KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift The gravestone for Elisha Stephens in the Historic Union Cemetary in Bakersfield on March 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)View the full episode transcript. Pete Smoot’s driven along Stevens Creek Boulevard. He’s hiked in the Stevens Creek watershed which tumbles down from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the San Francisco Bay Smoot used to ride his bike around the Stevens Creek Reservoir And he couldn’t help but notice a lot of things in the South Bay named after somebody named Stevens and why is Stevens Creek Boulevard in San José and in Cupertino named after him or her?” he asked Bay Curious “The whole reason to name something after someone is to memorialize them in so many landmarks around Silicon Valley,” White told me while walking through Stevens Creek County Park in Cupertino the one that got so many local place names named after him He was captain of a party of pioneers that opened up what is now known as Donner Pass. Yes, THAT Donner Pass The Donner Party, it turns out, was not the first group in a wagon train to cross this particular mountain pass. The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party was They started with 50 people in eleven wagons and arrived in California with two more people “This entire overland party did not lose a single man it increased by two because of procreation They came down from the mountain with more people than they started out with That’s not to say the Stephens Party had an easy time of it when they crossed the pass in 1844. Enough beaver trappers and such had made the journey to California that people back East knew going in that the hardest part of the journey would be at the end of it A Northern Paiute tribal leader who helped thousands of white people in the 1840s and ’50s cross the barren Great Basin of Nevada suggested the party follow a river up to its source in the Sierra Nevada mountains “Tro-kay!” meaning “Everything is alright!” and that’s how a number of things In any case, it was a miserable, hard slog especially for the pregnant women and the oxen and they used a rope pulley chained to the backs of the oxen,” White said According to the most detailed account — the party was careful about sticking together in one big group until mid-November when they were knee-deep in snow in the mountains The leadership of the party — so presumably Stephens — decided to split up the group This would leave three young men behind and have them guard the wagons in the same rough location where the Donner Party met their fateful end No diaries of the Stephens Party journey west are known to survive but a couple of participants dictated their memories of what happened decades later Schallenberger was among the men that stayed behind and he barely survived that winter in a cabin he helped build himself “We thought the snow would soon melt for the snow was so deep that they could not get around to eat but we killed the poor things to keep them from starving to death.” When a member of the advance party was sent back on snowshoes with provisions Schallenberger was found trying to eat boiled leather Once Stephens and the rest of the party made it down to the promised land of California buying 160 acres of land originally part of the Spanish/Mexican land grant known as Rancho San Antonio Stephens named his patch of paradise Blackberry Farm he essentially doubled his land holdings with more acres in Mountain View but the broader context of land ownership in California during the mid-19th century is complicated given that Americans took California from Mexico Possibly because nobody in the Stephens party died major newspapers of the day didn’t cover its arrival Which might explain why Stephens felt he had to toot his own horn to South Bay neighbors often with a fair bit of bitterness involved locals did know of his exploits but largely tried to steer clear of a dinner invite from Stephens “He was well-known for making an exceptional ragout that was made out of the fat and juicy rattlesnakes that he caught in the brush around Cupertino. And some people avoided his house because they knew that if we went to see him, rattlesnake was on the menu,” White said Elisha Stephens became a beekeeper and a chicken farmer and also “a real grump,” White said complaining that the South Bay had become “too durn civilized” — and this was before the sun-baked suburbia we’re all familiar with today after the Central Pacific Railroad route across the mountain pass was finished I think it would have been classy for somebody to invite him to the ribbon cutting ceremony Nobody thought to invite him,” said White He’s paralyzed in the local hospital This is when he’s living in Kern County He was initially in a potter’s field in Bakersfield,” said White A potter’s field is a burial ground for poor “The cemetery even lost his internment records,” White continued some historical minded people found his grave But I mean that’s a lot of forgetting who wrote some really popular books about the Donners he misspelled Stephens’ last name S-T-E-V-E-N-S this stings me on a personal level because I can also tell you from first-hand experience that a one-time bureaucratic error can be sustained over time in the most egregious ways my name — my byline — is Dan White Because many people, especially locally, would think of the Dan White infamous for killing San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in 1978 “I descend from Ukrainian and Russian and German Jews and the last name should be spelled as it was spelled for hundreds and hundreds of years It’s a mistake on my father’s birth certificate that was never corrected So I’ve got that in common with Stephens I think what people often say is say whatever you want about me but spell my name right,” White said “My family name was a misspelling from about 400 years ago I can assume that they’re related to me but at least get my name right,” Smoot said Much of the terrain that attracted Stephens to settle here during the 1840s is still parkland burrowing owls — and in the springtime dotted with periwinkle and Indian paintbrush flowers “The valley floor itself is all suburbia and companies They’re filled with trees and wildlife and babbling brooks,” said Smoot Was Smoot surprised to learn of the real man behind all things named “Stevens Creek” in the South Bay “This area was filled with people who migrated from the East Coast Some people would have risen to prominence and they get a bunch of stuff named after them,” Smoot said but it does seem like Elisha Stephens’ story is emblematic of so much of California history writ large There are these layers and layers of human stories of travail and triumph that just get paved over as new generations come through and forge their own paths in the Golden State Olivia Allen-Price: The naming of things is a serious matter something we’ve all been paying a bit more attention to in recent years If the honorees don’t merit a mention in school books who even remembers them after the last living person to know them dies I’ve been thinking about this a lot ever since we got this question from longtime listener Pete Smoot Pete Smoot: The whole reason to name something after someone is to memorialize them we’re digging into the all-but-forgotten history of Elisha Stephens It’s a tale full of adventure that will take us over the high Sierra a few years before gold was found in this state so Pete wants to know why so many things in Cupertino Mountain View and Sunnyvale are called “Stevens Creek.” KQED’s Rachael Myrow did some digging Rachael Myrow: You know how most searches start on the Internet the first thing I realized upon looking for Elisha Stephens was there are a lot of different spellings of his name And the right one is not the one that’s on all the place names and street signs Author Dan White — whose book “The Cactus Eaters” includes a passage on Stephens — explains in so many landmarks around Silicon Valley at Stevens Creek County Park in Cupertino to discuss the story of a South Carolina born man who was under-appreciated during his lifetime — and also deserved to be remembered better than he has been Fun fact: The Donner Party was not the first wagon train to cross this particular mountain pass They began in what was then the Iowa Territory Reflecting their collective respect for his leadership skills the 50 people in eleven wagons elected him captain Dan White: The rub is that this entire overland party did not lose a single man Rachael Myrow: Which is not to say that the Stephens Party had an easy time of it when they crossed the pass in 1844 Enough beaver trappers and such had made the journey to California that people back East knew going in the hardest part of the journey would be at the end of it Rachael Myrow: A Northern Paiute tribal leader who helped thousands of white people in the 1840s and ’50s cross the barren Great Basin of Nevada suggested the party follow a river up to its source in the Sierra Nevada mountains were later named “Truckee.” In any case there was a granite ledge that they got towards and there was a 10-foot rocky barrier blocking the way what they did was they unpacked everything from the wagons and they used a rope pulley chained to the backs of the oxen Rachael Myrow: Once Stephens and the rest of the party made it down to the promised land of California but the broader context of land ownership in California during the mid-19th century is … complicated But back to opening that mountain path to the Pacific … It was part of the incursion into California and a railroad and a freeway would both breach that same pass Millions more people going from that same mountain notch Rachael Myrow: Possibly because nobody in the Stephens party died White surmises major newspapers of the day didn’t cover its arrival That might explain why Stephens felt he had to toot his own horn to South Bay neighbors Dan White: He was well-known for making an exceptional ragout that was made out of the fat and juicy rattlesnakes that he caught in the brush around Cupertino And some people avoided his house because they knew that if we went to see him Rachael Myrow: Elisha Stephens became a beekeeper and a chicken farmer and he looks like what you’d expect a 19th-century pioneer to look like: from his hat to his utility knife hanging from his big snow white beard that extended down to his rough and ready Western cravat direct stare that was common in studio photos of the time because if you smiled the whole thing was likely to