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"content": "\n\u003cp>Still looking for weekend plans (and want to avoid the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">chaos of the coast during the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival\u003c/a>)? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You could head east instead and check out the \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/\">Berkeley Bird Festival\u003c/a> on Sunday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This free annual event is back with a packed schedule of guided birding tours, performances, arts and crafts and presentations on topics from birdsong to bird-inspired folklore.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “myth and memory,” said Ryan Nakano, communications director for the \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/\">Golden Gate Bird Alliance\u003c/a>, which is hosting the event alongside the \u003ca href=\"https://californiaican.org/\">California Institute for Community, Arts, and Nature.\u003c/a> With the exception of the birding walks, the event will mostly be held in or near the David Brower Center adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. Allston Way will be closed this weekend for one block between Oxford and Shattuck streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea behind it was to try to address the fact that our relationship to birds can be very personal, but they can also be very community-based,” he said. “Different communities have different relationships to birds, and oftentimes, it’s through the stories we’re told, or we grow up with.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The big events during the Berkeley Bird Festival on Sunday\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For birders especially interested in exploring those themes of myth and memory, Nakano suggested checking out \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/thepeoplecouldfly/\">the hands-on writing workshop\u003c/a> with author Ashia Ajani, scheduled for 1:25 p.m. in the Goldman Theater. Here, participants will discuss African storytelling and come ready to creatively write.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nakano also suggested a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/sunbird-songs-of-nectar-hanan-masri-walter-brents-iii/\">12:30 p.m. presentation\u003c/a> from Berkeley poet laureate Hanan Masri and educator Walker Brents III, who plan to discuss the poem “Sunbird,” by Fady Joudah in the Tamalpais Room. Plus, the 4:15 \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/wild-parrots-myths-and-memories/\">talk on wild parrots in San Francisco\u003c/a> is sure to attract a crowd, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104622\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A birding tour at the Berkeley Bird Festival. (Courtesy of Xiao Wan)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest can’t-miss moments of the event, he said, are the 4:35 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/splitting-skies-dancing-for-the-birds-and-our-future/\">“Splitting Skies” dance performance\u003c/a> and the 3:15 keynote conversation between \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/3804/\">authors Ed Yong and Lauren Markham. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The conversation “will be focused on the climate crisis and how we reckon with that on an interpersonal, inter-communal level,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I’m new to birding. What festival events should I see? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For those who aren’t already hooked on birding, Nakano suggested taking advantage of all the local birding groups that will be tabling there, like the American Birding Association and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043590/pride-2025-outdoor-meetups-lgbtq-hiking-bay-area#BirdwatchwithQueerBirdersBayArea\">Queer Birders Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, while many of the birding walks are already at capacity, more \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/birding-on-campus/\">free tours will be running all afternoon on campus\u003c/a>, guided by Bears for Birds, the Cal birding club. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Meeting birds at the Berkeley Bird Festival.\u003cbr> (Courtesy of Ryan Nakano)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And don’t miss the afternoon \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/tour-the-museum-of-vertebrate-zoology/\">tours of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology\u003c/a>, where you look at bird specimens up close.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously it’s a little bit macabre, but it’s science,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The entire event is free, and most of its talks and workshops don’t require any registration. There won’t be food at the event, but a few local Berkeley restaurants will be offering attendees discounts during the festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’ll also be a raffle where participants can win birding gear and merchandise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the less experienced birders or birding-curious attendees, Nakano said to come with an open mind, ready to learn about the breadth of species of birds and habitat here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You may even learn a thing or two about how to help protect birds, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Really, you can kind of find birds everywhere, even in your own neighborhoods and backyards,” he said, “but also just in these very surprising locations that unless you were birding, you might not even really go out there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It gives you this fun excuse to explore the Bay in a completely different way,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The conversation “will be focused on the climate crisis and how we reckon with that on an interpersonal, inter-communal level,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For those who aren’t already hooked on birding, Nakano suggested taking advantage of all the local birding groups that will be tabling there, like the American Birding Association and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043590/pride-2025-outdoor-meetups-lgbtq-hiking-bay-area#BirdwatchwithQueerBirdersBayArea\">Queer Birders Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For those who aren’t already hooked on birding, Nakano suggested taking advantage of all the local birding groups that will be tabling there, like the American Birding Association and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043590/pride-2025-outdoor-meetups-lgbtq-hiking-bay-area#BirdwatchwithQueerBirdersBayArea\">Queer Birders Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plus, while many of the birding walks are already at capacity, more \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/birding-on-campus/\">free tours will be running all afternoon on campus\u003c/a>, guided by Bears for Birds, the Cal birding club. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plus, while many of the birding walks are already at capacity, more \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/birding-on-campus/\">free tours will be running all afternoon on campus\u003c/a>, guided by Bears for Birds, the Cal birding club. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The entire event is free, and most of its talks and workshops don’t require any registration. There won’t be food at the event, but a few local Berkeley restaurants will be offering attendees discounts during the festival.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’ll also be a raffle where participants can win birding gear and merchandise.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the less experienced birders or birding-curious attendees, Nakano said to come with an open mind, ready to learn about the breadth of species of birds and habitat here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Really, you can kind of find birds everywhere, even in your own neighborhoods and backyards,” he said, “but also just in these very surprising locations that unless you were birding, you might not even really go out there.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It gives you this fun excuse to explore the Bay in a completely different way,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "If you’re still in need of weekend plans, this free day is packed with tours, workshops and hands-on activities to bring out your inner birder.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Still looking for weekend plans (and want to avoid the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">chaos of the coast during the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival\u003c/a>)? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You could head east instead and check out the \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/\">Berkeley Bird Festival\u003c/a> on Sunday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This free annual event is back with a packed schedule of guided birding tours, performances, arts and crafts and presentations on topics from birdsong to bird-inspired folklore.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “myth and memory,” said Ryan Nakano, communications director for the \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/\">Golden Gate Bird Alliance\u003c/a>, which is hosting the event alongside the \u003ca href=\"https://californiaican.org/\">California Institute for Community, Arts, and Nature.\u003c/a> With the exception of the birding walks, the event will mostly be held in or near the David Brower Center adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. Allston Way will be closed this weekend for one block between Oxford and Shattuck streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea behind it was to try to address the fact that our relationship to birds can be very personal, but they can also be very community-based,” he said. “Different communities have different relationships to birds, and oftentimes, it’s through the stories we’re told, or we grow up with.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The big events during the Berkeley Bird Festival on Sunday\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For birders especially interested in exploring those themes of myth and memory, Nakano suggested checking out \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/thepeoplecouldfly/\">the hands-on writing workshop\u003c/a> with author Ashia Ajani, scheduled for 1:25 p.m. in the Goldman Theater. Here, participants will discuss African storytelling and come ready to creatively write.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nakano also suggested a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/sunbird-songs-of-nectar-hanan-masri-walter-brents-iii/\">12:30 p.m. presentation\u003c/a> from Berkeley poet laureate Hanan Masri and educator Walker Brents III, who plan to discuss the poem “Sunbird,” by Fady Joudah in the Tamalpais Room. Plus, the 4:15 \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/wild-parrots-myths-and-memories/\">talk on wild parrots in San Francisco\u003c/a> is sure to attract a crowd, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104622\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A birding tour at the Berkeley Bird Festival. (Courtesy of Xiao Wan)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest can’t-miss moments of the event, he said, are the 4:35 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/splitting-skies-dancing-for-the-birds-and-our-future/\">“Splitting Skies” dance performance\u003c/a> and the 3:15 keynote conversation between \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/3804/\">authors Ed Yong and Lauren Markham. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The conversation “will be focused on the climate crisis and how we reckon with that on an interpersonal, inter-communal level,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I’m new to birding. What festival events should I see? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For those who aren’t already hooked on birding, Nakano suggested taking advantage of all the local birding groups that will be tabling there, like the American Birding Association and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043590/pride-2025-outdoor-meetups-lgbtq-hiking-bay-area#BirdwatchwithQueerBirdersBayArea\">Queer Birders Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, while many of the birding walks are already at capacity, more \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/birding-on-campus/\">free tours will be running all afternoon on campus\u003c/a>, guided by Bears for Birds, the Cal birding club. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Meeting birds at the Berkeley Bird Festival.\u003cbr> (Courtesy of Ryan Nakano)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And don’t miss the afternoon \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/tour-the-museum-of-vertebrate-zoology/\">tours of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology\u003c/a>, where you look at bird specimens up close.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously it’s a little bit macabre, but it’s science,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The entire event is free, and most of its talks and workshops don’t require any registration. There won’t be food at the event, but a few local Berkeley restaurants will be offering attendees discounts during the festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’ll also be a raffle where participants can win birding gear and merchandise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the less experienced birders or birding-curious attendees, Nakano said to come with an open mind, ready to learn about the breadth of species of birds and habitat here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You may even learn a thing or two about how to help protect birds, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Really, you can kind of find birds everywhere, even in your own neighborhoods and backyards,” he said, “but also just in these very surprising locations that unless you were birding, you might not even really go out there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It gives you this fun excuse to explore the Bay in a completely different way,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "50-years-on-anne-rices-interview-with-the-vampire-remains-immortal-in-san-francisco",
"title": "50 Years on, Anne Rice’s ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Remains Immortal in San Francisco",
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"headTitle": "50 Years on, Anne Rice’s ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Remains Immortal in San Francisco | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>It took a few years for Anne Rice and her family to realize that, after a shaky start, her 1976 debut novel “Interview with the Vampire” was striking a chord. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it makes sense that it happened in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, a city she had called home for years — when several young, elegant men waltzed into one of her book signings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As her son, the author Christopher Rice, told KQED, the men were decked in 18th-century waistcoats, their long hair tied off in a ribbon. They were, in short, dressed as the main characters of Rice’s said shaky debut novel: Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the men posed for pictures with a flustered Rice, the author saw personally, for the first time, that the novel Christopher said she’d regarded as “this black spot on her career” was finally finding its home: with the queer community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1304\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103573\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce-1536x1001.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Authors Christopher Rice (left) and Anne Rice sign copies of their books “The Heavens Rise” and “The Wolves Of Midwinter,” respectively, at Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove on Nov. 2, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. (Amanda Edwards/WireImage via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over time this underground audience discovered the book, discovered how transgressive it was, how rule-breaking it was,” Christopher said. “And all of that really did happen in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” marks its 50th anniversary this year, and Christopher details \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/books/review/anne-rice-interview-with-the-vampire-50th-anniversary.html\">this very anecdote\u003c/a> in his afterword to \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/InterviewWithTheVampire50th.html\">a new semicentennial reissue\u003c/a> of the novel by Penguin Random House. (His behind-the-scenes nugget that didn’t make the final print edition: how Rice and his aunt “just went bananas over how attractive these guys were.”)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#vampire-events\">Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The novel chronicles the tumultuous life and relationship between Louis and the man who turned both him and their companion Claudia into vampires: Lestat. And despite initial mixed reviews, the book and its subsequent sequels making up the “Vampire Chronicles” series have, over the decades, become a bona fide gothic classic — further popularizing the idea of the vampire as a tortured protagonist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rice also wrote the screenplay for the 1994 film adaptation of “Interview With the Vampire” starring Brad Pitt, a young Kirsten Dunst and, most notoriously, \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-21-ca-41119-story.html\">Tom Cruise\u003c/a>. Then, in the 2020s, the series was introduced to a new generation of fans through the television show adaptation on AMC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q662gCwpKfI\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the fact that the story’s pivotal framing device — the titular interview between Louis and a young journalist — takes place in a San Francisco Victorian on Divisadero Street, New Orleans has understandably pulled rank as the “home” of “Interview with the Vampire.” Not only is the Louisiana city a recurring setting in the books, but it’s also where Rice herself was born and raised and where, after finally finding her success as a writer, she lived in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DOM3-YpkQKa/?img_index=3\">a gorgeous historic home\u003c/a> for over a decade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also where she rests in a family mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery, where \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/COL.html\">her memorial\u003c/a>, attended by \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/anne-rice-vampire-memorial-documentary/article_36ac316f-b1e8-4e58-8309-bfaa8024e537.html\">over a thousand people\u003c/a>, was held. And New Orleans has now become a central gathering point for fervent Rice fans, where they regularly \u003ca href=\"https://vamplestat.com/\">hold a Vampire’s Ball\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But according to Christopher, his mother’s most famous series of novels “don’t just have a San Francisco connection.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They have a San Francisco foundation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Rebellion against that darkness’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rice first lived here as a University of San Francisco student, and moved back to the city in the early 60s with Stan, the high-school sweetheart who’d become her husband. They were both \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CKIMtBEpAjp/?vrfl=b3Awc3d2eGN3bjd3\">in their early twenties\u003c/a>, and they were in the midst of the Beat Generation and the Summer of Love. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even though the Rices were more observers than participants — “in the middle of Haight-Ashbury in the 60s, I was typing away while everybody around me was dropping acid and smoking grass,” Rice told \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20130524225924/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/07/books/other-incarnations-of-the-vampire-author.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm\">\u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1988 — the ethos of the city is firmly reflected in the “Interview With the Vampire” series. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I like to say the young men who probably inspired Louis and Lestat were people she saw on the streets of the Haight-Ashbury or the Castro District,” Christopher said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103570\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 50th Anniversary Edition of the Anne Rice novel, “Interview with the Vampire” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The hints of the idea of “letting your freak flag fly,” Christopher said, are there from the first book. But it really crescendos in the second book of the “Vampire Chronicles” series, 1985’s “The Vampire Lestat,” in which the raucous Lestat holds an earth-shattering rock concert (for vampires!) in none other than Daly City’s own Cow Palace. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In contrast to the Bay Area, New Orleans is Rice’s setting for “the old vampire world,” Christopher said. But “when on the contemporary stage, [Lestat] says, ‘Vampires should come out, come out wherever you are, and be counted among all the great diversity of the human world.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s the city by the Bay, baby,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Rice family lived around the Bay Area for over two decades. “In California, almost all of us have an acquired lifestyle: We came here to have it,” she said in a 2014 interview with \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">\u003cem>The California Sunday Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>“To be a writer, to be a bohemian, to put our art and our liberal ideas before, say, pleasing our cousins.