It originated as a strategy for leftovers, including stale bread and vegetables that had already been cooked. Next month: More tempting destinations in Italy, and my secrets for Tuscan bean soup.

I’d also like to welcome Dehoff’s Market in Redwood City as the new sponsor of our food column. Last month, Chris Dehoff contributed his family’s traditional instructions for a standing rib roast to our holiday recipes. We’re grateful to Chris and Dehoff’s for their support!

RIBOLITTA

3 cups chicken stock 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling on the bread 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and diced 4 ounces pancetta, chopped 2 cloves peeled garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence (you can substitute 2 teaspoons each of dried thyme and dried savory, plus 1 teaspoon dried marjoram and 1 teaspoon dried lavender)

1 bay leaf

1 3-inch Parmesan cheese rind (just the rind, not chunks of cheese)

Grated Parmesan, for serving 4 to 6 ciabatta rolls, sliced in halves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until onion and minced garlic are golden and pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir it until it dissolves. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Bring soup to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Drizzle ciabatta halves with olive oil and toast in the oven until they’re golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and rub tops with the whole garlic clove. Place toasts in serving bowls and ladle soup over toasts. Sprinkle soup with Parmesan and serve immediately.

by Jim Clifford

John Paul Jones Would Have Loved This Ship

Scottish American naval captain John Paul Jones earned fame during the American Revolution when, during a battle off the northern coast of England in 1779, he responded to a British suggestion about surrender by retorting, “I have not yet begun to fight.” (Jones’s fleet ultimately prevailed, against heavy odds.) Jones also was involved in asking France to aid the Americans; during the discussions, he vowed “to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.”

Today, navigation charts of San Francisco Bay warn of a shipwreck near Redwood City that’s about all that’s left of a fast ship sent into harm’s way during World War II. The remains are those of the USS Thompson, which I have written about in The Journal of Local History. I decided to delve further into the history of this class of ship after reading the obituary of Carl Clark of Menlo Park.

Clark, who died in 2017 at age 100, served aboard the USS Aaron Ward, a destroyer similar to the Thompson. None of the obituaries about Clark that I read gave any history of the Ward, so I opened the always captivating book, “Warships of the World,” published by Cornell Maritime Press and written by Roger Kafka and Roy L. Pepperburg.

I got an eye-opening naval education. It was so fascinating that my attention strayed from the Thompson, about which I will write more next month. It, too, has an intriguing story. But for now, the USS Aaron Ward.

The 1946 edition of “Warships of the World” reveals that the Ward sank a Japa-

nese submarine at Pearl Harbor more than an hour before Imperial Japan attacked on the morning of December 7, 1941. The Ward wiped out the sub at 6:30 a.m. According to the book, the destroyer’s crew notified the base, which was hit beginning at 7:48 a.m.

The Ward was built at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo in 1918, too late for World War I. The ship made up for its lack of combat experience in that conflict by seeing plenty of it in the next war.

After Pearl Harbor, two of the Ward’s four smokestacks were removed as part of its conversion to a “fast transport” that faced danger many times in earning 10 battle stars, including in the Solomon Islands and at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. At the 1944 Battle of Ormoc Bay, an extension of the huge Leyte Gulf confrontation, torpedoes damaged the Ward so severely that U.S. forces themselves sent it to the bottom. The Ward’s end came on December 7, 1944, three years to the day after the vessel fired the first shot of the war.

The larger (and greatly decisive) Battle of Leyte Gulf was the biggest naval clash in World War II, and depending on how it’s viewed, perhaps in history. Fought during four days in late October 1944, it engaged more than 200,000 naval personnel. According to the website of the U.S. Navy’s Naval History and Heritage Command (available at www.history.navy.mil), the battle “completely destroyed the strategic threat posed

by the Imperial Japanese Navy.”

Pentagon records show the U.S. lost seven warships to Japan’s 26. For Japan, the losses of vessels and crew were its greatest in history. The human cost was staggering—more than 23,300 U.S. soldiers and sailors killed and an unfathomable 419,912 Japanese dead and wounded.

The battle began after Japanese commanders, anticipating the Allied attack to re-take the Philippines after Japan captured the U.S. commonwealth in 1942, prepared what the U.S. Navy’s website describes as “a desperate, multi-pronged attempt” to devastate U.S. naval forces and intercept the Allies’ amphibious landing, which started October 20. Raging from October 23 to 26, the naval clash—in reality, a widely dispersed series of smaller conflicts—involved battleships, destroyers, cruisers, PT boats, aircraft carriers and numerous fighter and bomber squadrons.

Included were U.S. Admiral William F. Halsey’s Third Fleet and Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid’s Seventh Fleet; despite being outnumbered, just three vessel groups from the Seventh Fleet turned back Japanese naval forces on the morning of October 25. By the next day, the Allies had established sea and air control throughout the region for the duration of the war.

Next month: The story of the USS Thompson and how it came to rest off Redwood City on the mudflats of San Francisco Bay.

When the Stagecoach Gave Way to the Bus

The San Francisco and San Jose Railroad linked its two namesake cities in 1864, but stagecoaches still predominated on the routes to communities west of El Camino Real. Stagecoach operator Simon Knight owned the first cross-Peninsula stage line; his son, Walter, and another local man named John Poole were the drivers. Knight’s largest stagecoaches could carry as many as 17 passengers. The stages ran from Redwood City to Searsville, La Honda, San Gregorio and Pescadero. The business office of the Knight Stage Coach Co. was situated in the American House Hotel, on Main Street in Redwood City.

The trip from Redwood City to Pescadero could take up to eight hours, owing to frequent stops at hotels and roadhouses along the way for the drivers to imbibe, rest and water their horses. The waiting passengers often griped that the drivers drank more than the animals.

The end of horse-drawn stagecoaches came in 1910 with the emergence of the “horseless carriage,” then known as an “open-air coach.” Walter Knight, who had taken over the stage line, immediately purchased a large auto that carried up to 20 people, including the driver. But roads still had not been improved, which made the ride just as long and precarious as it had been by stagecoach.

John Shroyer

A stagecoach ready to depart from Pescadero.

The new horseless carriage was as slow or slower than the stagecoach.

For historical fun visit the County History Museum in downtown Redwood City

Contributed Editorial Content

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