come out blurry complaining that the South Bay had become “too durn civilized.” And this was before the sun-baked suburbia we’re all familiar with today after the Central Pacific Railroad uh route across the mountain pass was finished He was initially in a potter’s field in Bakersfield Rachael Myrow: A potter’s field is a burial ground for poor Dan White: The cemetery even lost his internment records some historical-minded people found his grave that’s a lot of forgetting and a lot of obscurity Rachael Myrow: So how did a guy most everyone forgot get so many South Bay place names named after him but Stephens wouldn’t be the only faded-glory pioneer with big land holdings to get memorialized in this particular way in California this stings me on a personal level because I can also tell you from first-hand experience can be sustained over time in the most egregious ways would think of the Dan White infamous for killing San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in 1978 Dan White: I descend from Ukrainian and Russian and German Jews Rachael Myrow: That gets a rise out of our question asker Pete Smoot: My family name was a misspelling from about 400 years ago Rachael Myrow: Much of the terrain that attracted Stephens to settle here during the 1840s is still parkland Pete Smoot: The valley floor itself is all suburbia and companies They’re filled with trees and wildlife and babbling brooks Rachael Myrow: Is this story that you’re hearing Pete Smoot: I didn’t really have an expectation this area was filled with people who migrated from the East Coast and they get a bunch of stuff named after them Rachael Myrow: Not to get too philosophical on you There are these layers and layers of human stories of travail and triumph that just get paved over as new generations come through and forge their own paths in the Golden State Olivia Allen-Price: That was Rachael Myrow Senior Editor of KQED’s Silicon Valley Desk Thanks to Pete Smoot for asking the question this week It was chosen by you in a public voting round at BayCuriuos.org and we’re asking you to consider questions about tree frogs and “the San Francisco Twins” … a well-known pair of actresses Head to BayCurious.org and cast your vote for which story you’d like to hear on this podcast next Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. As you may have heard, funding for public media is at risk right now. You can help KQED continue to offer high-quality, fact-checked news and information by becoming a member today. Learn more at KQED.org/donate To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. the South Bay region of Los Angeles County is known for its stunning beaches and aerospace industry legacy But it doesn't have a reputation for being especially social justice-oriented But beyond its postcard-worthy sunsets lies a fascinating political history that reflects broader shifts in California’s partisan landscape and current voting trends in the South Bay — a microcosm of California’s evolving political identity But before we get into the roots — here's a flyer for an event Wade and his fellow activists have organized to help locals to discover meaningful ways to get involved politically and activists making real change in the South Bay RSVP What: We the People South Bay Coalition building and fun Where: Pacific Unitarian Universalist Church the South Bay — including cities like Torrance and Palos Verdes — leaned conservative many aerospace and defense workers settled in the region bringing with them the kind of fiscally conservative and pro-defense views that aligned with the Republican Party This was particularly true during the Cold War when South Bay cities were hubs for large corporations with big Department of Defense contracts such as Northrop Grumman and Hughes Aircraft Republican candidates often found strong support in South Bay cities such as Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills Other South Bay cities like Torrance and Redondo Beach reliably Republican in both local and national elections And even though some Republicans can still count on support from the region like in the recent Lomita City Council race people watching the South Bay have witnessed change.  the political map of the South Bay began to shift in the 1990s and 2000s The shift was partly a consequence of the end of the cold war which led to the aerospace industry in Southern California losing a significant number of Department of Defense (DoD) contracts and jobs The region's economy and political landscape changed dramatically Highly compensated aerospace employees and their families moved out; younger and more diverse populations moved into the region This population shift led to more of a focus on social issues like affordable housing and quality education and began playing a larger role in how residents voted Suburban coastal cities that once prioritized defense and low taxes began to weigh climate policy saw its local politics shift to the center with Democratic candidates gaining ground in both state and federal elections particularly on environmental and social justice issues One of the biggest signs of this shift came in 2018 and 2020 when Democratic candidates won handily in several South Bay congressional districts I briefly lived in Torrance with my soon-to-be husband When we put a "Vote for John Kerry" sign in our front yard a neighbor from around the corner knocked on our door and almost threw herself into our arms when we opened it "I thought I was the only liberal," she said the South Bay region of Los Angeles County is politically diverse — and increasingly blue While cities like Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes still contain pockets of conservatism especially in coastal and younger communities Inglewood and Hawthorne are deeply Democratic reflecting their majority-minority populations Torrance and Redondo Beach remain politically mixed but have shifted significantly from their earlier Republican roots Voter registration data confirms this trend: as of the latest figures registered Democrats now outnumber Republicans in most South Bay cities and environmental policy often overriding strict party lines The South Bay also tends to favor pragmatic moderate candidates who reflect the nuanced values of their constituents As California continues to serve as a bellwether for national political trends the South Bay plays a key role in shaping outcomes The region’s diverse mix of longtime homeowners and tech-savvy newcomers offers a unique political profile that can’t be easily categorized Which makes organizing even more difficult Understanding South Bay Los Angeles politics is crucial for anyone tracking California elections or the evolving demographics of Los Angeles County voting patterns This is a region that’s no longer easily defined by its past — and that’s precisely what makes it so politically important especially at a time when progressives have an opportunity to find their voice here The South Bay region of Los Angeles County includes a mix of beach cities Here's a list and a map of the main cities and communities generally considered part of the South Bay: Now, back to the event: Whether you're a seasoned activist or simply curious about how to make a difference locally, this inclusive event welcomes everyone interested in building a more just, equitable, and vibrant South Bay. Click here to rsvp The opinions expressed here are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions or beliefs of the LA Progressive. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported South Bay Wild Fish House in Astoria imports 80% of its seafood The restaurant catches most of the seafood they sell and also sources locally An Oregon Coast restaurant was recently featured on a list of the top seafood restaurants in all 50 states by Yelp "Searches for seafood restaurants on Yelp have jumped by 34% in 2024 compared to the previous year," said the restaurant review website before revealing 2025's best seafood in every state Here's what to know about the Oregon restaurant and why Yelp says it has the best seafood in the state Which restaurant in Oregon did Yelp say has the best seafood?South Bay Wild Fish House in Astoria was named the best seafood restaurant in Oregon for 2025 The family-owned restaurant had 495 Yelp reviews and a 4.5-star rating It is best known for their dishes featuring self-caught Dungeness crab and Oregon pink shrimp South Bay Wild Fish House is operated by Astoria locals Rob and Tiffani Seitz frequently catches the Dungeness crab and Oregon pink shrimp from their commercial fishing vessel “We catch a good portion of it ourselves,” Rob Seitz told the Statesman Journal about the seafood they sell at the restaurant Seitz said that when they’re not catching the seafood they try to source locally or from other fisher-people Tiffani Seitz said her brother-in-law, Chris Robertson, who is now the executive chef at The Cozy Taberna in Salem "helped us a bit with our menu and gave us a lot of good advice about running a restaurant" when he was at Southark Seafood in Portland Reviewers tend to recommend the restaurant's clam chowder which won a 2017 Good Food Award for "delicious food that meets environmentally sustainable standards," according to Yelp In 2024, the restaurant also took the No. 9 spot on Yelp's list of top 100 seafood spots in America South Bay Wild Fish House is open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and is closed Sunday through Tuesday Some menu items include clam chowder starting at $6.50 Dungeness crab and pink shrimp cakes for $16.00 Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval Metrics details The transition from day to night brings sweeping change to both environments and the organisms within them Diel shifts in gene expression have been documented across all domains of life but remain understudied in microbial communities particularly those in extreme environments where small changes may have rippling effects on resource availability many prominent taxa are photoheterotrophs that rely on organic carbon for growth but can also generate significant ATP via light-powered rhodopsins Previous research demonstrated a significant response to light intensity shifts in the model halophile Halobacterium salinarum but these cycles have rarely been explored in situ we examined genome-resolved differential expression in a hypersaline saltern (water activity (aw)\(\cong\)0.83 total dissolved solids = 250.7 g L−1) throughout a 24-h period We found increased transcription of genes related