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After giving birth to Christopher in Berkeley, the Rices moved back across the bay into a Castro District home at 3887 17th Street — a place Christopher said he “loved growing up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103577\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Victorian home located on 503 Divisadero St., which inspired Anne Rice’s novel, “Interview with the Vampire,” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A key setting from “Interview With the Vampire” is just a 30-minute walk from the house: The Victorian home on 503 Divisadero Street, where Rice set the titular interview. Rice said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoSb8H3znfI\">2011\u003c/a> that she came across the house — which is now painted a deep, dark blue — when her professor husband was being interviewed for a radio show nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s where I got the idea of a boy-interviewer,” she said. “Little things like that spark short stories, novels.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But tragedy in the city was in full force: In the Castro, Christopher said, the Rice family was “living at ground zero” during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Neighbors were dying. There were lines out of pharmacies, he said, and shuttered storefronts with signs reading “Closed due to illness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do believe that, in some part, the rock star energy of \u003cem>The Vampire Lestat\u003c/em> was about a rebellion against that darkness,” Christopher said. “It was this attempt to have queerness rise up and put on a leather jacket and sing to the masses, to push back all the death.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family was still suffering with a personal loss of their own, too. In 1972, the couple’s daughter Michele had died of leukemia at the age of 5 — before Christopher was born.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"instagram-no-caption-wrapper\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 540px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;\">\n \u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CixSBcULxR8/embed/?captioned=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"720\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e3e3e3; border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 1px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Christopher said he learned about Michele by accident in school. Over the course of his life, he got to learn about his sister from his parents, about her “otherworldly endurance” and her “zen brilliance.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think it was easy for them to be living at the ground zero of another epidemic that was about the blood,” Christopher said. “It was incredibly influential on [Rice].” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the years after Michele’s death, Rice returned to an old short story and expanded it in just five weeks into what became “Interview with the Vampire,” written in her \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">North Berkeley garden apartment.\u003c/a> This version further developed the character of a surrogate daughter for Lestat and Louis, Claudia — turned into a vampire at age five and forever a child.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>”I never noticed when I was writing,” Rice said in \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>interview. ”It may be hard to believe, but I didn’t connect Claudia with my daughter at the time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘The vampire is an outsider’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” represented a “paradigm shift in how we look at monsters in ourselves,” said author Eric Shaw Quinn, Rice’s friend who helps oversee the estate with Christopher. “And our own persecution of ourselves, and of monsters in our culture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was there at the beginning of \u003cem>Interview with a Vampire\u003c/em>, and it was such an inspirational moment in my life,” Quinn said. “We’re all inspired by the San Francisco philosophy of it — or the Anne philosophy of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Being you is exactly what you should do; you are exactly as you should be,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1964\" height=\"1304\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677.jpg 1964w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1964px) 100vw, 1964px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anne Rice on Aug. 15, 1995. (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“The vampire is an outsider,” Rice herself \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20260408070054/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anne-rice-on-sparkly-vampires-twilight-true-blood-and-werewolves/\">told the Daily Beast in 2011\u003c/a>. “He’s the perfect metaphor for those things.” And Rice’s exploration of the outsider figure has resonated with its queer fanbase over half a century.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the book may have initially been received as a gay allegory, it is now widely understood to be “a full-on queer narrative,” Christopher said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The audience that made the “Vampire Chronicles” into what Christopher called “underground hits” was “largely made up of queer people,” he said. “They were the people who saw the passionate, romantic connection between Louis and Lestat and their determination to raise a child.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This narrative heavily imprinted on many fans at an early age. Like Grey Starr of Oakland, who first encountered Rice’s work after watching the 1994 film adaptation when she was young. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve always been queer, so I could always suss that out as a kid,” Starr said. “I read the books when I was way too young … I used to go to school wearing a shirt that said, ‘Red Beans, Anne Rice.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1287\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-1536x988.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirsten Dunst in a scene from the film “Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” 1994. (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“The sensuality of that book really got me at a young age, because this was right around the time that I’m hitting puberty, I’m discovering kind of my own sexuality,” San Francisco drag performer Piranha Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a kid visiting the city, Psychotronica remembered being excited to pass Castro Street, because the “Vampire Chronicles” series featured a vampire bar — called Dracula’s Daughter — in the area. “Not realizing really at that time that it’s \u003cem>also \u003c/em>where all the gays were and where I eventually would be,” she said with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The series also explored gender identity. Rice herself told an interviewer \u003ca href=\"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anne-rice-feel-like-im-gay_n_585d33cae4b0d9a59457fc44\">in a 2016 interview\u003c/a> that it was “very hard for me to remember that I have a gender.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I grew up in the 90s, when you’d see trans folks in media, oftentimes it would be trashy talk shows where they were the butt of the joke, and described as mentally ill,” said Psychotronica, who is a trans woman. But the language of gender in Rice’s books rang true to her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That was one of the biggest things that made me a lifelong fan of her writing,” she said. “Because it was the first door that I felt opened to me to any kind of self-discovery.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many Bay Area fans, the series’ inherent queerness has made a huge impact not just on their lives, but their art too. Psychotronica credits what she called the “sensuality and decadence” of Rice’s writing as one of the major reasons she began performing onstage. “I want to channel rock star Lestat when I’m on stage,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Psychotronica learned of the series through her mother, who she described as an Anne Rice superfan — similar to Starr’s mother, a “cool goth mom” who is part of her band, Pretty Frankenstein. In fact, that intergenerational nature of Rice’s fanbase is a recurring theme among Bay Area fans and even reminiscent of the writer’s bond with her son Christopher as he became an author in his own right. (Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/9605/anne-and-christopher-rice-fall-in-love-with-this-mother-son-author-team\">this delightful 2013 KQED interview\u003c/a> that asks the pair which of their gay fanbases would win in a fight.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of surreal that this media has essentially shaped our lives in such an amazing way,” Starr said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘A home to androgynous pansexual ancient vampires’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Psychotronica is just one of the acts in Starr’s forthcoming “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show in Oakland, right before Halloween. (Starr hosted past themed drag nights as Lumpia Anne Rice.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another of the performers slated for that night is Sacramento’s Alexa Gerrity — a cosplaying burlesque act who’ll be performing as Louis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gerrity counts herself as a newer fan of the “Vampire Chronicles”’ thanks to her best friend Desrea Sabo — a Rice fan who described cutting their own bangs as a kid “because I thought \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIm8HfwnmVE\">they would grow back like Claudia’s\u003c/a>” — introducing them to the AMC television series.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103580\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L-R): Mark Johnson, Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Assad Zaman and Eric Bogosian seen onstage at the AMC Networks media presentation of Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” during the 2024 TCA Winter Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on Feb. 6, 2024, in Pasadena, California. (JC Olivera/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>What inspired Gerrity about the series was a major change it makes from the books in the casting of Louis and Claudia, portrayed variously by Black actors Jacob Anderson, Delainey Hayles and Bailey Bass. Along with a shift in time period and a more overt portrayal of sexuality, the show reimagined Louis not as the white plantation owner of the books but as a Black brothel owner in 1900s New Orleans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As a Black woman, it just really hit a lot harder … him coming to terms with who he is as a person,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The queer experience, trying to see how he feels coming to terms with his sexuality … those are things that I can relate to growing up as a Black woman who grew up in the South as well and coming out to my family, to my friends,” Gerrity said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to Black characters in the gothic romance genre, “sometimes it’s looked at as weird, or we’re excluded from those spaces,” she said. “So to see us be embraced so wholly, and in these beautiful vibrant colors and scenes and imagery — it was just incredible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, Gerrity and Sabo regularly cosplay together as Louis and Lestat at fan conventions — not unlike those readers who entered Rice’s San Francisco book signing all those decades ago. “It’s beautiful to be able to cosplay such a dynamic duo,” Garrity said. “Being able to be covered in blood with my best friend — I’m never going to be upset.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Sabo, who was born and raised in San Francisco, Rice’s work has only strengthened their connection to their home. “As a kid who has always — and still hopes — to be turned into a vampire someday, being able to walk down the street and see those locations, it made the fantasy so much more deep and real for me,” Sabo said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a sentiment echoed by Psychotronica — a way of seeing this city, with its rolling fog and Victorian houses looming over its steep streets, in all its gothic splendor. “I can totally see how San Francisco would be such an attractive home to these androgynous pansexual ancient vampires,” Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think [Rice] loving it so much was one of the things that really made me fall in love with the city. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vampire-events\">Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To mark “Interview with the Vampire”’s 50th anniversary, we’ve compiled a list of vampiric affairs across the Bay Area, including elegant masquerades, fashion shows, raves and drag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earth Gala’s Vampire Ball at Verdi Club\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Friday, Oct. 9, at the Verdi Club in San Francisco, there will be \u003ca href=\"https://partiful.com/e/ow96u5LIkuJMIeEndMi4\">a vampire ball and fashion walkway\u003c/a> centered on “eco-couture,” where the winner can receive a $1000 cash prize. The gala is serving as a fundraiser for the Amazon rainforest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-galas-vampire-ball-halloween-costume-ball-in-san-francisco-tickets-1999189409340?aff=oddtdtcreator\">General admission \u003c/a>costs around $108, but late entry after 10 p.m. is around $40.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CAVE RAVE: CLAWZ – VAMPIRE RAVE at The Foundry\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This rave on Friday, Oct. 9 at The Foundry in San Francisco starts at 10 p.m. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cave-rave-clawz-vampire-rave-tickets-2001031409813?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">can be found online\u003c/a> and are around $20.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHBhKbF2xMA\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">International Vampire Fest at The Balboa Theater\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at The Balboa Theater in San Francisco, there’ll be a series of vampiric movies playing all day long from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://www.balboamovies.com/international-vampire-film-fest\">Individual tickets \u003c/a>are around $15. A full day pass is $30. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Particularly exciting for this reporter: two of her favorite movies of all time are part of the international lineup: Sweden’s “Let the Right One In” (2008) and Iran’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”\u003cem> \u003c/em>(2014).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you aren’t able to make it that day, the following day in Richmond there’s a free \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd_nZm_OvZ1/?stkn=Y3ozeHRnOXllaTVh\">screening of “Fright Night”(1985) in 16 mm\u003c/a> at The Planetarium venue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vampire’s Ball at SP2 Communal Bar\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at SP2 Communal Bar in San José, there’s a vampire’s ball with a best-dressed contest. It is free to enter before 10:30 p.m. and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vampires-ball-tickets-2002597411767?aff=ebdssbcategorybrowse\">$12.51 afterward\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Théâtre des Vampires Drag Show at The Thee Stork Club\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Oct. 29 at Thee Stork Club in Oakland, there’s an “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show featuring \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3XR0RM128haG3D0EyeNKvH\">music from the television show’s third season\u003c/a>, “The Vampire Lestat,” by Pretty Frankenstein. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://wl.eventim.us/event/the-vampire-lestat-drag-show/695682?afflky=TheeStorkClub\">are available online for $12 and at the door for $15\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helena’s Masquerade at QBar\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not quite vampire-themed but very important for any emo kid, t\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8\">he broken, the beaten and the damned\u003c/a>: On Thursday, Oct. 29 at San Francisco’s QBar, you’ll find a Hot Topic-filled dance night of My Chemical Romance, Evanescence and Paramore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/helenas-masquerade-emo-night-halloween-party-in-the-castro-tickets-1998505545886?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> range from around $7 to $14.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Halloween Vampire Tour of San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 31 in San Francisco, a six-stop tour with \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mina_Harker\">Mina Harker\u003c/a> throughout the Nob Hill Neighborhood. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-halloween-vampire-tour-of-san-francisco-tickets-2001672663821?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are around $40.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">“Dracula Kiss” at Coqueta\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Oct. 31 at Coqueta in San Francisco, there’s an immersive production of the play “Dracula Kiss.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dracula-kiss-tickets-2002563537448?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are $44.52.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Black Cat Hotel at The Palace Theater\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This immersive theatrical experience runs through Halloween at the Palace Theater in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepalacetheatersf.com/blackcat#linkourstory\">Reservations \u003c/a>start at $39. (Keep in mind, this is not a real hotel!)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">“Dracula” at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout October, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a stage production of “Dracula\u003cem>” \u003c/em>at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts\u003cem>. \u003c/em>Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/dracula/\">start around $44\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Le Bal Des Vampires at Alameda Elks Lodge\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Nov. 7 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/events/alameda-elks-lodge-1015-at-2255-santa-clara-avenue-alameda-ca/le-bal-des-vampires/1959917641345476/\">the Alameda Elks Lodge\u003c/a>, there’s a vampire affair in an elegant ballroom featuring music throughout the centuries: 18th-century Baroque contredanses, 19th-century Victorian rotary and Viennese waltzes, 20th-century tangos, blues and rock and roll. \u003ca href=\"https://www.peersdance.org/vamps2026.html\">Tickets \u003c/a>are around $50.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It took a few years for Anne Rice and her family to realize that, after a shaky start, her 1976 debut novel “Interview with the Vampire” was striking a chord. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it makes sense that it happened in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, a city she had called home for years — when several young, elegant men waltzed into one of her book signings. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As her son, the author Christopher Rice, told KQED, the men were decked in 18th-century waistcoats, their long hair tied off in a ribbon. They were, in short, dressed as the main characters of Rice’s said shaky debut novel: Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As her son, the author Christopher Rice, told KQED, the men were decked in 18th-century waistcoats, their long hair tied off in a ribbon. They were, in short, dressed as the main characters of Rice’s said shaky debut novel: Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the men posed for pictures with a flustered Rice, the author saw personally, for the first time, that the novel Christopher said she’d regarded as “this black spot on her career” was finally finding its home: with the queer community. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the men posed for pictures with a flustered Rice, the author saw personally, for the first time, that the novel Christopher said she’d regarded as “this black spot on her career” was finally finding its home: with the queer community. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103573\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Authors Christopher Rice (left) and Anne Rice sign copies of their books “The Heavens Rise” and “The Wolves Of Midwinter,” respectively, at Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove on Nov. 2, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Amanda Edwards/WireImage via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Over time this underground audience discovered the book, discovered how transgressive it was, how rule-breaking it was,” Christopher said. “And all of that really did happen in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” marks its 50th anniversary this year, and Christopher details \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/books/review/anne-rice-interview-with-the-vampire-50th-anniversary.html\">this very anecdote\u003c/a> in his afterword to \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/InterviewWithTheVampire50th.html\">a new semicentennial reissue\u003c/a> of the novel by Penguin Random House. (His behind-the-scenes nugget that didn’t make the final print edition: how Rice and his aunt “just went bananas over how attractive these guys were.”)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” marks its 50th anniversary this year, and Christopher details \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/books/review/anne-rice-interview-with-the-vampire-50th-anniversary.html\">this very anecdote\u003c/a> in his afterword to \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/InterviewWithTheVampire50th.html\">a new semicentennial reissue\u003c/a> of the novel by Penguin Random House. (His behind-the-scenes nugget that didn’t make the final print edition: how Rice and his aunt “just went bananas over how attractive these guys were.”)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#vampire-events\">Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#vampire-events\">Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The novel chronicles the tumultuous life and relationship between Louis and the man who turned both him and their companion Claudia into vampires: Lestat. And despite initial mixed reviews, the book and its subsequent sequels making up the “Vampire Chronicles” series have, over the decades, become a bona fide gothic classic — further popularizing the idea of the vampire as a tortured protagonist. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The novel chronicles the tumultuous life and relationship between Louis and the man who turned both him and their companion Claudia into vampires: Lestat. And despite initial mixed reviews, the book and its subsequent sequels making up the “Vampire Chronicles” series have, over the decades, become a bona fide gothic classic — further popularizing the idea of the vampire as a tortured protagonist. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rice also wrote the screenplay for the 1994 film adaptation of “Interview With the Vampire” starring Brad Pitt, a young Kirsten Dunst and, most notoriously, \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-21-ca-41119-story.html\">Tom Cruise\u003c/a>. Then, in the 2020s, the series was introduced to a new generation of fans through the television show adaptation on AMC.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the fact that the story’s pivotal framing device — the titular interview between Louis and a young journalist — takes place in a San Francisco Victorian on Divisadero Street, New Orleans has understandably pulled rank as the “home” of “Interview with the Vampire.” Not only is the Louisiana city a recurring setting in the books, but it’s also where Rice herself was born and raised and where, after finally finding her success as a writer, she lived in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DOM3-YpkQKa/?img_index=3\">a gorgeous historic home\u003c/a> for over a decade. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Despite the fact that the story’s pivotal framing device — the titular interview between Louis and a young journalist — takes place in a San Francisco Victorian on Divisadero Street, New Orleans has understandably pulled rank as the “home” of “Interview with the Vampire.” Not only is the Louisiana city a recurring setting in the books, but it’s also where Rice herself was born and raised and where, after finally finding her success as a writer, she lived in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DOM3-YpkQKa/?img_index=3\">a gorgeous historic home\u003c/a> for over a decade. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s also where she rests in a family mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery, where \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/COL.html\">her memorial\u003c/a>, attended by \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/anne-rice-vampire-memorial-documentary/article_36ac316f-b1e8-4e58-8309-bfaa8024e537.html\">over a thousand people\u003c/a>, was held. And New Orleans has now become a central gathering point for fervent Rice fans, where they regularly \u003ca href=\"https://vamplestat.com/\">hold a Vampire’s Ball\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s also where she rests in a family mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery, where \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/COL.html\">her memorial\u003c/a>, attended by \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/anne-rice-vampire-memorial-documentary/article_36ac316f-b1e8-4e58-8309-bfaa8024e537.html\">over a thousand people\u003c/a>, was held. And New Orleans has now become a central gathering point for fervent Rice fans, where they regularly \u003ca href=\"https://vamplestat.com/\">hold a Vampire’s Ball\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But according to Christopher, his mother’s most famous series of novels “don’t just have a San Francisco connection.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "‘Rebellion against that darkness’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rice first lived here as a University of San Francisco student, and moved back to the city in the early 60s with Stan, the high-school sweetheart who’d become her husband. They were both \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CKIMtBEpAjp/?vrfl=b3Awc3d2eGN3bjd3\">in their early twenties\u003c/a>, and they were in the midst of the Beat Generation and the Summer of Love. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rice first lived here as a University of San Francisco student, and moved back to the city in the early 60s with Stan, the high-school sweetheart who’d become her husband. They were both \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CKIMtBEpAjp/?vrfl=b3Awc3d2eGN3bjd3\">in their early twenties\u003c/a>, and they were in the midst of the Beat Generation and the Summer of Love. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even though the Rices were more observers than participants — “in the middle of Haight-Ashbury in the 60s, I was typing away while everybody around me was dropping acid and smoking grass,” Rice told \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20130524225924/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/07/books/other-incarnations-of-the-vampire-author.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm\">\u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1988 — the ethos of the city is firmly reflected in the “Interview With the Vampire” series. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But even though the Rices were more observers than participants — “in the middle of Haight-Ashbury in the 60s, I was typing away while everybody around me was dropping acid and smoking grass,” Rice told \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20130524225924/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/07/books/other-incarnations-of-the-vampire-author.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm\">\u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1988 — the ethos of the city is firmly reflected in the “Interview With the Vampire” series. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I like to say the young men who probably inspired Louis and Lestat were people she saw on the streets of the Haight-Ashbury or the Castro District,” Christopher said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103570\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 50th Anniversary Edition of the Anne Rice novel, “Interview with the Vampire” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103570\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 50th Anniversary Edition of the Anne Rice novel, “Interview with the Vampire” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The hints of the idea of “letting your freak flag fly,” Christopher said, are there from the first book. But it really crescendos in the second book of the “Vampire Chronicles” series, 1985’s “The Vampire Lestat,” in which the raucous Lestat holds an earth-shattering rock concert (for vampires!) in none other than Daly City’s own Cow Palace. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The hints of the idea of “letting your freak flag fly,” Christopher said, are there from the first book. But it really crescendos in the second book of the “Vampire Chronicles” series, 1985’s “The Vampire Lestat,” in which the raucous Lestat holds an earth-shattering rock concert (for vampires!) in none other than Daly City’s own Cow Palace. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In contrast to the Bay Area, New Orleans is Rice’s setting for “the old vampire world,” Christopher said. But “when on the contemporary stage, [Lestat] says, ‘Vampires should come out, come out wherever you are, and be counted among all the great diversity of the human world.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In contrast to the Bay Area, New Orleans is Rice’s setting for “the old vampire world,” Christopher said. But “when on the contemporary stage, [Lestat] says, ‘Vampires should come out, come out wherever you are, and be counted among all the great diversity of the human world.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s the city by the Bay, baby,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Rice family lived around the Bay Area for over two decades. “In California, almost all of us have an acquired lifestyle: We came here to have it,” she said in a 2014 interview with \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">\u003cem>The California Sunday Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>“To be a writer, to be a bohemian, to put our art and our liberal ideas before, say, pleasing our cousins.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Rice family lived around the Bay Area for over two decades. “In California, almost all of us have an acquired lifestyle: We came here to have it,” she said in a 2014 interview with \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">\u003cem>The California Sunday Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>“To be a writer, to be a bohemian, to put our art and our liberal ideas before, say, pleasing our cousins.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After giving birth to Christopher in Berkeley, the Rices moved back across the bay into a Castro District home at 3887 17th Street — a place Christopher said he “loved growing up.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After giving birth to Christopher in Berkeley, the Rices moved back across the bay into a Castro District home at 3887 17th Street — a place Christopher said he “loved growing up.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103577\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Victorian home located on 503 Divisadero St., which inspired Anne Rice’s novel, “Interview with the Vampire,” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103577\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Victorian home located on 503 Divisadero St., which inspired Anne Rice’s novel, “Interview with the Vampire,” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A key setting from “Interview With the Vampire” is just a 30-minute walk from the house: The Victorian home on 503 Divisadero Street, where Rice set the titular interview. Rice said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoSb8H3znfI\">2011\u003c/a> that she came across the house — which is now painted a deep, dark blue — when her professor husband was being interviewed for a radio show nearby. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s where I got the idea of a boy-interviewer,” she said. “Little things like that spark short stories, novels.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But tragedy in the city was in full force: In the Castro, Christopher said, the Rice family was “living at ground zero” during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Neighbors were dying. There were lines out of pharmacies, he said, and shuttered storefronts with signs reading “Closed due to illness.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But tragedy in the city was in full force: In the Castro, Christopher said, the Rice family was “living at ground zero” during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Neighbors were dying. There were lines out of pharmacies, he said, and shuttered storefronts with signs reading “Closed due to illness.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I do believe that, in some part, the rock star energy of \u003cem>The Vampire Lestat\u003c/em> was about a rebellion against that darkness,” Christopher said. “It was this attempt to have queerness rise up and put on a leather jacket and sing to the masses, to push back all the death.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I do believe that, in some part, the rock star energy of \u003cem>The Vampire Lestat\u003c/em> was about a rebellion against that darkness,” Christopher said. “It was this attempt to have queerness rise up and put on a leather jacket and sing to the masses, to push back all the death.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The family was still suffering with a personal loss of their own, too. In 1972, the couple’s daughter Michele had died of leukemia at the age of 5 — before Christopher was born.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The family was still suffering with a personal loss of their own, too. In 1972, the couple’s daughter Michele had died of leukemia at the age of 5 — before Christopher was born.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cdiv class=\"instagram-no-caption-wrapper\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 540px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;\">\n \u003ciframe src=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CixSBcULxR8/embed/?captioned=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"720\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e3e3e3; border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 1px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/div>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Christopher said he learned about Michele by accident in school. Over the course of his life, he got to learn about his sister from his parents, about her “otherworldly endurance” and her “zen brilliance.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Christopher said he learned about Michele by accident in school. Over the course of his life, he got to learn about his sister from his parents, about her “otherworldly endurance” and her “zen brilliance.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t think it was easy for them to be living at the ground zero of another epidemic that was about the blood,” Christopher said. “It was incredibly influential on [Rice].” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t think it was easy for them to be living at the ground zero of another epidemic that was about the blood,” Christopher said. “It was incredibly influential on [Rice].” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the years after Michele’s death, Rice returned to an old short story and expanded it in just five weeks into what became “Interview with the Vampire,” written in her \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">North Berkeley garden apartment.\u003c/a> This version further developed the character of a surrogate daughter for Lestat and Louis, Claudia — turned into a vampire at age five and forever a child.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the years after Michele’s death, Rice returned to an old short story and expanded it in just five weeks into what became “Interview with the Vampire,” written in her \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">North Berkeley garden apartment.\u003c/a> This version further developed the character of a surrogate daughter for Lestat and Louis, Claudia — turned into a vampire at age five and forever a child.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>”I never noticed when I was writing,” Rice said in \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>interview. ”It may be hard to believe, but I didn’t connect Claudia with my daughter at the time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>”I never noticed when I was writing,” Rice said in \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>interview. ”It may be hard to believe, but I didn’t connect Claudia with my daughter at the time.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘The vampire is an outsider’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘The vampire is an outsider’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” represented a “paradigm shift in how we look at monsters in ourselves,” said author Eric Shaw Quinn, Rice’s friend who helps oversee the estate with Christopher. “And our own persecution of ourselves, and of monsters in our culture.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” represented a “paradigm shift in how we look at monsters in ourselves,” said author Eric Shaw Quinn, Rice’s friend who helps oversee the estate with Christopher. “And our own persecution of ourselves, and of monsters in our culture.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was there at the beginning of \u003cem>Interview with a Vampire\u003c/em>, and it was such an inspirational moment in my life,” Quinn said. “We’re all inspired by the San Francisco philosophy of it — or the Anne philosophy of it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was there at the beginning of \u003cem>Interview with a Vampire\u003c/em>, and it was such an inspirational moment in my life,” Quinn said. “We’re all inspired by the San Francisco philosophy of it — or the Anne philosophy of it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Being you is exactly what you should do; you are exactly as you should be,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Being you is exactly what you should do; you are exactly as you should be,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677.jpg 1964w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anne Rice on Aug. 15, 1995.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103640\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anne Rice on Aug. 15, 1995.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The vampire is an outsider,” Rice herself \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20260408070054/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anne-rice-on-sparkly-vampires-twilight-true-blood-and-werewolves/\">told the Daily Beast in 2011\u003c/a>. “He’s the perfect metaphor for those things.” And Rice’s exploration of the outsider figure has resonated with its queer fanbase over half a century.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The vampire is an outsider,” Rice herself \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20260408070054/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anne-rice-on-sparkly-vampires-twilight-true-blood-and-werewolves/\">told the Daily Beast in 2011\u003c/a>. “He’s the perfect metaphor for those things.” And Rice’s exploration of the outsider figure has resonated with its queer fanbase over half a century.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the book may have initially been received as a gay allegory, it is now widely understood to be “a full-on queer narrative,” Christopher said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the book may have initially been received as a gay allegory, it is now widely understood to be “a full-on queer narrative,” Christopher said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The audience that made the “Vampire Chronicles” into what Christopher called “underground hits” was “largely made up of queer people,” he said. “They were the people who saw the passionate, romantic connection between Louis and Lestat and their determination to raise a child.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The audience that made the “Vampire Chronicles” into what Christopher called “underground hits” was “largely made up of queer people,” he said. “They were the people who saw the passionate, romantic connection between Louis and Lestat and their determination to raise a child.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This narrative heavily imprinted on many fans at an early age. Like Grey Starr of Oakland, who first encountered Rice’s work after watching the 1994 film adaptation when she was young. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve always been queer, so I could always suss that out as a kid,” Starr said. “I read the books when I was way too young … I used to go to school wearing a shirt that said, ‘Red Beans, Anne Rice.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve always been queer, so I could always suss that out as a kid,” Starr said. “I read the books when I was way too young … I used to go to school wearing a shirt that said, ‘Red Beans, Anne Rice.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-1536x988.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-1536x988.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirsten Dunst in a scene from the film “Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” 1994. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103579\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirsten Dunst in a scene from the film “Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” 1994. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The sensuality of that book really got me at a young age, because this was right around the time that I’m hitting puberty, I’m discovering kind of my own sexuality,” San Francisco drag performer Piranha Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The sensuality of that book really got me at a young age, because this was right around the time that I’m hitting puberty, I’m discovering kind of my own sexuality,” San Francisco drag performer Piranha Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a kid visiting the city, Psychotronica remembered being excited to pass Castro Street, because the “Vampire Chronicles” series featured a vampire bar — called Dracula’s Daughter — in the area. “Not realizing really at that time that it’s \u003cem>also \u003c/em>where all the gays were and where I eventually would be,” she said with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a kid visiting the city, Psychotronica remembered being excited to pass Castro Street, because the “Vampire Chronicles” series featured a vampire bar — called Dracula’s Daughter — in the area. “Not realizing really at that time that it’s \u003cem>also \u003c/em>where all the gays were and where I eventually would be,” she said with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The series also explored gender identity. Rice herself told an interviewer \u003ca href=\"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anne-rice-feel-like-im-gay_n_585d33cae4b0d9a59457fc44\">in a 2016 interview\u003c/a> that it was “very hard for me to remember that I have a gender.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The series also explored gender identity. Rice herself told an interviewer \u003ca href=\"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anne-rice-feel-like-im-gay_n_585d33cae4b0d9a59457fc44\">in a 2016 interview\u003c/a> that it was “very hard for me to remember that I have a gender.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When I grew up in the 90s, when you’d see trans folks in media, oftentimes it would be trashy talk shows where they were the butt of the joke, and described as mentally ill,” said Psychotronica, who is a trans woman. But the language of gender in Rice’s books rang true to her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When I grew up in the 90s, when you’d see trans folks in media, oftentimes it would be trashy talk shows where they were the butt of the joke, and described as mentally ill,” said Psychotronica, who is a trans woman. But the language of gender in Rice’s books rang true to her. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That was one of the biggest things that made me a lifelong fan of her writing,” she said. “Because it was the first door that I felt opened to me to any kind of self-discovery.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That was one of the biggest things that made me a lifelong fan of her writing,” she said. “Because it was the first door that I felt opened to me to any kind of self-discovery.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For many Bay Area fans, the series’ inherent queerness has made a huge impact not just on their lives, but their art too. Psychotronica credits what she called the “sensuality and decadence” of Rice’s writing as one of the major reasons she began performing onstage. “I want to channel rock star Lestat when I’m on stage,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For many Bay Area fans, the series’ inherent queerness has made a huge impact not just on their lives, but their art too. Psychotronica credits what she called the “sensuality and decadence” of Rice’s writing as one of the major reasons she began performing onstage. “I want to channel rock star Lestat when I’m on stage,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Psychotronica learned of the series through her mother, who she described as an Anne Rice superfan — similar to Starr’s mother, a “cool goth mom” who is part of her band, Pretty Frankenstein. In fact, that intergenerational nature of Rice’s fanbase is a recurring theme among Bay Area fans and even reminiscent of the writer’s bond with her son Christopher as he became an author in his own right. (Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/9605/anne-and-christopher-rice-fall-in-love-with-this-mother-son-author-team\">this delightful 2013 KQED interview\u003c/a> that asks the pair which of their gay fanbases would win in a fight.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Psychotronica learned of the series through her mother, who she described as an Anne Rice superfan — similar to Starr’s mother, a “cool goth mom” who is part of her band, Pretty Frankenstein. In fact, that intergenerational nature of Rice’s fanbase is a recurring theme among Bay Area fans and even reminiscent of the writer’s bond with her son Christopher as he became an author in his own right. (Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/9605/anne-and-christopher-rice-fall-in-love-with-this-mother-son-author-team\">this delightful 2013 KQED interview\u003c/a> that asks the pair which of their gay fanbases would win in a fight.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of surreal that this media has essentially shaped our lives in such an amazing way,” Starr said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of surreal that this media has essentially shaped our lives in such an amazing way,” Starr said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘A home to androgynous pansexual ancient vampires’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Psychotronica is just one of the acts in Starr’s forthcoming “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show in Oakland, right before Halloween. (Starr hosted past themed drag nights as Lumpia Anne Rice.) \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Psychotronica is just one of the acts in Starr’s forthcoming “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show in Oakland, right before Halloween. (Starr hosted past themed drag nights as Lumpia Anne Rice.) \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another of the performers slated for that night is Sacramento’s Alexa Gerrity — a cosplaying burlesque act who’ll be performing as Louis. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another of the performers slated for that night is Sacramento’s Alexa Gerrity — a cosplaying burlesque act who’ll be performing as Louis. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gerrity counts herself as a newer fan of the “Vampire Chronicles”’ thanks to her best friend Desrea Sabo — a Rice fan who described cutting their own bangs as a kid “because I thought \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIm8HfwnmVE\">they would grow back like Claudia’s\u003c/a>” — introducing them to the AMC television series.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gerrity counts herself as a newer fan of the “Vampire Chronicles”’ thanks to her best friend Desrea Sabo — a Rice fan who described cutting their own bangs as a kid “because I thought \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIm8HfwnmVE\">they would grow back like Claudia’s\u003c/a>” — introducing them to the AMC television series.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103580\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L-R): Mark Johnson, Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Assad Zaman and Eric Bogosian seen onstage at the AMC Networks media presentation of Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” during the 2024 TCA Winter Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on Feb. 6, 2024, in Pasadena, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (JC Olivera/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103580\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L-R): Mark Johnson, Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Assad Zaman and Eric Bogosian seen onstage at the AMC Networks media presentation of Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” during the 2024 TCA Winter Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on Feb. 6, 2024, in Pasadena, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (JC Olivera/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What inspired Gerrity about the series was a major change it makes from the books in the casting of Louis and Claudia, portrayed variously by Black actors Jacob Anderson, Delainey Hayles and Bailey Bass. Along with a shift in time period and a more overt portrayal of sexuality, the show reimagined Louis not as the white plantation owner of the books but as a Black brothel owner in 1900s New Orleans. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What inspired Gerrity about the series was a major change it makes from the books in the casting of Louis and Claudia, portrayed variously by Black actors Jacob Anderson, Delainey Hayles and Bailey Bass. Along with a shift in time period and a more overt portrayal of sexuality, the show reimagined Louis not as the white plantation owner of the books but as a Black brothel owner in 1900s New Orleans. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As a Black woman, it just really hit a lot harder … him coming to terms with who he is as a person,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As a Black woman, it just really hit a lot harder … him coming to terms with who he is as a person,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The queer experience, trying to see how he feels coming to terms with his sexuality … those are things that I can relate to growing up as a Black woman who grew up in the South as well and coming out to my family, to my friends,” Gerrity said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The queer experience, trying to see how he feels coming to terms with his sexuality … those are things that I can relate to growing up as a Black woman who grew up in the South as well and coming out to my family, to my friends,” Gerrity said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it comes to Black characters in the gothic romance genre, “sometimes it’s looked at as weird, or we’re excluded from those spaces,” she said. “So to see us be embraced so wholly, and in these beautiful vibrant colors and scenes and imagery — it was just incredible.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When it comes to Black characters in the gothic romance genre, “sometimes it’s looked at as weird, or we’re excluded from those spaces,” she said. “So to see us be embraced so wholly, and in these beautiful vibrant colors and scenes and imagery — it was just incredible.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, Gerrity and Sabo regularly cosplay together as Louis and Lestat at fan conventions — not unlike those readers who entered Rice’s San Francisco book signing all those decades ago. “It’s beautiful to be able to cosplay such a dynamic duo,” Garrity said. “Being able to be covered in blood with my best friend — I’m never going to be upset.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, Gerrity and Sabo regularly cosplay together as Louis and Lestat at fan conventions — not unlike those readers who entered Rice’s San Francisco book signing all those decades ago. “It’s beautiful to be able to cosplay such a dynamic duo,” Garrity said. “Being able to be covered in blood with my best friend — I’m never going to be upset.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Sabo, who was born and raised in San Francisco, Rice’s work has only strengthened their connection to their home. “As a kid who has always — and still hopes — to be turned into a vampire someday, being able to walk down the street and see those locations, it made the fantasy so much more deep and real for me,” Sabo said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Sabo, who was born and raised in San Francisco, Rice’s work has only strengthened their connection to their home. “As a kid who has always — and still hopes — to be turned into a vampire someday, being able to walk down the street and see those locations, it made the fantasy so much more deep and real for me,” Sabo said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a sentiment echoed by Psychotronica — a way of seeing this city, with its rolling fog and Victorian houses looming over its steep streets, in all its gothic splendor. “I can totally see how San Francisco would be such an attractive home to these androgynous pansexual ancient vampires,” Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s a sentiment echoed by Psychotronica — a way of seeing this city, with its rolling fog and Victorian houses looming over its steep streets, in all its gothic splendor. “I can totally see how San Francisco would be such an attractive home to these androgynous pansexual ancient vampires,” Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think [Rice] loving it so much was one of the things that really made me fall in love with the city. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I think [Rice] loving it so much was one of the things that really made me fall in love with the city. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vampire-events\">Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To mark “Interview with the Vampire”’s 50th anniversary, we’ve compiled a list of vampiric affairs across the Bay Area, including elegant masquerades, fashion shows, raves and drag.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To mark “Interview with the Vampire”’s 50th anniversary, we’ve compiled a list of vampiric affairs across the Bay Area, including elegant masquerades, fashion shows, raves and drag.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Earth Gala’s Vampire Ball at Verdi Club"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earth Gala’s Vampire Ball at Verdi Club\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Friday, Oct. 9, at the Verdi Club in San Francisco, there will be \u003ca href=\"https://partiful.com/e/ow96u5LIkuJMIeEndMi4\">a vampire ball and fashion walkway\u003c/a> centered on “eco-couture,” where the winner can receive a $1000 cash prize. The gala is serving as a fundraiser for the Amazon rainforest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Friday, Oct. 9, at the Verdi Club in San Francisco, there will be \u003ca href=\"https://partiful.com/e/ow96u5LIkuJMIeEndMi4\">a vampire ball and fashion walkway\u003c/a> centered on “eco-couture,” where the winner can receive a $1000 cash prize. The gala is serving as a fundraiser for the Amazon rainforest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-galas-vampire-ball-halloween-costume-ball-in-san-francisco-tickets-1999189409340?aff=oddtdtcreator\">General admission \u003c/a>costs around $108, but late entry after 10 p.m. is around $40.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-galas-vampire-ball-halloween-costume-ball-in-san-francisco-tickets-1999189409340?aff=oddtdtcreator\">General admission \u003c/a>costs around $108, but late entry after 10 p.m. is around $40.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "CAVE RAVE: CLAWZ – VAMPIRE RAVE at The Foundry"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CAVE RAVE: CLAWZ – VAMPIRE RAVE at The Foundry\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This rave on Friday, Oct. 9 at The Foundry in San Francisco starts at 10 p.m. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cave-rave-clawz-vampire-rave-tickets-2001031409813?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">can be found online\u003c/a> and are around $20.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This rave on Friday, Oct. 9 at The Foundry in San Francisco starts at 10 p.m. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cave-rave-clawz-vampire-rave-tickets-2001031409813?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">can be found online\u003c/a> and are around $20.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHBhKbF2xMA\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"text": "International Vampire Fest at The Balboa Theater"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">International Vampire Fest at The Balboa Theater\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at The Balboa Theater in San Francisco, there’ll be a series of vampiric movies playing all day long from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://www.balboamovies.com/international-vampire-film-fest\">Individual tickets \u003c/a>are around $15. A full day pass is $30. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at The Balboa Theater in San Francisco, there’ll be a series of vampiric movies playing all day long from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://www.balboamovies.com/international-vampire-film-fest\">Individual tickets \u003c/a>are around $15. A full day pass is $30. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Particularly exciting for this reporter: two of her favorite movies of all time are part of the international lineup: Sweden’s “Let the Right One In” (2008) and Iran’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”\u003cem> \u003c/em>(2014).\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you aren’t able to make it that day, the following day in Richmond there’s a free \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd_nZm_OvZ1/?stkn=Y3ozeHRnOXllaTVh\">screening of “Fright Night”(1985) in 16 mm\u003c/a> at The Planetarium venue.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you aren’t able to make it that day, the following day in Richmond there’s a free \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd_nZm_OvZ1/?stkn=Y3ozeHRnOXllaTVh\">screening of “Fright Night”(1985) in 16 mm\u003c/a> at The Planetarium venue.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Vampire’s Ball at SP2 Communal Bar"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vampire’s Ball at SP2 Communal Bar\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at SP2 Communal Bar in San José, there’s a vampire’s ball with a best-dressed contest. It is free to enter before 10:30 p.m. and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vampires-ball-tickets-2002597411767?aff=ebdssbcategorybrowse\">$12.51 afterward\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at SP2 Communal Bar in San José, there’s a vampire’s ball with a best-dressed contest. It is free to enter before 10:30 p.m. and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vampires-ball-tickets-2002597411767?aff=ebdssbcategorybrowse\">$12.51 afterward\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Théâtre des Vampires Drag Show at The Thee Stork Club"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Théâtre des Vampires Drag Show at The Thee Stork Club\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Oct. 29 at Thee Stork Club in Oakland, there’s an “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show featuring \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3XR0RM128haG3D0EyeNKvH\">music from the television show’s third season\u003c/a>, “The Vampire Lestat,” by Pretty Frankenstein. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://wl.eventim.us/event/the-vampire-lestat-drag-show/695682?afflky=TheeStorkClub\">are available online for $12 and at the door for $15\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Oct. 29 at Thee Stork Club in Oakland, there’s an “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show featuring \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3XR0RM128haG3D0EyeNKvH\">music from the television show’s third season\u003c/a>, “The Vampire Lestat,” by Pretty Frankenstein. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://wl.eventim.us/event/the-vampire-lestat-drag-show/695682?afflky=TheeStorkClub\">are available online for $12 and at the door for $15\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Helena’s Masquerade at QBar"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helena’s Masquerade at QBar\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Not quite vampire-themed but very important for any emo kid, t\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8\">he broken, the beaten and the damned\u003c/a>: On Thursday, Oct. 29 at San Francisco’s QBar, you’ll find a Hot Topic-filled dance night of My Chemical Romance, Evanescence and Paramore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/helenas-masquerade-emo-night-halloween-party-in-the-castro-tickets-1998505545886?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> range from around $7 to $14.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Not quite vampire-themed but very important for any emo kid, t\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8\">he broken, the beaten and the damned\u003c/a>: On Thursday, Oct. 29 at San Francisco’s QBar, you’ll find a Hot Topic-filled dance night of My Chemical Romance, Evanescence and Paramore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/helenas-masquerade-emo-night-halloween-party-in-the-castro-tickets-1998505545886?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> range from around $7 to $14.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The Halloween Vampire Tour of San Francisco"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 31 in San Francisco, a six-stop tour with \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mina_Harker\">Mina Harker\u003c/a> throughout the Nob Hill Neighborhood. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-halloween-vampire-tour-of-san-francisco-tickets-2001672663821?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are around $40.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 31 in San Francisco, a six-stop tour with \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mina_Harker\">Mina Harker\u003c/a> throughout the Nob Hill Neighborhood. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-halloween-vampire-tour-of-san-francisco-tickets-2001672663821?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are around $40.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "“Dracula Kiss” at Coqueta"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">“Dracula Kiss” at Coqueta\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Oct. 31 at Coqueta in San Francisco, there’s an immersive production of the play “Dracula Kiss.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dracula-kiss-tickets-2002563537448?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are $44.52.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Oct. 31 at Coqueta in San Francisco, there’s an immersive production of the play “Dracula Kiss.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dracula-kiss-tickets-2002563537448?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are $44.52.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The Black Cat Hotel at The Palace Theater "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Black Cat Hotel at The Palace Theater\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This immersive theatrical experience runs through Halloween at the Palace Theater in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepalacetheatersf.com/blackcat#linkourstory\">Reservations \u003c/a>start at $39. (Keep in mind, this is not a real hotel!)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This immersive theatrical experience runs through Halloween at the Palace Theater in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepalacetheatersf.com/blackcat#linkourstory\">Reservations \u003c/a>start at $39. (Keep in mind, this is not a real hotel!)\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "“Dracula” at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">“Dracula” at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Throughout October, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a stage production of “Dracula\u003cem>” \u003c/em>at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts\u003cem>. \u003c/em>Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/dracula/\">start around $44\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Throughout October, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a stage production of “Dracula\u003cem>” \u003c/em>at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts\u003cem>. \u003c/em>Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/dracula/\">start around $44\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Le Bal Des Vampires at Alameda Elks Lodge"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Nov. 7 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/events/alameda-elks-lodge-1015-at-2255-santa-clara-avenue-alameda-ca/le-bal-des-vampires/1959917641345476/\">the Alameda Elks Lodge\u003c/a>, there’s a vampire affair in an elegant ballroom featuring music throughout the centuries: 18th-century Baroque contredanses, 19th-century Victorian rotary and Viennese waltzes, 20th-century tangos, blues and rock and roll. \u003ca href=\"https://www.peersdance.org/vamps2026.html\">Tickets \u003c/a>are around $50.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Anne Rice is best associated with New Orleans, but loved ones and fans say her life in the Bay Area is crucial to her rich, gothic universe. \n",