to phototrophy and anabolic metabolic processes during the day while genes related to aerobic respiration and oxidative stress were upregulated at night Substantiating these results with a chemostat culture of the environmentally abundant halophilic bacterium Salinibacter ruber revealed similar transcriptional upregulation of genes associated with aerobic respiration under dark conditions These results describe the potential for light-driven changes in oxygen use across both a natural hypersaline environment and a pure culture Red dots indicate sites where DNA was sampled for metagenomic and amplicon sequencing The yellow dot indicates the site of diel metatranscriptomic sampling Image retrieved from Google Earth on 05/27/2024 ruber under twelve-hour light/dark cycling for one week followed by two days of sampling and then twenty-four-hour darkness for two days in order to identify changes in gene expression due to light/dark cycles and test the ability of S To capture cellular material and nucleic acids approximately 250 mL of brine was passed through each 47mm-wide 0.2 µm PES filter (Pall Laboratory NY) using a Sterlitech WaterVac vacuum pump (Sterlitech MA) was immediately added to each filter and excess liquid not absorbed by the filter was drawn through Filters were then removed from the pump by carefully rolling them using sterile tweezers and placing them in 15 mL Falcon tubes without creasing filter paper Samples were stored on dry ice in the field and transferred to −80 °C storage at UC San Diego temperature and pH measurements were collected from Site 12 at each time point using a HOBO MX2501 logger (Onset MA) and dissolved oxygen was collected using a miniDOT logger (PME Solutions Oxygen values were corrected for temperature and salinity using standard equations embedded in the proprietary “concatenate” software Water activity was measured for all sites and all time points using a METER Aqualab 4TE water activity meter in the lab and regularly calibrated against METER Aqualab Verification/Calibration Standards All nucleic acids were extracted on the KingFisher Flex bead handling robot (ThermoFisher Scientific MA) using the MagMax Microbiome Ultra Nucleic Acid Isolation kit The Microbiome Ultra soil protocol was used without modification for metagenomic samples and the full protocol is available online from ThermoFisher (pub The filters collected without RNAlater were divided into quarters using sterile scissors and one quarter was used for DNA extractions while the other three quarters were archived at –80 °C Due to protocol development and troubleshooting of the RNA extractions each timepoint presented here contains six sequence library datasets generated from a combination of filter replicates and sequencing replicates from the same bulk brine collection bottle Six filters were collected for each timepoint using 250 mL each of sampled brine due to sample loss and protocol development some filters were combined into a single RNA sample while others were aliquoted into multiple sequencing replicates where material from two filters was combined All other timepoints have two datasets where material from one filter was split into two aliquots for sequencing The remaining datasets contain extractions from a single filter each RNA from filter quarters were extracted separately and were later combined and concentrated using 3 KDa Amicon Ultra-0.5 centrifugal filter units (Millipore-Sigma The following custom DNase digestion step was added to the abovementioned KingFisher Flex automated extraction protocol between the Wash Buffer and 80% ethanol wash steps DNA was degraded using 10 µL of TURBO™ DNase (Invitrogen MA) and 190 µL of 1× buffer (diluted in nuclease-free water) and agitated for 15 minutes at 37 °C 1 µL of RNaseOUT™ recombinant ribonuclease inhibitor (Invitrogen MA) was added to each concentrated sample to prevent RNA degradation a second TURBO™ DNase digestion step was performed following manufacturer instructions to remove remaining DNA Final RNA concentrations were quantified using the Qubit RNA High Sensitivity assay (Invitrogen RNA was extracted in two different batches in October 2020 and May 2021 Extracted RNA was submitted to the IGM Genomics Center (UCSD All RNA samples were prepared using the Illumina Stranded Total RNA Prep with Ribodepletion and sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 generating on average 34.5 M reads per sample We chose to create a custom gene database created from annotated ORFs from medium- and high-quality MAGs We acknowledge that metagenome-assembled-genomes are not fully comprehensive representations of all genes in a given genome using direct read mapping to genes from our MAGs allowed us to analyze gene expression in a quasi-genomic and taxonomically specific context these MAGs were environmentally relevant population genomes specific to the SBSW system allowing us to detect fine-grained variance in expression We were able to map between 30–41% of reads from each sample to MAGs from SBSW 114 MAGs accounted for 98% of the mapped reads and we therefore selected these MAGs for our custom gene database Metatranscriptomic reads were then mapped to the gene database created from these MAGs using BWA-MEM The Sequence Alignment Map (SAM) files were parsed into count matrices using a custom Python script (see Code Availability statement) and these count matrices were used to perform differential expression analysis where \({w}_{t}=\frac{2\pi t}{24}\) and t was the original linear time value we maintained the culture at 12 hour light/12 h dark conditions for one week we sampled for two days every 12 h and then continued sampling every 12 h under a regime of 24-h darkness for two more days to determine whether circadian patterns were still evident without a light stimulus Samples were collected at the midpoint of the light or dark period duplicate 5 mL samples were extracted via 5 mL syringe and placed in sterile 15 mL falcon tubes Tubes from dark samples were wrapped in aluminum foil to protect them from light Samples were centrifuged for 10 minutes at 5000 rpm using a Centrifuge 5804 R (Eppendorf Germany) and cell pellets were then suspended in 1.5 mL tubes with 100 μl of RNAlater stabilizer (Thermo Fisher Scientific Samples were then placed on dry ice and stored at −80 °C A total of 16 samples were obtained (two from each collection point) and RNA was extracted and sequenced using the methods described above Chemostat cultures were monitored using the Guava easyCyte™ Flow Cytometers (Luminex USA) before and during the experiment by sampling 1 mL from the chemostat culture Triplicate samples were then created by adding 900 μl of PBS buffer 100 μl of sample and 10 μl of glutaraldehyde to 1.5 mL tubes and storing at −20 °C before cell counts were performed on the flow cytometer Cell density was 1.7 to 2.4 × 106 cells/μL for all sampling points during the experiment Sanger sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed to assess the purity of the culture differential expression testing was conducted across six timepoints within a twenty-four-hour window utilizing six replicate sequencing datasets for each timepoint (see Nucleic acid extraction and sequencing) with DESeq2’s Likelihood Ratio Test Transcript counts were normalized by DESeq2’s median of ratios method This experiment is reproducible given appropriate permissions from the SBSW facility although we note that the salinity of these concentrator ponds often changes due to internal facility use and management Salinibacter ruber M31 is commercially available from the Leibniz Institute-DSMZ culture collections (DSM no Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article Represented by 16S rRNA gene abundance (prokaryotes) and 18S rRNA gene abundance (eukaryotes and fungi). Sediment and mat samples had <1000 total 18S reads and were excluded from further analyses. 16S and 18S rRNA gene abundances for all lakes at SBSW can be found in Supplementary Fig. 3 Hellinger transformation (square root of relative abundance) was used for color gradients for better visualization of rarer taxa but dendrograms are based on untransformed relative abundance Shown as a proportion of the total reads recovered for each sample Two genes representing ribosomes that were unsuccessfully filtered by ribodepletion NODE_1943_length_16146_cov_30.276739_pgaptmp_000182 and NODE_2703_length_14133_cov_19.928612_pgaptmp_000886 were removed from the dataset before these calculations Ribosomal identity was confirmed via manual BLAST searches MAGs whose transcript counts were less than 0.5% of total reads in a sample are shown as “Other” A MA plot of mean transcription vs log2 fold change for all genes in the SBSW dataset where each point represents one of 180,973 genes in the dataset Negative log2 fold changes correspond to upregulation at night while positive fold changes correspond to upregulation during the day Red dots denote a Benjamini-Hotchberg adjusted p-value < 0.05 B PCA plot showing sample variation driven by the top 500 most variable genes as selected by overall range in value between samples This subset was chosen to validate whether the greatest differences between samples were indeed caused by a shift from day to night Each point represents a replicate dataset used in our analysis Percentages in axes represent the degree of between-sample variance explained by that axis Lines indicate expression level relative to the base mean transcription of significantly differentially expressed genes Lines in red highlight genes with a fold change of 2 or higher (corresponding to log2 fold change value of ±1 or greater) Gray shading indicates standard error across six replicate samples for each time point The total number of differentially expressed genes (Benjamini-Hotchberg adjusted p-value < 0.05 n) and the number of MAGs containing these genes (if these differ) is noted on the top right-hand corner of each plot The associated regulator phoU was also upregulated in Halorubrum and Natronomonas MAGs There was no taxonomic difference between genes with peak expression at sunrise versus sunset Our DESeq2 results analyzing the effect of sampling time alone found some differentially expressed genes (209 out of 2,968) but light condition had a stronger effect on gene expression with 44% of genes (1297 out of 2968) displaying significant differential expression (Benjamini-Hotchberg adjusted p-value < 0.05) between light and dark conditions as well as the sequencing of duplicate rather than triplicate samples from each time point means that these results are a conservative estimate of diel transcriptional changes in Salinibacter ruber Positive log2 fold change indicates upregulation under light conditions while negative log2 fold change indicates downregulation under light conditions Genes shown were either identified as genes of interest from SBSW analysis or had the greatest log2 fold change and/or the smallest p-values in the Salinibacter ruber culture experiment Created in BioRender. Weng, M. (2025) https://BioRender.com/q56f501 the combined study of environmental communities as well as model organisms is crucial for capturing both interrelationships among community members as well as functional variation within populations of the same species and thus developing these methods will be essential for greater insight into these environments which surveys diverse environments to better understand hypersaline microbial communities on Earth and the potential habitability of ocean world brines Our findings demonstrate the dynamic stability of halophilic communities facilitated by their metabolic flexibility and the degree to which microbial and geochemical processes are intertwined Halophiles not only adapt to the challenges of their world but also play an active role in creating the conditions under which they thrive The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories All genomic and metatranscriptomic data generated from SBSW is available from the NCBI Sequence Read Archive under BioProject #PRJNA680352 ruber culture experiment are available under BioProject #PRJNA1217906 Datasets containing taxonomic and quality information of all MAGs and both raw and normalized transcript counts for these experiments have been deposited in FigShare repositories (see DOIs available in Supplementary Information) All other data are available from the corresponding author upon request All code used to perform read mapping and differential expression analysis is freely available and can be found in the GitHub repository https://github.com/maggieweng/sbsw Origin and evolution of circadian clock genes in prokaryotes Structural basis of the day-night transition in a bacterial circadian clock Diel rhythm of nitrogen and carbon metabolism in the unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii WH8501 Temporal metatranscriptomic patterning in phototrophic Chloroflexi inhabiting a microbial mat in a geothermal spring Combined pigment and metatranscriptomic analysis reveals highly synchronized diel patterns of phenotypic light response across domains in the open oligotrophic ocean Multispecies diel transcriptional oscillations in open ocean heterotrophic bacterial assemblages The bioenergetic basis for the decrease in metabolic diversity at increasing salt concentrations: implications for the functioning of salt lake ecosystems Cyanobacteria in hypersaline environments: biodiversity and physiological properties Interrelationships between Dunaliella and halophilic prokaryotes in saltern crystallizer ponds Oren, A. 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Life at High Salt and Low Oxygen: How Do the Halobacteriaceae Cope with Low Oxygen Concentrations in Their Environment? 531–548 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6488-0_24 Archaeal superoxide dismutases in the protection of intra- and extracellular oxidative stress Superoxide dismutase from the extremely halophilic Archaebacterium halobacterium cutirubrum A common mechanism of cellular death induced by bactericidal antibiotics Zeng, J. et al. A broadly applicable, stress-mediated bacterial death pathway regulated by the phosphotransferase system (PTS) and the cAMP-Crp cascade. (2022) https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas Aconitase: Sensitive target and measure of superoxide An early origin of iron–sulfur cluster biosynthesis machineries before Earth oxygenation Interplay between oxygen and Fe-S cluster biogenesis: insights from the Suf pathway Photoheterotrophy by aerobic anoxygenic bacteria modulates carbon fluxes in a freshwater lake Glycerol metabolism in hypersaline environments Glutamate synthase and nitrogen assimilation Biosynthesis of 2-aceto-2-hydroxy acids: acetolactate synthases and acetohydroxyacid synthases Characterization of two 2-isopropylmalate synthase homologs from Thermus thermophilus HB27 Transcriptome analysis of Haloquadratum walsbyi: vanity is but the surface Expression of the bop gene cluster of halobacterium halobium is induced by low oxygen tension and by light Mechanism of downregulation of photosystem I content under high-light conditions in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp A year in the life of a thrombolite: comparative metatranscriptomics reveals dynamic metabolic changes over diel and seasonal cycles Differences in gene expression patterns between cultured and natural Haloquadratum walsbyi ecotypes Download references We would like to thank the entire Oceans Across Space and Time (OAST) collaboration for their support A full list of OAST members can be found in the Supplementary Information OAST is funded by the NASA Interdisciplinary Consortium for Astrobiology Research grant #80NSSC18K1301 We would also like to thank the South Bay Salt Works for permission to sample within their facility and the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge MMW acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program for this work This publication includes data generated at the UC San Diego IGM Genomics Center utilizing an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 that was purchased with funding from a National Institutes of Health SIG grant #S10 OD026929 The authors declare no competing interests Communications Biology thanks Henk Bolhuis reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07855-w Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research South Bay Road in Cicero will be closed to all southbound traffic from East Pine Grove Road to the bridge over I-81 The northbound lane on South Bay Road will remain open to traffic The closure of the southbound portion of South Bay Road is to allow for the demolition of the South Bay Road Bridge over I-81 there will be space to construct "a new longer bridge" as part of the I-81 viaduct project Sunset Avenue on-ramp closing during commuter hours Drivers should follow a detour that sends traffic north on South Bay Road to south on Thompson Road they should proceed east on Circle Drive to South Bay Road a temporary traffic signal is being installed at the northbound and southbound approaches of the South Bay Road bridge Construction activities are weather-dependent and subject to change based on conditions "(Required)" indicates required fields Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" [UPDATE 4/14/25]: Great South Bay Music Festival has revealed the artist lineup for its return to Shorefront Park in Patchogue day one will feature favorites from the 2000s including Taking Back Sunday Gong” and Stephen Marley take the stage along with J Boog Saturday boasts a jam-heavy roster topped by moe. while Sunday’s lineup leans into yacht rock with an ’80s beach party hosted by the legendary WLIR and SiriusXM DJ Larry “The Duck” Dunn followed by headliners Men at Work and Yacht Rock Review with special guests Strangelove – The Depeche Mode Experience the festival will feature 55 performers on three stages educational children’s performers in the worlds of magic Puppetry with Kiddle Karoo & her Kool Krew Tickets for Great South Bay Music Festival 2025, including GA, VIP, Ultra VIP, two-day, and four-day options, are on sale now A percentage of every ticket will support the GSB-Stony Brook Cancer Center Fund while the “Storyville Tent” will host a number of local organizations looking to raise awareness and funds for battered women Find more information on the festival website Great South Bay Music Festival 2025 Lineup: [3/4/25]: Great South Bay Music Festival has begun rolling out the artist roster for its 2025 edition 7/24) leaning toward emo and pop-punk and another (Saturday Last year, Great South Bay Music Festival featured days dedicated to blues guitar powerhouses, reggae and ska, jam bands, and classic rock icons. Revisit coverage of 2024 here Find more information on the festival website and stay tuned for updates A post shared by Great South Bay Music Festival (@greatsouthbaymusicfestival) A post shared by Great South Bay Music Festival (@greatsouthbaymusicfestival) Copyright © 2025 L4LM | Website by Computer Courage SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A recent CDC survey reveals that 80% of South Bay residents say their lives have been negatively impacted by sewage contamination affecting both their health and the local economy and I feel like it's contributing to our headaches and sore throats constantly," said Bobbi Otero severely impacting local businesses as tourists avoid the area people who would come down here don't," said a representative from the Imperial Beach Historical Society The persistent smell is driving away visitors hurting businesses and leaving the Imperial Beach coastline nearly deserted ABC 10News archive footage from 1987 shows the long-standing nature of the crisis and right now we're all being set up for a major knockout," an interviewee said in '87 "The contamination is confined to Imperial Beach right now but any change in the current could send sewage laden with every disease known to mankind washing ashore on beaches much farther north "It's been 1,000 days too long," said Ivan Lopez referring to the southern end of the beach that has been closed for nearly three years due to sewage contamination The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego maintains a Quality of Life Dashboard that monitors several factors The latter is currently ranked as "worsening" because of increasing water advisories and beach closures "Beach mile days is essentially the mile of coastline affected multiplied by the number of days it has been posted to be closed," explained Eo Hanabusa Equinox Research and Engagement Coordinator at USD The data shows a dramatic increase in closures the number of closures that we saw due to impacts from the pollution coming from the Tijuana River was at 722 that jumped up to 2,229 beach mile days," Hanabusa said it is pretty much looking up to par as 2023 in that there are a high number of closures due to those impacts from the pollution," Hanabusa said The impact extends beyond environmental concerns to economic ones "Beaches are a big part of our culture here in San Diego