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"title": "50 Years on, Anne Rice’s ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Remains Immortal in San Francisco | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>It took a few years for Anne Rice and her family to realize that, after a shaky start, her 1976 debut novel “Interview with the Vampire” was striking a chord. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it makes sense that it happened in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, a city she had called home for years — when several young, elegant men waltzed into one of her book signings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As her son, the author Christopher Rice, told KQED, the men were decked in 18th-century waistcoats, their long hair tied off in a ribbon. They were, in short, dressed as the main characters of Rice’s said shaky debut novel: Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the men posed for pictures with a flustered Rice, the author saw personally, for the first time, that the novel Christopher said she’d regarded as “this black spot on her career” was finally finding its home: with the queer community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1304\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103573\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty2-2a1f88ce-1536x1001.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Authors Christopher Rice (left) and Anne Rice sign copies of their books “The Heavens Rise” and “The Wolves Of Midwinter,” respectively, at Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove on Nov. 2, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. (Amanda Edwards/WireImage via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over time this underground audience discovered the book, discovered how transgressive it was, how rule-breaking it was,” Christopher said. “And all of that really did happen in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” marks its 50th anniversary this year, and Christopher details \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/books/review/anne-rice-interview-with-the-vampire-50th-anniversary.html\">this very anecdote\u003c/a> in his afterword to \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/InterviewWithTheVampire50th.html\">a new semicentennial reissue\u003c/a> of the novel by Penguin Random House. (His behind-the-scenes nugget that didn’t make the final print edition: how Rice and his aunt “just went bananas over how attractive these guys were.”)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#vampire-events\">Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The novel chronicles the tumultuous life and relationship between Louis and the man who turned both him and their companion Claudia into vampires: Lestat. And despite initial mixed reviews, the book and its subsequent sequels making up the “Vampire Chronicles” series have, over the decades, become a bona fide gothic classic — further popularizing the idea of the vampire as a tortured protagonist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rice also wrote the screenplay for the 1994 film adaptation of “Interview With the Vampire” starring Brad Pitt, a young Kirsten Dunst and, most notoriously, \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-21-ca-41119-story.html\">Tom Cruise\u003c/a>. Then, in the 2020s, the series was introduced to a new generation of fans through the television show adaptation on AMC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/q662gCwpKfI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/q662gCwpKfI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the fact that the story’s pivotal framing device — the titular interview between Louis and a young journalist — takes place in a San Francisco Victorian on Divisadero Street, New Orleans has understandably pulled rank as the “home” of “Interview with the Vampire.” Not only is the Louisiana city a recurring setting in the books, but it’s also where Rice herself was born and raised and where, after finally finding her success as a writer, she lived in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DOM3-YpkQKa/?img_index=3\">a gorgeous historic home\u003c/a> for over a decade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also where she rests in a family mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery, where \u003ca href=\"https://annerice.com/COL.html\">her memorial\u003c/a>, attended by \u003ca href=\"https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/anne-rice-vampire-memorial-documentary/article_36ac316f-b1e8-4e58-8309-bfaa8024e537.html\">over a thousand people\u003c/a>, was held. And New Orleans has now become a central gathering point for fervent Rice fans, where they regularly \u003ca href=\"https://vamplestat.com/\">hold a Vampire’s Ball\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But according to Christopher, his mother’s most famous series of novels “don’t just have a San Francisco connection.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They have a San Francisco foundation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Rebellion against that darkness’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rice first lived here as a University of San Francisco student, and moved back to the city in the early 60s with Stan, the high-school sweetheart who’d become her husband. They were both \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CKIMtBEpAjp/?vrfl=b3Awc3d2eGN3bjd3\">in their early twenties\u003c/a>, and they were in the midst of the Beat Generation and the Summer of Love. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even though the Rices were more observers than participants — “in the middle of Haight-Ashbury in the 60s, I was typing away while everybody around me was dropping acid and smoking grass,” Rice told \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20130524225924/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/07/books/other-incarnations-of-the-vampire-author.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm\">\u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1988 — the ethos of the city is firmly reflected in the “Interview With the Vampire” series. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I like to say the young men who probably inspired Louis and Lestat were people she saw on the streets of the Haight-Ashbury or the Castro District,” Christopher said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103570\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00064_TV_qed-c1495c2d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 50th Anniversary Edition of the Anne Rice novel, “Interview with the Vampire” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The hints of the idea of “letting your freak flag fly,” Christopher said, are there from the first book. But it really crescendos in the second book of the “Vampire Chronicles” series, 1985’s “The Vampire Lestat,” in which the raucous Lestat holds an earth-shattering rock concert (for vampires!) in none other than Daly City’s own Cow Palace. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In contrast to the Bay Area, New Orleans is Rice’s setting for “the old vampire world,” Christopher said. But “when on the contemporary stage, [Lestat] says, ‘Vampires should come out, come out wherever you are, and be counted among all the great diversity of the human world.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s the city by the Bay, baby,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Rice family lived around the Bay Area for over two decades. “In California, almost all of us have an acquired lifestyle: We came here to have it,” she said in a 2014 interview with \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">\u003cem>The California Sunday Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>“To be a writer, to be a bohemian, to put our art and our liberal ideas before, say, pleasing our cousins.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After giving birth to Christopher in Berkeley, the Rices moved back across the bay into a Castro District home at 3887 17th Street — a place Christopher said he “loved growing up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103577\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260929-annericesf-00030_TVA_qed-060d71af-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Victorian home located on 503 Divisadero St., which inspired Anne Rice’s novel, “Interview with the Vampire,” in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A key setting from “Interview With the Vampire” is just a 30-minute walk from the house: The Victorian home on 503 Divisadero Street, where Rice set the titular interview. Rice said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoSb8H3znfI\">2011\u003c/a> that she came across the house — which is now painted a deep, dark blue — when her professor husband was being interviewed for a radio show nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s where I got the idea of a boy-interviewer,” she said. “Little things like that spark short stories, novels.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But tragedy in the city was in full force: In the Castro, Christopher said, the Rice family was “living at ground zero” during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Neighbors were dying. There were lines out of pharmacies, he said, and shuttered storefronts with signs reading “Closed due to illness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do believe that, in some part, the rock star energy of \u003cem>The Vampire Lestat\u003c/em> was about a rebellion against that darkness,” Christopher said. “It was this attempt to have queerness rise up and put on a leather jacket and sing to the masses, to push back all the death.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family was still suffering with a personal loss of their own, too. In 1972, the couple’s daughter Michele had died of leukemia at the age of 5 — before Christopher was born.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"instagram-no-caption-wrapper\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 540px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;\">\n \u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CixSBcULxR8/embed/?captioned=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"720\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e3e3e3; border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 1px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Christopher said he learned about Michele by accident in school. Over the course of his life, he got to learn about his sister from his parents, about her “otherworldly endurance” and her “zen brilliance.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think it was easy for them to be living at the ground zero of another epidemic that was about the blood,” Christopher said. “It was incredibly influential on [Rice].” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the years after Michele’s death, Rice returned to an old short story and expanded it in just five weeks into what became “Interview with the Vampire,” written in her \u003ca href=\"https://story.californiasunday.com/ann-rice-in-palm-desert/\">North Berkeley garden apartment.\u003c/a> This version further developed the character of a surrogate daughter for Lestat and Louis, Claudia — turned into a vampire at age five and forever a child.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>”I never noticed when I was writing,” Rice said in \u003cem>The New York Times \u003c/em>interview. ”It may be hard to believe, but I didn’t connect Claudia with my daughter at the time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘The vampire is an outsider’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Interview with the Vampire” represented a “paradigm shift in how we look at monsters in ourselves,” said author Eric Shaw Quinn, Rice’s friend who helps oversee the estate with Christopher. “And our own persecution of ourselves, and of monsters in our culture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was there at the beginning of \u003cem>Interview with a Vampire\u003c/em>, and it was such an inspirational moment in my life,” Quinn said. “We’re all inspired by the San Francisco philosophy of it — or the Anne philosophy of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Being you is exactly what you should do; you are exactly as you should be,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1964\" height=\"1304\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677.jpg 1964w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-502548923-a900e677-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1964px) 100vw, 1964px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anne Rice on Aug. 15, 1995. (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“The vampire is an outsider,” Rice herself \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20260408070054/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anne-rice-on-sparkly-vampires-twilight-true-blood-and-werewolves/\">told the Daily Beast in 2011\u003c/a>. “He’s the perfect metaphor for those things.” And Rice’s exploration of the outsider figure has resonated with its queer fanbase over half a century.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the book may have initially been received as a gay allegory, it is now widely understood to be “a full-on queer narrative,” Christopher said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The audience that made the “Vampire Chronicles” into what Christopher called “underground hits” was “largely made up of queer people,” he said. “They were the people who saw the passionate, romantic connection between Louis and Lestat and their determination to raise a child.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This narrative heavily imprinted on many fans at an early age. Like Grey Starr of Oakland, who first encountered Rice’s work after watching the 1994 film adaptation when she was young. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve always been queer, so I could always suss that out as a kid,” Starr said. “I read the books when I was way too young … I used to go to school wearing a shirt that said, ‘Red Beans, Anne Rice.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1287\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/InterviewVampireGetty-11ba3b20-1536x988.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kirsten Dunst in a scene from the film “Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” 1994. (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“The sensuality of that book really got me at a young age, because this was right around the time that I’m hitting puberty, I’m discovering kind of my own sexuality,” San Francisco drag performer Piranha Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a kid visiting the city, Psychotronica remembered being excited to pass Castro Street, because the “Vampire Chronicles” series featured a vampire bar — called Dracula’s Daughter — in the area. “Not realizing really at that time that it’s \u003cem>also \u003c/em>where all the gays were and where I eventually would be,” she said with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The series also explored gender identity. Rice herself told an interviewer \u003ca href=\"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anne-rice-feel-like-im-gay_n_585d33cae4b0d9a59457fc44\">in a 2016 interview\u003c/a> that it was “very hard for me to remember that I have a gender.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I grew up in the 90s, when you’d see trans folks in media, oftentimes it would be trashy talk shows where they were the butt of the joke, and described as mentally ill,” said Psychotronica, who is a trans woman. But the language of gender in Rice’s books rang true to her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That was one of the biggest things that made me a lifelong fan of her writing,” she said. “Because it was the first door that I felt opened to me to any kind of self-discovery.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many Bay Area fans, the series’ inherent queerness has made a huge impact not just on their lives, but their art too. Psychotronica credits what she called the “sensuality and decadence” of Rice’s writing as one of the major reasons she began performing onstage. “I want to channel rock star Lestat when I’m on stage,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Psychotronica learned of the series through her mother, who she described as an Anne Rice superfan — similar to Starr’s mother, a “cool goth mom” who is part of her band, Pretty Frankenstein. In fact, that intergenerational nature of Rice’s fanbase is a recurring theme among Bay Area fans and even reminiscent of the writer’s bond with her son Christopher as he became an author in his own right. (Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/9605/anne-and-christopher-rice-fall-in-love-with-this-mother-son-author-team\">this delightful 2013 KQED interview\u003c/a> that asks the pair which of their gay fanbases would win in a fight.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of surreal that this media has essentially shaped our lives in such an amazing way,” Starr said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘A home to androgynous pansexual ancient vampires’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Psychotronica is just one of the acts in Starr’s forthcoming “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show in Oakland, right before Halloween. (Starr hosted past themed drag nights as Lumpia Anne Rice.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another of the performers slated for that night is Sacramento’s Alexa Gerrity — a cosplaying burlesque act who’ll be performing as Louis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gerrity counts herself as a newer fan of the “Vampire Chronicles”’ thanks to her best friend Desrea Sabo — a Rice fan who described cutting their own bangs as a kid “because I thought \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIm8HfwnmVE\">they would grow back like Claudia’s\u003c/a>” — introducing them to the AMC television series.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103580\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AnneRiceGetty3-c6d0f1da-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L-R): Mark Johnson, Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Assad Zaman and Eric Bogosian seen onstage at the AMC Networks media presentation of Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” during the 2024 TCA Winter Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on Feb. 6, 2024, in Pasadena, California. (JC Olivera/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>What inspired Gerrity about the series was a major change it makes from the books in the casting of Louis and Claudia, portrayed variously by Black actors Jacob Anderson, Delainey Hayles and Bailey Bass. Along with a shift in time period and a more overt portrayal of sexuality, the show reimagined Louis not as the white plantation owner of the books but as a Black brothel owner in 1900s New Orleans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As a Black woman, it just really hit a lot harder … him coming to terms with who he is as a person,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The queer experience, trying to see how he feels coming to terms with his sexuality … those are things that I can relate to growing up as a Black woman who grew up in the South as well and coming out to my family, to my friends,” Gerrity said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to Black characters in the gothic romance genre, “sometimes it’s looked at as weird, or we’re excluded from those spaces,” she said. “So to see us be embraced so wholly, and in these beautiful vibrant colors and scenes and imagery — it was just incredible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, Gerrity and Sabo regularly cosplay together as Louis and Lestat at fan conventions — not unlike those readers who entered Rice’s San Francisco book signing all those decades ago. “It’s beautiful to be able to cosplay such a dynamic duo,” Garrity said. “Being able to be covered in blood with my best friend — I’m never going to be upset.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Sabo, who was born and raised in San Francisco, Rice’s work has only strengthened their connection to their home. “As a kid who has always — and still hopes — to be turned into a vampire someday, being able to walk down the street and see those locations, it made the fantasy so much more deep and real for me,” Sabo said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a sentiment echoed by Psychotronica — a way of seeing this city, with its rolling fog and Victorian houses looming over its steep streets, in all its gothic splendor. “I can totally see how San Francisco would be such an attractive home to these androgynous pansexual ancient vampires,” Psychotronica said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think [Rice] loving it so much was one of the things that really made me fall in love with the city. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vampire-events\">Vampire-themed gatherings and events in the Bay Area in October\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To mark “Interview with the Vampire”’s 50th anniversary, we’ve compiled a list of vampiric affairs across the Bay Area, including elegant masquerades, fashion shows, raves and drag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earth Gala’s Vampire Ball at Verdi Club\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Friday, Oct. 9, at the Verdi Club in San Francisco, there will be \u003ca href=\"https://partiful.com/e/ow96u5LIkuJMIeEndMi4\">a vampire ball and fashion walkway\u003c/a> centered on “eco-couture,” where the winner can receive a $1000 cash prize. The gala is serving as a fundraiser for the Amazon rainforest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-galas-vampire-ball-halloween-costume-ball-in-san-francisco-tickets-1999189409340?aff=oddtdtcreator\">General admission \u003c/a>costs around $108, but late entry after 10 p.m. is around $40.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CAVE RAVE: CLAWZ – VAMPIRE RAVE at The Foundry\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This rave on Friday, Oct. 9 at The Foundry in San Francisco starts at 10 p.m. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cave-rave-clawz-vampire-rave-tickets-2001031409813?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">can be found online\u003c/a> and are around $20.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/gHBhKbF2xMA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/gHBhKbF2xMA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">International Vampire Fest at The Balboa Theater\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at The Balboa Theater in San Francisco, there’ll be a series of vampiric movies playing all day long from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://www.balboamovies.com/international-vampire-film-fest\">Individual tickets \u003c/a>are around $15. A full day pass is $30. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Particularly exciting for this reporter: two of her favorite movies of all time are part of the international lineup: Sweden’s “Let the Right One In” (2008) and Iran’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”\u003cem> \u003c/em>(2014).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you aren’t able to make it that day, the following day in Richmond there’s a free \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd_nZm_OvZ1/?stkn=Y3ozeHRnOXllaTVh\">screening of “Fright Night”(1985) in 16 mm\u003c/a> at The Planetarium venue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vampire’s Ball at SP2 Communal Bar\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 17 at SP2 Communal Bar in San José, there’s a vampire’s ball with a best-dressed contest. It is free to enter before 10:30 p.m. and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vampires-ball-tickets-2002597411767?aff=ebdssbcategorybrowse\">$12.51 afterward\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Théâtre des Vampires Drag Show at The Thee Stork Club\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Oct. 29 at Thee Stork Club in Oakland, there’s an “Interview with the Vampire”-themed drag show featuring \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3XR0RM128haG3D0EyeNKvH\">music from the television show’s third season\u003c/a>, “The Vampire Lestat,” by Pretty Frankenstein. Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://wl.eventim.us/event/the-vampire-lestat-drag-show/695682?afflky=TheeStorkClub\">are available online for $12 and at the door for $15\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helena’s Masquerade at QBar\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not quite vampire-themed but very important for any emo kid, t\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8\">he broken, the beaten and the damned\u003c/a>: On Thursday, Oct. 29 at San Francisco’s QBar, you’ll find a Hot Topic-filled dance night of My Chemical Romance, Evanescence and Paramore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/helenas-masquerade-emo-night-halloween-party-in-the-castro-tickets-1998505545886?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> range from around $7 to $14.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Halloween Vampire Tour of San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Oct. 31 in San Francisco, a six-stop tour with \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mina_Harker\">Mina Harker\u003c/a> throughout the Nob Hill Neighborhood. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-halloween-vampire-tour-of-san-francisco-tickets-2001672663821?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are around $40.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">“Dracula Kiss” at Coqueta\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Oct. 31 at Coqueta in San Francisco, there’s an immersive production of the play “Dracula Kiss.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dracula-kiss-tickets-2002563537448?aff=ebdssbdestsearch\">Tickets\u003c/a> are $44.52.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Black Cat Hotel at The Palace Theater\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This immersive theatrical experience runs through Halloween at the Palace Theater in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepalacetheatersf.com/blackcat#linkourstory\">Reservations \u003c/a>start at $39. (Keep in mind, this is not a real hotel!)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">“Dracula” at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout October, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a stage production of “Dracula\u003cem>” \u003c/em>at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts\u003cem>. \u003c/em>Tickets \u003ca href=\"https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/dracula/\">start around $44\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Le Bal Des Vampires at Alameda Elks Lodge\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Saturday, Nov. 7 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/events/alameda-elks-lodge-1015-at-2255-santa-clara-avenue-alameda-ca/le-bal-des-vampires/1959917641345476/\">the Alameda Elks Lodge\u003c/a>, there’s a vampire affair in an elegant ballroom featuring music throughout the centuries: 18th-century Baroque contredanses, 19th-century Victorian rotary and Viennese waltzes, 20th-century tangos, blues and rock and roll. \u003ca href=\"https://www.peersdance.org/vamps2026.html\">Tickets \u003c/a>are around $50.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "cancer-research-saved-this-berkley-resident-its-future-may-depend-on-trump",
"title": "Cancer Research Saved This Berkeley Resident. Its Future May Depend on Trump",
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"headTitle": "Cancer Research Saved This Berkeley Resident. Its Future May Depend on Trump | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In 2017, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> resident Ben Stein-Lobovits was celebrating his friend’s marriage when he noticed a headache and numbness in his tongue. His friends chalked the neurological symptoms up to a hangover. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the eve of his 32nd birthday, he was diagnosed with a brainstem glioma, an inoperable brain tumor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I like to say, ‘I-turned-30 tumor,’” Stein-Lobovits said, laughing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What followed is a period of his life that is hard to recall, he said, a “tornado” of appointments. The standard care of treatment was chemo and radiation — with a prognosis of six t0 10 months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099890\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099890\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits holds a childhood photo of himself with his father at his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099891\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099891\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits sits outside his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There has to be another solution,” Stein-Lobovits remembered saying at the time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He began reading papers and getting in touch with researchers, eventually leading him to a trial of an experimental treatment — dordaviprone, a drug that blocks survival signals in tumor cells. Nine years later, his tumor has shrunk by about 70%, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thanks to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, reduced smoking and improved detection, cancer rates declined by 35% between 1991 and 2024, according to a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research, the first and largest professional organization dedicated to preventing and curing all cancers. And over the last year alone, new scientific breakthroughs have reached patients in the form of new treatments for their specific disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the FDA approved one new treatment device, expanded five previously approved therapies to include new cancer types and green-lit 11 new cancer therapeutics — including dordaviprone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report, which highlights Stein-Lobovits’ experience with the drug, also notes several advances in cancer prevention and detection — vaccines that prevent cancers in high-risk individuals and train immune systems to eliminate existing tumors; at-home test kits for HPV, a disease linked to cervical cancer; and AI-based tools to help doctors interpret routine medical imaging and carry out complex research tasks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the progress, cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., killing about \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm\">610,000\u003c/a> people annually. An estimated 2.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2026, and this number is projected to rise to 2.5 million by 2050, according to AACR findings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cancer’s risks are not distributed equally — racial and ethnic minority groups and other medically underserved populations in the U.S. continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of the disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even the strongest research system falls short if patients cannot benefit from its advances,” the report states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite significant strides, researchers warned of a major threat to cancer research: another wave of funding cuts following policy changes from the Trump administration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A report from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/cost-trump-administrations-attacks-research-funding\">Brennan Center for Justice\u003c/a> says the administration’s actions — including the decision to remove all members of the board of advisers to the National Science Foundation — have caused grantmaking to “slow to a crawl” since the start of this fiscal year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In early 2025, the administration cut or froze more than 2,200 active National Institutes of Health research grants and withdrew billions of dollars in previously awarded research funding, according to the AACR report. Then, the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2027, released in April 2026, proposed a $5 billion reduction in overall NIH funding, compared with the previous year’s levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov#addresses\">rule\u003c/a> proposed by the Office of Management and Budget to overhaul federal grantmaking could “inject political considerations into funding decisions and broaden federal agencies’ authority to terminate grants for reasons unrelated to scientific merit or recipient performance,” the report says. This could further reduce funding if the Senate’s decision to block the rule is allowed to expire in December. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco on April 24, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Without strong federal support for medical research, the U.S. risks losing its position as a global leader in scientific discovery, innovation and the development of lifesaving cancer treatments, the report warns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dr. Iona Cheng, a cancer epidemiologist at UCSF and a co-investigator of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, said that the federal action “significantly impacts our ability to continue and sustain important cancer research.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stein-Lobovits, now 40, credits cutting-edge research with allowing him to live. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s allowed me to watch my girls grow up,” he said. “It has given me so much hope.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He advised other survivors going through their own cancer journeys to “not take no for an answer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Advocate for yourself, question everything, and don’t be hard on yourself,” Stein-Lobovits said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report, which highlights Stein-Lobovits’ experience with the drug, also notes several advances in cancer prevention and detection — vaccines that prevent cancers in high-risk individuals and train immune systems to eliminate existing tumors; at-home test kits for HPV, a disease linked to cervical cancer; and AI-based tools to help doctors interpret routine medical imaging and carry out complex research tasks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the progress, cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., killing about \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm\">610,000\u003c/a> people annually. An estimated 2.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2026, and this number is projected to rise to 2.5 million by 2050, according to AACR findings. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Even the strongest research system falls short if patients cannot benefit from its advances,” the report states. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite significant strides, researchers warned of a major threat to cancer research: another wave of funding cuts following policy changes from the Trump administration. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A report from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/cost-trump-administrations-attacks-research-funding\">Brennan Center for Justice\u003c/a> says the administration’s actions — including the decision to remove all members of the board of advisers to the National Science Foundation — have caused grantmaking to “slow to a crawl” since the start of this fiscal year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dr. Iona Cheng, a cancer epidemiologist at UCSF and a co-investigator of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, said that the federal action “significantly impacts our ability to continue and sustain important cancer research.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dr. Iona Cheng, a cancer epidemiologist at UCSF and a co-investigator of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, said that the federal action “significantly impacts our ability to continue and sustain important cancer research.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stein-Lobovits, now 40, credits cutting-edge research with allowing him to live. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He advised other survivors going through their own cancer journeys to “not take no for an answer.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Advocate for yourself, question everything, and don’t be hard on yourself,” Stein-Lobovits said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A new report reviews major advances in cancer research — and warns of the impact of federal funding cuts.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In 2017, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> resident Ben Stein-Lobovits was celebrating his friend’s marriage when he noticed a headache and numbness in his tongue. His friends chalked the neurological symptoms up to a hangover. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the eve of his 32nd birthday, he was diagnosed with a brainstem glioma, an inoperable brain tumor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I like to say, ‘I-turned-30 tumor,’” Stein-Lobovits said, laughing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What followed is a period of his life that is hard to recall, he said, a “tornado” of appointments. The standard care of treatment was chemo and radiation — with a prognosis of six t0 10 months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099890\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099890\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits holds a childhood photo of himself with his father at his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099891\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099891\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits sits outside his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There has to be another solution,” Stein-Lobovits remembered saying at the time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He began reading papers and getting in touch with researchers, eventually leading him to a trial of an experimental treatment — dordaviprone, a drug that blocks survival signals in tumor cells. Nine years later, his tumor has shrunk by about 70%, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thanks to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, reduced smoking and improved detection, cancer rates declined by 35% between 1991 and 2024, according to a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research, the first and largest professional organization dedicated to preventing and curing all cancers. And over the last year alone, new scientific breakthroughs have reached patients in the form of new treatments for their specific disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the FDA approved one new treatment device, expanded five previously approved therapies to include new cancer types and green-lit 11 new cancer therapeutics — including dordaviprone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report, which highlights Stein-Lobovits’ experience with the drug, also notes several advances in cancer prevention and detection — vaccines that prevent cancers in high-risk individuals and train immune systems to eliminate existing tumors; at-home test kits for HPV, a disease linked to cervical cancer; and AI-based tools to help doctors interpret routine medical imaging and carry out complex research tasks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the progress, cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., killing about \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm\">610,000\u003c/a> people annually. An estimated 2.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2026, and this number is projected to rise to 2.5 million by 2050, according to AACR findings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cancer’s risks are not distributed equally — racial and ethnic minority groups and other medically underserved populations in the U.S. continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of the disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even the strongest research system falls short if patients cannot benefit from its advances,” the report states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite significant strides, researchers warned of a major threat to cancer research: another wave of funding cuts following policy changes from the Trump administration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A report from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/cost-trump-administrations-attacks-research-funding\">Brennan Center for Justice\u003c/a> says the administration’s actions — including the decision to remove all members of the board of advisers to the National Science Foundation — have caused grantmaking to “slow to a crawl” since the start of this fiscal year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In early 2025, the administration cut or froze more than 2,200 active National Institutes of Health research grants and withdrew billions of dollars in previously awarded research funding, according to the AACR report. Then, the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2027, released in April 2026, proposed a $5 billion reduction in overall NIH funding, compared with the previous year’s levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov#addresses\">rule\u003c/a> proposed by the Office of Management and Budget to overhaul federal grantmaking could “inject political considerations into funding decisions and broaden federal agencies’ authority to terminate grants for reasons unrelated to scientific merit or recipient performance,” the report says. This could further reduce funding if the Senate’s decision to block the rule is allowed to expire in December. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco on April 24, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Without strong federal support for medical research, the U.S. risks losing its position as a global leader in scientific discovery, innovation and the development of lifesaving cancer treatments, the report warns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dr. Iona Cheng, a cancer epidemiologist at UCSF and a co-investigator of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, said that the federal action “significantly impacts our ability to continue and sustain important cancer research.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stein-Lobovits, now 40, credits cutting-edge research with allowing him to live. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s allowed me to watch my girls grow up,” he said. “It has given me so much hope.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He advised other survivors going through their own cancer journeys to “not take no for an answer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Advocate for yourself, question everything, and don’t be hard on yourself,” Stein-Lobovits said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "trump-admin-accuses-uc-berkeley-law-school-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions",
"title": "Trump Admin Accuses UC Berkeley Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/uc-berkeley\">UC Berkeley\u003c/a>’s law school illegally discriminated against white and Asian students in its admissions process, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education alleged Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The departments’ investigative findings are the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration targeting the state’s public university system — and other top universities nationwide — with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056908/uc-faculty-escalate-court-battle-against-trump-efforts-to-reshape-higher-education\">threats to cut funding\u003c/a> over antisemitism and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031468/trumps-anti-dei-crackdown-targets-over-50-universities-nationwide\">diversity, equity and inclusion\u003c/a> policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Department finds that Berkeley Law violated Title VI by discriminating against Asian and white applicants based on race when selecting its incoming classes of 2024 and 2025, well after the SFFA decision was issued,” the letter from Harmeet Dhillon, the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, read. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DOJ is requesting that Berkeley’s law school enter a “voluntary resolution agreement” to ensure that its admissions process is brought into legal compliance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12003275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters on Sept. 5, 2024. (J. David Ake/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the six-page findings letter issued Wednesday, the Department of Justice said it launched a review of UC Berkeley’s admissions practices after a 2023 Supreme Court ruling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11954612/u-s-supreme-court-strikes-down-affirmative-action-barring-california-private-universities-from-considering-race-in-admissions\">struck down affirmative action\u003c/a> in college admissions and more than 30 years after California outlawed it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter said the discrimination by the school is ongoing and points to university admissions materials, like essay prompts, that the DOJ describes as a “backdoor to solicit applicants’ racial demographics.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Analysis of the school’s admissions data by federal officials found that the median LSAT scores of Black students admitted in 2024 and 2025 were five points lower than admitted white and Asian students, the letter states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1373\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12042500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-800x549.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-1020x700.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-1536x1054.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-1920x1318.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UC Berkeley law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky at his home in Oakland, California on Jan. 19, 2021. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also said that UC Berkeley’s law dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, admitted that Berkeley Law practices “unstated affirmative action” in faculty hiring, and accuses him of “using race and racial proxies” in admissions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chemerinsky said in a statement that the school of law “scrupulously complies” with both the state and federal laws.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our admissions policy is clear that race is not considered in any way,” Chemerinsky said in a statement. Those laws, he said, “do not preclude schools from pursuing diversity so long as they give no preferences based on race. Berkeley Law does not do so.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has launched dozens of investigations into colleges and universities in 2025, threatening to withhold federal funding from those who don’t comply with an executive order regarding campus antisemitism.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/spring-2025/assault-campus-protests\">article\u003c/a> published in the American Association of University Professors’ magazine last spring, UC Irvine law professor Sameer Ashar wrote that “this executive order, along with others prohibiting ‘DEI,’ is an effort by the Trump administration to drain US campuses of their contentious, democratic spirit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The AAUP said that since taking office in 2025, the Trump administration “has waged open warfare on higher education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the last year, a number of schools, including the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, have agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements to unfreeze their federal funding, while others have accepted policy changes in line with the administration’s views.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley did not respond to an inquiry about whether it plans to comply with the DOJ’s request to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement to bring its policies into compliance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“UC Berkeley is committed to ensuring that every student is admitted based on their merit,” a spokesperson for the university said via email. “UC Berkeley will spare no effort to provide ample evidence showing that the university complies with all relevant laws, policies and rules governing admissions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Department finds that Berkeley Law violated Title VI by discriminating against Asian and white applicants based on race when selecting its incoming classes of 2024 and 2025, well after the SFFA decision was issued,” the letter from Harmeet Dhillon, the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, read. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has launched dozens of investigations into colleges and universities in 2025, threatening to withhold federal funding from those who don’t comply with an executive order regarding campus antisemitism.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/spring-2025/assault-campus-protests\">article\u003c/a> published in the American Association of University Professors’ magazine last spring, UC Irvine law professor Sameer Ashar wrote that “this executive order, along with others prohibiting ‘DEI,’ is an effort by the Trump administration to drain US campuses of their contentious, democratic spirit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/spring-2025/assault-campus-protests\">article\u003c/a> published in the American Association of University Professors’ magazine last spring, UC Irvine law professor Sameer Ashar wrote that “this executive order, along with others prohibiting ‘DEI,’ is an effort by the Trump administration to drain US campuses of their contentious, democratic spirit.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The AAUP said that since taking office in 2025, the Trump administration “has waged open warfare on higher education.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the last year, a number of schools, including the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, have agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements to unfreeze their federal funding, while others have accepted policy changes in line with the administration’s views.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley did not respond to an inquiry about whether it plans to comply with the DOJ’s request to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement to bring its policies into compliance.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“UC Berkeley is committed to ensuring that every student is admitted based on their merit,” a spokesperson for the university said via email. “UC Berkeley will spare no effort to provide ample evidence showing that the university complies with all relevant laws, policies and rules governing admissions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“UC Berkeley is committed to ensuring that every student is admitted based on their merit,” a spokesperson for the university said via email. “UC Berkeley will spare no effort to provide ample evidence showing that the university complies with all relevant laws, policies and rules governing admissions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The letter is the latest of dozens of investigations launched into colleges and universities nationwide.\n",
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"title": "Trump Admin Accuses UC Berkeley Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions | KQED",
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"headline": "Trump Admin Accuses UC Berkeley Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/uc-berkeley\">UC Berkeley\u003c/a>’s law school illegally discriminated against white and Asian students in its admissions process, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education alleged Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The departments’ investigative findings are the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration targeting the state’s public university system — and other top universities nationwide — with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056908/uc-faculty-escalate-court-battle-against-trump-efforts-to-reshape-higher-education\">threats to cut funding\u003c/a> over antisemitism and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031468/trumps-anti-dei-crackdown-targets-over-50-universities-nationwide\">diversity, equity and inclusion\u003c/a> policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Department finds that Berkeley Law violated Title VI by discriminating against Asian and white applicants based on race when selecting its incoming classes of 2024 and 2025, well after the SFFA decision was issued,” the letter from Harmeet Dhillon, the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, read. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DOJ is requesting that Berkeley’s law school enter a “voluntary resolution agreement” to ensure that its admissions process is brought into legal compliance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12003275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters on Sept. 5, 2024. (J. David Ake/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the six-page findings letter issued Wednesday, the Department of Justice said it launched a review of UC Berkeley’s admissions practices after a 2023 Supreme Court ruling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11954612/u-s-supreme-court-strikes-down-affirmative-action-barring-california-private-universities-from-considering-race-in-admissions\">struck down affirmative action\u003c/a> in college admissions and more than 30 years after California outlawed it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter said the discrimination by the school is ongoing and points to university admissions materials, like essay prompts, that the DOJ describes as a “backdoor to solicit applicants’ racial demographics.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Analysis of the school’s admissions data by federal officials found that the median LSAT scores of Black students admitted in 2024 and 2025 were five points lower than admitted white and Asian students, the letter states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1373\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12042500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-800x549.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-1020x700.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-1536x1054.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/ErwinChemerinskyGetty-1920x1318.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UC Berkeley law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky at his home in Oakland, California on Jan. 19, 2021. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also said that UC Berkeley’s law dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, admitted that Berkeley Law practices “unstated affirmative action” in faculty hiring, and accuses him of “using race and racial proxies” in admissions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chemerinsky said in a statement that the school of law “scrupulously complies” with both the state and federal laws.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our admissions policy is clear that race is not considered in any way,” Chemerinsky said in a statement. Those laws, he said, “do not preclude schools from pursuing diversity so long as they give no preferences based on race. Berkeley Law does not do so.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has launched dozens of investigations into colleges and universities in 2025, threatening to withhold federal funding from those who don’t comply with an executive order regarding campus antisemitism.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/spring-2025/assault-campus-protests\">article\u003c/a> published in the American Association of University Professors’ magazine last spring, UC Irvine law professor Sameer Ashar wrote that “this executive order, along with others prohibiting ‘DEI,’ is an effort by the Trump administration to drain US campuses of their contentious, democratic spirit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The AAUP said that since taking office in 2025, the Trump administration “has waged open warfare on higher education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the last year, a number of schools, including the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, have agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements to unfreeze their federal funding, while others have accepted policy changes in line with the administration’s views.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley did not respond to an inquiry about whether it plans to comply with the DOJ’s request to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement to bring its policies into compliance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“UC Berkeley is committed to ensuring that every student is admitted based on their merit,” a spokesperson for the university said via email. “UC Berkeley will spare no effort to provide ample evidence showing that the university complies with all relevant laws, policies and rules governing admissions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "why-are-there-so-many-public-golf-courses-in-the-bay-area",
"title": "Why Are There So Many Public Golf Courses in the Bay Area?",
"publishDate": 1787824800,
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"headTitle": "Why Are There So Many Public Golf Courses in the Bay Area? | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakland resident Mary Newson would hike regularly in the parks up in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. It was a pleasant way to get outside, and there was no one around — even on a usually busy golf course near \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/anthony-chabot\">Anthony Chabot Regional Park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There were deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and all these animals that had just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it,” she said. “That was really a beautiful thing to see.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But then, the restrictions started to let up, things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks. It made her wonder: Why are there so many golf courses in public parks around the Bay Area? Can and should she visit as a non-golfer? And what is their financial relationship to the park?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golfers practice at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t sure how they worked, and if there was any sort of financial relationship, administrative relationship between the larger park and the golf course that sort of made them work together,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, golf — and public golf, in particular — has a storied history in the Bay Area. And apart from a few conversions, mostly of private golf courses, these public greens are unlikely to be going anywhere soon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jump straight to:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#private\">The difference between public and private golf courses\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#make-money\">How public courses do or don’t make money for local parks\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#converting-golf-courses\">Golf course conversions underway in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#visit-a-golf-course\">What to know if you’re visiting a public golf course for the first time\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the history of golf courses in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sport of golf made its way to the Bay Area with the arrival of Scottish immigrants in the 1890s and early 20th century, explained Richard Harris, who advocates for accessible golf with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/\">San Francisco Public Golf Alliance.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That included influential city leaders like John McLaren, the “father of Golden Gate Park,” who was a Scot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083083\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Richard Harris, president of the SF Public Golf Alliance, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>McLaren, Harris said, was influential in creating Lincoln Park and Harding Park in San Francisco, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/index.php/save/alister-mackenzies-sharp-park\">Pacifica’s Sharp Park\u003c/a>, designed by famous golf architect Alister MacKenzie. These are all public, not private golf courses, and are considered to be world-class, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time,” Harris said. “It’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and, for that matter, in the world.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"private\">What makes a public golf course different from a private one?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public golf courses are those owned by local governments or parks districts. In the Bay Area, they tend to be inside or next to public parks you may know or frequent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses help lower barriers to the sport by being accessible and relatively cheap, said Lily Achatz, president of the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club and a member of the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lily Achatz, president of Harding Park Women’s Golf Club, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s stunning and what makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here,” Achatz said. “The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"make-money\">Do golf courses make money for public parks?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Depending on the city or parks district, public golf courses can be real money-makers. Max Korten, acting general manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District, said Tilden Golf Course made the district $800,000 last year. It was the most profitable concession in the entire parks district last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/fy26-adopted-operating-capital-projects-budgets-w-bookmarks.pdf\">according to district documents.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s not the case with every city or district. In San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sf-golfers-grumble-over-course-privatization-plan-20184922.php\">the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit\u003c/a> and has \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/22/sf-parks-fees/\">begun raising rates\u003c/a> at some public courses to help close the gap. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the East Bay, course fees are limited by a public board to keep fees low-cost for residents, Korten said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"converting-golf-courses\">Have there been any talks of converting golf courses to other uses?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s no widespread movement to convert golf courses in the Bay Area into other uses. But there are two notable examples of private golf courses undergoing their own transformations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most controversial right now is Pleasant Hills in San José. It’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">a former private 115-acre golf course\u003c/a> that may become 2,000 new homes with some commercial and open space. It’s currently in environmental review as the community goes back and forth on what to do with it. What to do has become a fight, said Manira Sandhir, deputy director of planning for the city of San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12083082\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083082\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golfers play a game at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12083078\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golf balls line the ground at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“On one hand we have the community who’s directly affected by this project and has expressed concerns about the traffic that it would generate,” she said. It’s located in a highly car-dependent area, and there’s not a lot of transit or freeway access there either. “But then on the other hand, we have housing advocates who want to see more housing at the site, and they feel that putting 2,000 units at the site would be underutilization of this really large acreage that’s available for development.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The course, Sandhir said, was established in the 1960s but closed in 2004, likely for financial reasons — so not explicitly for this conversion. Sandhir said it’s likely to be years before the dust settles and a coherent plan for the site emerges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Farther to the north, in Marin County’s San Geronimo Valley, another golf course has seen the end of its days. The Trust for Public Land, a land conservation organization, converted what was once a private 18-hole golf course into \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/our-work/san-geronimo-commons\">San Geronimo Commons\u003c/a>, a public park that fills a missing connection to surrounding open spaces, restores water rights to the Larson Creek and returns the land to its former function as a wetland. A county firehouse has even taken over the old golf clubhouse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do think cities, park systems across the country, certainly in California, are rethinking their inventory and what can happen,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The car paths became walking paths, the sand traps became sandboxes for the kids,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, Trust for Public Land’s California director. He said this is one of four golf course conversions they have helped lead in the state, part of what he sees as a growing trend in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Geronimo conversion wasn’t without its own controversy. After purchasing the property in 2018, Trust for Public Land launched a two-year process to narrow down what the community wanted from the property – and not everyone agreed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We had a lot of passionate golfers who had lots of memories tied to that facility,” he said. “And while, yes, there were other facilities they could go play golf in, they had history there, and so we had to work through that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Senior manager on the project Erica Williams said in some ways, the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for the transition of the property — opening people’s imaginations to how their community spaces could look. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With the pandemic, I think that really allowed people to connect with the landscape, to reconnect with the land and to imagine a future,” she said. “It became a sanctuary.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"visit-a-golf-course\">Can I visit a golf course as a non-golfer?