so the health of our beaches is closely connected to the health of our economy," Hanabusa said there are a wealth of options in the South Bay. (Twenty47studio/Getty Images)Access to nature — and the abundance of beautiful campgrounds within driving distance — is one of the big perks of life in the Bay Area But if you’ve assumed you’ll always need to travel several hours to go camping good news: There are actually a wealth of campsites right on your doorstep if you live in or near the South Bay Keep reading for some excellent options for camping within Santa Clara County (or very nearby) with a focus on campsites run by the county park system if pitching a tent just isn’t your thing A quick note about reserving camping sites: For both Santa Clara County Parks and State Parks, reservations typically open six months in advance. You can reserve county park sites at parks.santaclaracounty.gov, and state parks at ReserveCalifornia.com (apart from Castle Rock State Park, which uses a different system) You can also read more tips and tricks for successfully securing a camping spot in California especially when they always seem to be booked Grant is the largest park of 28 in the Santa Clara County Park system just east of the San José foothills off Mount Hamilton Road Grant is sort of that hidden gem,” said Nadine Abousalem the senior communications officer for the park system “It does give you that state park feel It’s just wide open space — it’s beautiful.” In addition to almost 40 tent camping sites, Joseph D. Grant County Park offers eight equestrian sites where visitors can bring their horses and trailers and offers great stargazing opportunities for overnight campers Reserve a campsite at Joseph D. Grant County Park Santa Clara County calls Mount Madonna one of the county’s “most majestic” spots and given that this county park allows you to bask among the towering redwoods just an hour from downtown San José The park has room for all kinds of visitors, with around 120 campsites offering spaces for tents, RVs, horse trailers and group camping. Mount Madonna is also the only park in the county system to offer a small — but very popular — selection of yurts for camping An added bonus: During the summer, when temperatures are peaking across the region, the dense forests of the Santa Cruz Mountain range help make the park a slightly cooler respite Reserve a campsite at Mount Madonna County Park Henry W. Coe State Park is actually the largest state park in Northern California, sprawling across nearly 90,000 acres in the Diablo Mountain Range. Offering canyons, creeks and miles of trails, this rugged terrain is particularly beautiful in springtime, when it fills with wildflowers The huge park offers traditional 20 drive-in campsites, including “primitive” campsites as well as hike-in group camping spots — along with plenty of activities like fishing Reserve a campsite at Henry W. Coe State Park Castle Rock State Park also extends into portions of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and connects with other regional open space preserves This state park is famous for its sandstone outcroppings and offers a superb place for rock climbing as well as 34 miles of trails among forests filled with evergreens and black oaks The park offers over 20 primitive camping sites with water and pit toilets to trail hikers at the Castle Rock trail camp. But unlike other state parks, you can’t make a reservation through ReserveCalifornia.com and should instead use the Backcountry Trail Camp Request Form Five of these sites will also be available to walk-ins without a reservation on a first-come Reserve a campsite at Castle Rock State Park Abutting Castle Rock State Park and other nature preserves, Sanborn County Park spreads over more than 3,400 acres of redwoods and tanbark oaks and offers 33 hike-in campsites for people willing to make a roughly 20-minute trek to their site Sanborn County Park also offers accommodations for RV camping and is surprisingly close to downtown Los Gatos and Saratoga The park is also one of several county facilities that offer spaces for rent for weddings and other events in Sequoia Peterson Grove Reserve a campsite at Sanborn County Park Perhaps best known for its fishing and recreational boating opportunities in the 3-mile long Coyote Lake reservoir, Harvey Bear Ranch Park in the hills east of Gilroy also offers 33 miles of trails for hiking Visitors who want more time to explore the park’s nearly 7,000 acres can stay overnight in any of 73 campsites for tents or RVs Reserve a campsite at Coyote Lake With just over 1,100 acres of lush woodlands and several spots to enjoy flowing natural waterways and waterfalls With around 7 miles of hiking trails, the park offers 25 sites for tent campers Reserve a campsite at Uvas Canyon County Park This story contains reporting by KQED’s Carly Severn The Coronado Unified School District is suing the operator of the South Bay International Water Treatment Plant for allegedly allowing raw sewage to be discharged into the waters of southern San Diego County which the school district alleges has adversely affected the health of its students and staff Coronado Unified claims it has had "to expend substantial sums to combat the health issues faced by plaintiff's students and faculty members" due to exposure to toxic pollutants The complaint filed Monday in San Diego Superior Court alleges students and faculty members have required treatment for "headaches The district is seeking damages to cover medical treatment costs and to pay for medical monitoring which was contracted by the International Boundary and Water Commission to operate said the Mexican government is at fault for the years of crossboundary sewage flows "The people of south San Diego County are deeply affected by Tijuana's unchecked sewage crossing the border The plaintiffs in this case would be better served if their lawyers pursued the source of the problem instead of the company trying to solve it," the statement read "The untreated sewage plaguing San Diego comes directly from Mexico through the Pacific Ocean and the Tijuana River not the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and Veolia's hardworking local employees do not deserve to be blamed for the Mexican government's failures." Veolia says the South Bay plant treats up to 25 million gallons of sewage flowing from Tijuana daily and will double that capacity in the near future after Congress allocated over $600 million to repair and expand the plant Veolia said a population boom in Tijuana also played a large role in contributing to a volume of transboundary flows the plant wasn't originally designed to handle which brought a mass tort case against Veolia as well as numerous South Bay residents who say they have been affected by the more than 100 billion gallons of transboundary flows that have been discharged from Mexico into Southern California over the past five years said Coronado Unified has had "a significant number of students falling ill on a daily basis" due to the sewage crisis attorneys said the pollutants have led directly to numerous beach closures boil water notices and requirements on keeping South Bay schoolchildren indoors in order to prevent exposure to the contaminants LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio we’re learning more about how the Palisades Fire runoff could be affecting our coastline County officials and other groups have been testing the areas for things like heavy metals that could cause health concerns We look into whether it’s OK for people to visit the beach Sediment tests from Will Rogers State Beach and Topanga Beach after the Jan 26 storm showed “the material was not hazardous to beachgoers or the environment,” according to the department the department says it has no plans to remove it because scraping it off could cause long-term environmental damage to ecosystems and the shoreline the larger charred debris — like big wood pieces that have been found as far south as Redondo Beach — is being removed by crews as soon as it washes up If you see pieces of large debris on the beach you should report it to the nearest lifeguard Last month’s ocean water closure initially sparked some concern as beachgoers were told to avoid contact with sand from Las Flores State Beach to Santa Monica State Beach But the beaches themselves — where people could lie down and sunbathe — stayed open tried to find information about beach conditions but ended up confused over the contradictory information but I think that’s because there’s a lot of uncertainty about where various closures and advisories may be put up for water quality and beach locations,” he said who’s an expert in pollution in coastal waters said one of the reasons behind the confusion is that there aren’t easy ways to test for wildfire contaminants at the beach Scientists need to have an idea of what they’re looking for first and ocean water testing for public recreation is typically designed around bacteria levels “ What we don’t have a good set of standards for is looking for everything else that might be in the water given this unprecedented event of wildfire and what could be making its way from the burn areas into the water,” Ginsburg said If you’re wondering if you should be going to the beach experts say it should be fine as long as you follow some common sense practices a  professor of preventive medicine also at USC said beach advisories are a precautionary step while testing is completed As an expert in toxic exposure and coastal areas he said the main concern isn’t usually about sand directly “ I think the advisories are really all about the discharge from storm drains and things that end up flowing out into the ocean and then coming back onto the beach whenever the tide comes in and out,” Hu said Health officials have said the beaches are safe to be at but that beachgoers should continue to avoid fire debris you may want to avoid wet sand and areas near storm drains “I think that would be just as contaminated as the ground that’s in places that hadn't burned,” Hu added Aluminum and steel are products that Hyspan Precision Products in Chula Vista cannot live without They are the raw materials the employees here use to make products really solutions for industrial commercial applications," said Hyspan president and CEO Eric Barnes Between 80 and 100 people are employed at Hyspan But Barnes is concerned about the impact of the 25% tariffs set to go into effect Tuesday on products from Mexico and Canada “This entity is composed of this plant here as well as we have a maquila down in Tijuana so we will be directly impacted by the 25% tariff if it’s coming back into the United States," Barnes said Hyspan in Chula Vista is the umbrella company for other manufacturing entities and that’s where even bigger headaches come for Barnes One of their subsidiaries manufactures parts for cars and trucks “We are in negotiations currently with those automotive companies to figure out 'How do we pass on these tariffs?' Because we cannot bear to just absorb those tariffs," Barnes said The looming tariffs also make Ed Pentico’s job more difficult He’s the director of sales and product development are very difficult for us as manufacturers because there are many different things to manage at the same time besides our normal day-to-day business. So now we have to set aside some resources to manage these other activities these other issues that makes us even less competitive," Pentico said but what happens after they go into effect and uncertainty is something business leaders try to avoid business people are then willing to invest. If you don’t have stability you can’t put — make a big outlay into a fixed asset or capital expense that then may become useless. You can’t do that," Barnes said Barnes said he’s done everything he can think of to prepare for this round of tariffs But this might not be the last shoe to drop The administration has also promised “reciprocal” tariffs next month injecting even more uncertainty into what is now a volatile situation To help South Bay residents with odors caused by the ongoing Tijuana River Valley pollution crisis the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District was preparing Wednesday to distribute 10,000 air purifiers and filters The items will filter odors caused by hydrogen sulfide and are intended as a temporary measure while the International Boundary and Water Commission and other entities work on permanent solutions such as repairing and expanding a wastewater treatment plant "No one should have to breathe polluted air in their own home," SDAPCD Board member and County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said "This landmark effort to distribute air purifiers brings relief to the families hit hardest by the Tijuana River crisis — helping 10,000 households protect their health while we keep fighting for clean air and water in our community." The limited number of purifiers means SDAPCD will prioritize distribution to households with children and people 65 and older and communities closest to the Tijuana River People in the San Diego neighborhoods of Otay Mesa West Tijuana River Valley and the city of Imperial Beach are eligible Eligible households must register at sdapcd.org and can have the air purifier mailed to their home the air pollution district will host a few distribution events "The Air Improvement Relief Effort program is part of SDAPCD's ongoing work to help address the Tijuana River Valley crisis," said Paula Forbis "We understand that this multi- faceted issue is affecting the quality of life of South Bay communities our intention with this program is to provide some relief to those most impacted by the odors "We will attempt to distribute the air purifiers as soon as possible but we do ask for the public's patience as we review applications," she added By Santa Cruz Warriors Staff /March 26, 2025 Near the south end of Saturn Boulevard in Nestor, foam clouds float on top of the Tijuana River and the smell of rotten eggs fills the air. Levels of hydrogen sulfide have been higher in the area than usual since April 9 due to hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater flowing into the river from Mexico The Tijuana River is the second most endangered river in the country according to a report published Wednesday by the National environmental advocacy organization American Rivers The report authors cite the ongoing border sewage crisis as the reason for the river's placement at the top of the list They say protecting communities and ensuring clean water is a matter of national responsibility They are calling on the Trump administration to “act decisively to declare a federal emergency to address this public health crisis.” Imperial Beach leaders are calling for a new local emergency to address the cross-border sewage crisis. Imperial Beach Councilman Mitch McKay planned to introduce a resolution at Wednesday night’s city council meeting renewing the city’s local emergency declaration there's several recommendations and actions that go all the way up to the executive branch." The resolution notes wastewater pollution flowing across the border has forced closures of south bay beaches for swimming and recreation continuously since 2021 "The presence of pollution is creating unsafe conditions for residents and visitors who live, work, or recreate in the Tijuana River Valley and may come in contact with contaminated water," the resolution says And we're again appealing to the highest level in our land through enforcement of current treaties or agreements The resolution comes after about a week after an estimated 5 million gallons a day of cross-border sewage began flowing into the Tijuana River and the resulting hydrogen sulfide gas began fouling the air in the South Bay County of San Diego health officials advise affected residents to limit their outdoor activities when odors are bothersome By Stockton Kings Staff /January 12, 2025 SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Those tasked with solving the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis have a message for those who have been living and dealing with it for decades “This is the first time there is a plan shared between the United States and Mexico to reduce transboundary flows,” Dr International Boundary & Water Commission (USIBWC) said which runs the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant she means the rain and sewage water that flows into the Tijuana River Valley The most recent incident happened on Sunday She said a pair of construction issues happened on a project to create a new pipeline in Mexico to bring sewage to treatment plants in the U.S While it may seem like another issue on a project or piece of infrastructure - that Giner says both phases will now be finished by April - it’s not necessarily deja vu like some may feel “These issues that are happening will only make the system more resilient and likely avoid future transboundary flows that could happen from the catastrophic failure of the wastewater; of the old collector,” Giner said Giner said the agency is having daily meetings with Mexico on how to prevent sewage from coming into the United States amid the ongoing projects and commends the attention by Mexico She is advocating for the state to get the funding to invest in all of this work.” Another acknowledgement of the crisis ca,e from Washington D.C “We’re grateful for him raising attention on this and And it holds us all more motivated to get this resolved,” Giner said (CBS12) — A stabbing incident at South Bay Prison on Saturday morning resulted in a patient being trauma coded and airlifted for treatment Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) responded to the situation on the 600 block of US HWY 27 See also: 'Absolute psycho': Vero Beach triple-murder was targeted, 2nd suspect arrested The identity of the severely injured victim has not been confirmed as it remains unclear whether they are an inmate or a staff member PBCFR stabilized the victim at the scene before activating a trauma alert and transporting them to a hospital for further care By Cleveland Charge Staff /December 29, 2024 Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: halting bus and train service in the region the agency that employs them is suing to force them back to work The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority filed a complaint late Monday night against the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 alleging the strike is a breach of contract and an act of bad faith “This abrupt disruption in service has created substantial uncertainty for VTA’s tens of thousands of daily riders and other members of the public who rely on VTA to transport their employees and loved ones throughout the county and beyond,” reads the complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court More than 1,500 ATU workers have walked off their jobs as bus drivers The VTA is asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the strike the first in the 30-year history of the transit agency “This strike is having an overwhelming impact on the community and we are working on all efforts to support our riders getting to work and events,” VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot said in a statement “Getting our buses and trains rolling is imperative.” The agency’s complaint alleges that the collective bargaining agreement with the ATU prohibits a strike or work stoppage not only during the life of the previous contract which expired on March 3 but also during ongoing negotiations for a new contract “VTA recognizes that ATU employees have the right to strike so long as they comply with the law and the collective bargaining agreement,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday ATU has failed to meet those requirements prior to initiating their strike.” did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit on Tuesday afternoon The agency and the union began new contract negotiations in August and even went through a round of mediation at the start of this year but the two sides are still far apart on the critical issue of wages includes a 9% raise spread over three years the union requested an 18% raise over the same three-year period Union officials have also said they are seeking a fairer arbitration process for workers who file grievances with the VTA and other deal points including long-term leave due to injury and illness which the agency is seeking to cut from two years to one Ahead of the strike, VTA Deputy General Manager Greg Richardson characterized the union’s wage demands as “unreasonable” and said the agency can’t afford that level of pay increases without reducing services and possibly cutting jobs date-caramel sticky buns and chocolate chunk cookies Originally from Los Angeles, Begim attended culinary school in New York City, worked in fine dining, then got a job at a bakery in San Pedro after returning home during the COVID lockdowns of 2020. He ended up in Tel Aviv after he cashed in a two-year-old airline ticket meant for a wedding that was canceled during the pandemic He stayed with family in Tel Aviv and spent months bouncing around Europe and the Middle East He visited friends and eventually got a job at a Japanese-influenced patisserie in Tel Aviv “I’d be at the bar and we both spoke English, and that just evolved to where we are now,” says Sabag. “Both of us were not meant to be there.” The couple got an apartment in Noga, a moshav or cooperative agricultural area in south-central Israel, where residents can help themselves to whatever is growing in the neighborhood. They started hosting pop-up meals with brunches and elaborate seven-course tasting menus, using whatever they foraged from their community. Food We sampled chocolate chip cookies from 9 bakeries We would base the menu off of whatever was in season and the rest we would get from the shuk or fresh from farmers.” Sabag and Begim had a big pop-up planned for Oct. 7, 2023. They spent two weeks promoting the dinner, and both of their parents had planned trips to visit the couple and meet for the first time. That morning, Hamas militants attacked Israel killing an estimated 1,200 people and kidnapping around 250 hostages “Israel was shut down in a way you’ve never seen,” says Sabag A selection of pastries from Noga Bread Co. plain croissants and lamb sausage croissants (Avi Sabag) Their newly arrived families were all trapped in the 40-square-meter apartment Their parents told them to come back to America They stayed for another six months while the businesses around them shuttered “It was scary and eerie and devastating,” Sabag says “Meanwhile our friends and families are fighting in the military and we’re checking WhatsApp messages to see what’s going on The building the couple lived in wasn’t properly sealed causing mold to grow on every surface of the apartment After losing nearly all of their possessions the couple left Israel to stay with Begim’s family in Los Angeles with plans to move to Florida and bring back their pop-up dinners “Every single plan we’ve ever made doesn’t happen They attempted to open a restaurant in Los Angeles but after two months of negotiating the lease the couple learned that the owner intended to tear down the building Their next step was to secure a production kitchen instead and the bakery is the couple’s way of honoring the time and life they built in Israel with the love of baking Begim leaned into during the pandemic The seasonal focaccia recently offered at Noga Bread Co.’s pop-up in Torrance (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) They found a semi-permanent home at the Enclave a business and retail center in Torrance where they pop up every Wednesday and Saturday morning they filled a table with sweet and savory pastries Cheese Danishes looked like blooming flowers with sunset-colored citrus supremes fanned out around a center of Thai-basil-scented pastry cream Sugar crystals glistened on top of ginger molasses cookies made with a deep three varieties of croissants and loaves of bread A rectangle of focaccia was nearly hidden under a vibrant green arugula pesto with sweet caramelized leeks curls of lemon peel and dollops of whipped ricotta Flecks of Parmigiano-Reggiano covered the bread like snow Jenn Harris reviews the newly reopened Panda Inn restaurant in Pasadena Yangzhou specialties and the classic orange chicken Begim ferments the dough for 72 hours and mills the grains himself He mills hard red wheat and kamut berries for his croissants then laminates the dough with good French butter you can smell and taste cracked shells that fracture into shards of buttery pastry The lamb-merguez-filled croissant has a flavor profile that reminds the couple of their former home Begim makes his own sausage and blends it with roasted red peppers He scatters what he calls his “zesty seed mix” over the top fennel and sesame seeds he toasts in a pan The chocolate chunk cookie from Noga Bread Co is made with three types of flour and two types of chocolate chunks (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Begim coils his croissant dough to make sticky buns with fillings that rotate based on what’s at the farmers market fluffy buns filled with a caramel made from California dates The fruit was wonderfully jammy with notes of toffee and butterscotch The chocolate chunk cookies, made with oat, whole wheat and all-purpose flours, rivals the cookie I previously declared the best in Los Angeles They’re beautifully wrinkled with big boulders of chocolate throughout a chewy middle Sabag said you can always count on croissants The couple have found a space in downtown San Pedro where they hope to open a bakery and cafe with breakfast and lunch “I’m most excited about having a space to have our community where you can sit and schmooze and laugh and see families,” says Sabag “We grew up in big Middle Eastern families at really long tables They’re aiming to have the bakery open in six months but Sabag laughs and says she knows better than to make a set plan I’m going to make sure the universe brings me back to those sticky buns Where to find your new favorite croissants Noga Bread Co., at the Enclave, 970 W. 190th St., Los Angeles, Torrance, every Wednesday at 8 a.m. and every Saturday at 9 a.m., (424) 977-0803, www.nogabreadco.com Jenn Harris is a columnist for the Food section and host of “The Bucket List” show. She has a BA in literary journalism from UC Irvine and an MA in journalism from USC. Follow her @Jenn_Harris_. Travel & Experiences Lifestyle Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map There are now four lawsuits accusing the contractor running the federal sewage treatment plant on the U.S.-Mexico border of mismanagement and contributing to the Tijuana River sewage crisis Frantz Law Group opened a mass tort case last month against Veolia Water West and its manager Mark Wippler accusing them of illegally discharging hazardous chemicals into the Tijuana River manage and maintain the plant in compliance with the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board’s mandates This case and another lawsuit filed by the firm Singleton Schreiber last month mark a growing momentum to cast a wide net in search of plaintiffs who say they have experienced a range of damages caused by Veolia releasing toxic sewage into South Bay waters They are the same kind of lawsuit that well-known environmental advocate Erin Brokovich filed against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating groundwater which take into account how chemicals in water pollute the air also mark a new movement in environmental litigation according to environmental law professor Robin Craig who recently moved to the University of Kansas from the University of Southern California “Aerosolization has really become kind of a new frontier with water pollution,” Craig said The Frantz lawsuit says Veolia’s negligence has seriously harmed the health of South Bay residents as well as reduced the value of their properties and impacted business revenue The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of trespass for allowing noxious fumes to flow over property lines causing headaches that's trespass on your property,” said James Frantz The lawsuit comes after scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of Texas at Austin and San Diego State University have raised alarms about health concerns as a result of the sewage including aerosolized pollutants emanating from the river they said were concerning for public health A company spokesperson for Veolia said that unprecedented flows from Tijuana are to blame as well as a lack of government funding for maintenance and building out more capacity at the plant The spokesperson also took a swing at attorneys bringing forth the legal claims “No amount of dishonest rhetoric from opportunistic lawyers can change these facts and we will defend ourselves against their baseless accusations,” the spokesperson said “Veolia has done an excellent job helping to operate the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant despite these challenges and we look forward to working with our government partners to help bring about a long-term solution.” The Biden administration recently proposed $310 million in new funds for the federal plant in addition to $400 million already secured The International Boundary and Water Commission the federal entity responsible for the plant estimates that its current buildout and repair project will cost $600 million and take at least five years to complete could give us the option of expanding the plant's capacity beyond current plans accelerating the timeline to finish the recently announced rehabilitation and expansion or a combination of both,” said IBWC spokesperson Frank Fisher in a statement to inewsource which allows multiple plaintiffs to join a group lawsuit while still holding individual claims can be particularly effective when used against a large private company whose alleged errors have led to a wide array of impacts UC Los Angeles law professor Peter Reich says that if the wastewater plant was run solely by the federal government “But once you get a private contractor into the picture there's a possibility of getting more,” Reich said Reich said this is potentially one aspect of the law firms’ decision making process for taking on such lawsuits Craig added that Veolia has a “checkered reputation.” “It's gotten into a lot of trouble in multiple countries particularly when it takes over water supply systems Law firms usually finance the mass tort lawsuits taking on the often hefty investment and risk of significant losses they can earn significant returns for both the firm and their clients Both Frantz and Singleton Schreiber have actively used mass torts secured more than $13 billion from PG&E for victims of the 2017 and 2018 fires in Northern California Singleton Schreiber has landed $2 billion in fire litigation over the last two years Frantz says that there is another upside to mass torts which is that they open up the possibility of collaborating with other law firms filing similar lawsuits under a steering committee with the aim of bolstering all the cases against the same defendant The Frantz lawsuit also has another particularity – one of the lawyers on the case She says she and her family have all experienced headaches sore throats and gastrointestinal issues which they attribute to the sewage the Scripps team findings built momentum toward litigation “If you don't want scientists that are equipped to deal with this exposed to it why would you want your children exposed to this?” Westhpal said The lawsuit demands that the company pay for medical monitoring Franz said he is expecting the case to include hundreds if not thousands of plaintiffs Bronny James' first road game in the G League resulted in the highest-scoring output of his young career Thursday night The Los Angeles Lakers rookie scored a game-high 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting as his South Bay Lakers fell to the Valley Suns 106-100 in Tempe 55 pick in this year's draft added three rebounds 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists across four G League games overall was recently sidelined for several weeks while dealing with a bone bruise in his left heel because the heel injury was affecting the same leg that required left knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus when he was in high school James has played seven games in the NBA this season, most recently Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers but is averaging less than 3 minutes per contest James' father, LeBron James, will miss a second straight game Friday when the Lakers take on the Minnesota Timberwolves When County Chair Nora Vargas suddenly announced her resignation last month it set off a race to fill her influential seat on the Board of Supervisors The four remaining supervisors voted Tuesday to hold a special election in April to choose her replacement While that race will have major implications for county leadership it’s also upending local politics in the South Bay just weeks into the new year four elected officials from the region have announced interest in the vacant seat They include Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno the election will elevate a new voice to the powerful county board Whoever takes Vargas’ place will have considerable influence over issues like housing policy regional transportation and the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis Here’s what to know about the upcoming race The race could shift the balance of power at the county level A Democrat would restore the liberal majority the board had while Vargas was in office but a Republican would move the Board of Supervisors back under GOP control Aguirre, a Democrat, has worked relentlessly to spotlight the cross-border sewage crisis and its impacts on communities around the Tijuana River Valley McCann, a Republican, is the longest-serving elected leader in Chula Vista and has overseen long-running projects like the bayfront resort and local university programs Chavez and Moreno were not immediately available for interviews for this story Chavez represents the northeast quadrant of Chula Vista and Moreno’s district includes Barrio Logan On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted to hold a special election on April 8 If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote the top two vote-getters in that race will move on to a runoff election in July Vargas still has not explained her December resignation which came just weeks after winning reelection she cited “personal safety and security reasons.” That special election could reshape local leadership in Chula Vista or Imperial Beach In Chula Vista, McCann’s departure would be a remarkable change. He is the only Republican member of the Council and has served off and on as an elected leader in the city for nearly 20 years The other four members of the council have all held office for less than three years with two of them sworn in for the first time last month Both McCann and Chavez have less than two years left before they’re up for reelection That means their departures could either trigger a lengthy appointment process or lead to a special election In Imperial Beach and San Diego, voters could see a similar cascade of disruptions with Aguirre or Moreno’s departures triggering local special elections or appointment processes The Imperial Beach mayor has also been an outspoken advocate for more research and stronger public health measures around the sewage crisis Her replacement might have different priorities McCann said restoring representation at the county level is the top priority “Nobody ever thought the county supervisor would be stepping down but the reality is we need to have leadership.” The last supervisor to represent the South Bay before Vargas was Republican Greg Cox In 2020, Democrats took control of the board for the first time in decades after Vargas and fellow Democrat Terra Lawson-Remer won their races in the South Bay and North County Supervisor seats are officially nonpartisan offices but in reality the board’s direction depends heavily on which party has control In December, the Democratic majority strengthened the county’s sanctuary policies at the urging of advocates for immigrant rights The supervisors voted to limit when county agencies can cooperate with federal immigration authorities The race also comes at the tail end of a heated and tumultuous presidential election year “I think folks are probably feeling exhausted by that process which I think is actually really understandable,” said Chula Vista community advocate Sebastian Martinez “You take the time to go out to vote for someone I think you expect them to finish out the job.” He wonders whether voters will be excited to see their elected leaders seeking a new job other South Bay residents have argued that a special election is the only fair way to decide who should serve out Vargas’ four year-term the four remaining county supervisors unanimously agreed that the county’s last special election in 2023 cost more than $5 million They warned this year’s race would likely be just as expensive “It really is painful to look at the cost of this,” said Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe “But … it is important for those folks to choose who will represent them on this dias and who will make decisions that will impact their quality of life for years to come.” Former Marcy Corrections Officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in case involving the death of an inmate in December 2024 — As heavy lake-effect snow continues to blanket Cicero the South Bay Fire Department is calling on residents to assist in keeping the community safe by maintaining access to fire hydrants and ensuring vents are clear the fire chief of the South Bay Fire Department emphasized the importance of community involvement during these challenging winter conditions "We're asking people to kind of adopt the hydrant that they're going to take care of this winter for us," Lonergan said but we're a volunteer department with 30 members Lonergan noted that while the department can still perform its duties the snow is causing delays in response times "We're still able to do our job," he said "It's just taking us a little bit longer than it should be." Captain John Doherty of the South Bay Fire Department highlighted the critical need to keep vents clear to prevent dangerous gas buildup "To keep those vents clear is super important especially with the amount of snow we've had this year they're going to get covered or they're going to freeze shut," Doherty said "And then it doesn't let those gasses it's important to keep them clear." Clearing gas vents is vital to prevent carbon monoxide buildup Many fire stations offer carbon monoxide alarms for those in need Visual art | The California Center for the Arts Escondido (CCAE) recently opened two interesting exhibits in its museum space showcases contemporary Persian artists in "Prelude to Resonance" and rotates the art pieces weekly Rancho Santa Fe artist Kerry Soori McEachern's "ONENESS" is a sculpture made of vividly colored origami flowers and peace-inspired texts It was previously on view at the San Diego International Airport Also on display is another installation by McEachern a striking series of textile panels suspended from above More info: On view through March 15 Visual art | The first South Bay Zine Fest will take place in Chula Vista this Sunday zinemakers and vendors from the region and beyond The event will also host several panel discussions including "Making Zines Punk Again" with Andi Dukleth as well as a session on making collaborative zines with Laurie Moorhead Founder Maxwell Scheller's pathway to zines was through comics and his popular Game Boy photography Using a vintage Game Boy console camera (and a matching portable printer) he photographs people he meets at fan and comic conventions then collects the photos into a printed zine Scheller said curiosity is fundamental to zines for both creators and readers Why do they put so much effort into putting this on paper and getting it printed Maybe this is just something that gets us thinking," Scheller said More info: 9 a.m Music, Visual art | Art of Elan will perform music inspired by the forthcoming exhibit "Hush" by Afra Eisma which opens this weekend at ICA San Diego-Central "In the Interest of Communication" by Christina Courtin was written for violinist Kate Hatmaker and cellist Alex Greenbaum More info: 6 p.m Visual art | The 25th anniversary of "The Drawing Show" is now on view at the San Diego Central Library's art gallery versatile and revelatory visual art mediums Artists in this exhibit include Celeste Byers (Note: The art gallery is open daily but has slightly different hours than the main library.) An opening reception will take place this Saturday More info: 4-6 p.m More info: Feb Music | Composer and installation artist Preston Swirnoff will present a site-specific performance and piece at Bread & Salt featuring the San Diego New Verbal Workshop choral group The composition is designed for the venue’s recently reopened Silo Room which houses massive flour silos previously used when Bread & Salt operated as a bakery over 100 years ago The event also includes refreshments and DJs from Particle FM More info: 7 p.m Music | Project [BLANK] returns to Bread & Salt with its "Salty Series" of experimental performance works filmmaker Valerie Jackson presents "Estate Sale," a surreal installation that reconstructs their apartment using video This is not a timed performance but rather a drop-in exhibit More info: 7-9 p.m Poetry | The Point Loma Nazarene University graduate creative writing program is launching a new reading series in Ocean Beach Each event will spotlight prominent writers supported by a group of students in the program The inaugural reading features Ari Honarvar author of "A Girl Called Rumi," and Katie Manning author of the poetry collections "Tasty Other," "Hereverent" and more More info: 4 p.m