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses are open to everyone, whether you want to reserve a tee time to try your hand at playing, practice your swing at the driving range, or just hang out at the cafes and restaurants onsite. Unlike private courses, there is no dress code at public golf courses. Dogs are not allowed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While walking along the course if you’re not playing generally isn’t allowed (getting hit by a ball is a real risk), many courses like Tilden have walking trails nearby that are open to anyone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you want to play a round of golf, you should plan to book a tee time in advance. Public courses also offer golf club rentals if you don’t have any of your own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and everything is shut down – even the gym. So Bay Curious listener Mary Newsom decided to go for a walk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music starts\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> I live in Oakland. And so I would usually sort of go up to the ridgeline and start hiking and all the regional parks that are up on the ridgeline.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Eventually, Mary made her way up to Anthony Chabot Regional Park. Given the pandemic, there was no one around.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>And so one of the golf courses that’s right alongside Chabot was completely empty. There were, like, deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and like all these animals. That it just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> But then, the restrictions started to let up, and things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>It sort of made me wonder about the relationship between the park and the golf course that’s right up against it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mary looked into what other municipal golf courses are located inside public parks, and the list is really quite long…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Golden Gate Park, Presidio, Lincoln Park, Gleneagles, Tilden Park, Lake Chabot, Redwood Canyon, Sequoia…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>And that’s just a partial list. This all got Mary wondering about the relationship between public parks and the golf courses within them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Why are there so many golf courses in the Bay Area right next to, or inside public parks? Do they subsidize the parks? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>We sent KQED’s outdoors reporter, Sarah Wright, to take a swing at finding some answers. She started, as you might expect, at Hole 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Birds chirping, golf balls getting whacked\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> The Golden Gate Park Golf Course is set up on a hill, right by San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. The breeze is strong, and a hawk has been circling overhead as a new set of golfers sets up at the first hole every 15 minutes. Here, I run into Lizzie Yurchak. She lives in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, and she came out to play the course today with a coworker who is from out of town.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak: \u003c/strong>He lives in Texas, so we were like, what’s something fun we can do while he’s visiting the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> It’s her first time out to this course — actually, her first time golfing in the Bay Area since she moved here from Philadelphia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak:\u003c/strong> I don’t have my clubs out here, so maybe I’ll feel inspired today. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>And what are your goals for today on the golf course?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak: \u003c/strong>Um, don’t shank it. And don’t lose foul balls. I think that’s about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>She does not, in fact, shank it. I watch as she lines up for a stroke.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Lizzie hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Man:\u003c/strong> There we go!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Besides meeting golfers like Lizzie, I’m actually here to meet Richard Harris and Lily Achatz. They’re with the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, which advocates for affordable golf in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>Hi, Sarah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> Lily, great to meet you. Thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>Of course!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> I am here to ask them Mary’s question. Why are there so many golf courses in public parks in the Bay Area?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To answer that, Richard says, we have to dig into history.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time. And it’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and for that matter, in the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Golf traces its origins to Scotland — Richard explains.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Scottish music plays\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Originated in what they called the Links Land, which is the land between the cities and the coast, which was not much use for anything. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Richard says that in the 1890s and early 20th century, immigrants, including Scots, came here and brought golf with them. Among them was a man who had a huge impact on recreation in our region. The father of Golden Gate Park – John McLaren. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>John McLaren was a Scot. John McLaren liked golf. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>He first built Lincoln Park, a golf course by the Legion of Honor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris:\u003c/strong> And then quickly, he found another Scot to design Harding Park…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>… A legendary course near Lake Merced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>And then another Scot to design Sharp Park…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>… Just steps from the ocean in Pacifica.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>That Scot being Alistair McKenzie. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>McKenzie is most famous for having designed Augusta, in Georgia, where the Masters is played.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those iconic early courses built in the Bay Area were — and still are — all public, not private, golf courses. And today they’re known as some of the most premium municipal courses in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, Richard said, publicly owned courses make up about a third of all courses statewide. And they’re at the forefront of welcoming new players into the sport and combating golf’s reputation for being overly white, male and exclusive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lily Achatz, president of the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club, knows that firsthand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> I didn’t grow up playing golf. I got into golf much later, about like six years ago. I don’t know how many sports there are that you can get into, you know, get into it so late. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>She says municipal golf courses, with their relatively cheap fees and open access, are critical to help lower barriers to the sport.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from about $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> What makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here. There’s friends, all different backgrounds. The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>In fact, golf wasn’t even racially integrated until the 1950s. And Bay Area municipal courses had a role in that, too. Richard shows me a photo of a plaque that hangs at Pacifica’s Sharp Park course. At the time, the course was known for denying tee times to Black players. But in 1955, that changed when Sharp Park became the site of the inaugural championship tournament of the Western States Golf Association, one of the country’s oldest and largest African American golfing organizations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris:\u003c/strong> It was swimming pools in the south. In San Francisco, it was golf courses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Still, even today, municipal courses can feel exclusive. When Mary asked her question originally, she actually pointed out this bias she feels. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>If I’m walking through a city park and I pass by tennis courts, I don’t really blink an eye, or basketball courts. But it’s funny that to me, like a golf course strikes me differently, you know that I sort of wonder, oh, wait, why is this here? And who actually uses this? You know? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When we return, we explore who these golf courses are for. And get into the finances. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music starts\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>KQED’s Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is very familiar with the condemnation golf courses sometimes face.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Any type of golf course will inevitably draw criticism from those worried about its environmental impact. They are, after all, enormous, frequently watered, heavily manicured lawns. Many golf courses are\u003cem> \u003c/em>working to become more sustainable, but that could be its own story for another day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To keep things focused on Mary’s question, I spoke with Max Korten, acting general manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says the public has just as much a right to nice turf on a golf course as any other park amenity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten: \u003c/strong>I think it’s one of the really cool things about some of our parks is like, in Tilden, there’s like the merry-go-round, the steam trains, the golf course, like some of these things that… You kind of feel like you’re visiting another era.\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>East Bay Regional Parks has two golf courses, Tilden and Redwood Canyon, and Max says they take up just a combined 240 acres of the 120,000 the district manages. And the golf courses aren’t just for golfers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten:\u003c/strong> The driving range is something that like anybody could do. I’ve taken my son there, my dad and step-mom, like who haven’t really ever played golf, and go just try to hit balls. And it’s really fun and fairly inexpensive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Max explained that golf courses in East Bay parks are operated as concessions. So a private company, in this case, called Touchstone, operates the courses and then a percentage of their profits, around 10 percent, goes to the parks district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They can also be a major money maker for the parks. Last year, Max said, Tilden brought in over $800,000 in revenue — it’s the most profitable concession in the entire parks district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the East Bay, fees are limited by the public parks district board to keep things affordable for the golfers themselves, Max said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten:\u003c/strong> Keeping these public courses around to provide low-cost ways for community members to access golf is really important because I think they’re sort of an equity opportunity to make sure that this sport is available to everyone. \u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Now, not every city can say public golf is a money maker. In San Francisco, for example, the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year, and the city has begun raising rates at some public courses to help close the gap.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, to answer Mary’s question, there often is a symbiotic relationship between the parks departments and the courses – but not always. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I went and told Mary what I found — about how the golf courses she was walking by during the pandemic — do help fund the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary: \u003c/strong>I’m glad to hear that they’re actually making money for East Bay Regional Parks. I feel like, you know, parks are always underfunded, you know, they’re always sort of like the first to be cut. So, to hear that they’re actually supporting the park, I think, is great.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>I admit — I was surprised to learn that too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Yeah, it’s definitely sort of changed my mind and sort of given me more of a positive perspective on them than I had before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>So much so that she was even willing to give it a try herself. Olivia and I asked Mary and Lily Achatz, from the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, to join us at Corica Park in Alameda. It’s hot and sunny, and for a Thursday afternoon, the golf course is bustling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>You guys brought the good weather. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Corica Park actually has several golf courses, and even a foot golf course where you can kick soccer balls into giant holes in the green. We convened at the smaller Par 3 course, which is a great option for kids, beginners or anyone looking for a lower-key experience — which was perfect for our group of just one expert and three complete amateurs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> I have never played golf before ever in my life. Not even miniature golf, actually, neither one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>So how do you predict this is going to go?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>I honestly don’t know, but I do see some water over here and I imagine one of my balls would go in there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Well, as it turns out, Mary is an athlete – she grew up playing basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, rowing — you name it. So she got the hang of it quick.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Here, I’m just going to do a gentle putt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Mary hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Nice, woohoo!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>My first ever!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Olivia and I, we did our best… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Okay, it only took three swings to make contact.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> And you did it. And you were lined up perfectly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>And, no surprise, Lily crushed us all. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Lily hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>That was incredible, I don’t even know where it went! \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>It sliced to the right.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>After around an hour, we called it quits. I asked Mary how she thought it went.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> It felt a little funny, but I think if I did it more, I would definitely get used to it, you know, and it would be something, like, I would be at home, right? You know before bed or something like that, practicing my swing, like, okay, you know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> So, Olivia, what do you think? Is there more golfing in our future?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I think I’m going to stick to podcasting, for now. But I don’t know, Mary seemed to be getting into it. Maybe we’ll have to check in with her in a year and see how things are coming along.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> I know that I’ll be practicing my swing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Sarah Wright, outdoors reporter for KQED. Thank you!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> Thank you so much.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, and me, Olivia Allen-Price. We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on team KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakland resident Mary Newson would hike regularly in the parks up in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. It was a pleasant way to get outside, and there was no one around — even on a usually busy golf course near \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/anthony-chabot\">Anthony Chabot Regional Park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakland resident Mary Newson would hike regularly in the parks up in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. It was a pleasant way to get outside, and there was no one around — even on a usually busy golf course near \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/anthony-chabot\">Anthony Chabot Regional Park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There were deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and all these animals that had just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it,” she said. “That was really a beautiful thing to see.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There were deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and all these animals that had just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it,” she said. “That was really a beautiful thing to see.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But then, the restrictions started to let up, things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks. It made her wonder: Why are there so many golf courses in public parks around the Bay Area? Can and should she visit as a non-golfer? And what is their financial relationship to the park?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But then, the restrictions started to let up, things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks. It made her wonder: Why are there so many golf courses in public parks around the Bay Area? Can and should she visit as a non-golfer? And what is their financial relationship to the park?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golfers practice at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083077\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golfers practice at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t sure how they worked, and if there was any sort of financial relationship, administrative relationship between the larger park and the golf course that sort of made them work together,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t sure how they worked, and if there was any sort of financial relationship, administrative relationship between the larger park and the golf course that sort of made them work together,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As it turns out, golf — and public golf, in particular — has a storied history in the Bay Area. And apart from a few conversions, mostly of private golf courses, these public greens are unlikely to be going anywhere soon.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As it turns out, golf — and public golf, in particular — has a storied history in the Bay Area. And apart from a few conversions, mostly of private golf courses, these public greens are unlikely to be going anywhere soon.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#private\">The difference between public and private golf courses\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#private\">The difference between public and private golf courses\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#make-money\">How public courses do or don’t make money for local parks\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#make-money\">How public courses do or don’t make money for local parks\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#converting-golf-courses\">Golf course conversions underway in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#converting-golf-courses\">Golf course conversions underway in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#visit-a-golf-course\">What to know if you’re visiting a public golf course for the first time\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#visit-a-golf-course\">What to know if you’re visiting a public golf course for the first time\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "What is the history of golf courses in the Bay Area?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The sport of golf made its way to the Bay Area with the arrival of Scottish immigrants in the 1890s and early 20th century, explained Richard Harris, who advocates for accessible golf with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/\">San Francisco Public Golf Alliance.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The sport of golf made its way to the Bay Area with the arrival of Scottish immigrants in the 1890s and early 20th century, explained Richard Harris, who advocates for accessible golf with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/\">San Francisco Public Golf Alliance.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That included influential city leaders like John McLaren, the “father of Golden Gate Park,” who was a Scot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That included influential city leaders like John McLaren, the “father of Golden Gate Park,” who was a Scot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083083\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Richard Harris, president of the SF Public Golf Alliance, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083083\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Richard Harris, president of the SF Public Golf Alliance, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>McLaren, Harris said, was influential in creating Lincoln Park and Harding Park in San Francisco, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/index.php/save/alister-mackenzies-sharp-park\">Pacifica’s Sharp Park\u003c/a>, designed by famous golf architect Alister MacKenzie. These are all public, not private golf courses, and are considered to be world-class, he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>McLaren, Harris said, was influential in creating Lincoln Park and Harding Park in San Francisco, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/index.php/save/alister-mackenzies-sharp-park\">Pacifica’s Sharp Park\u003c/a>, designed by famous golf architect Alister MacKenzie. These are all public, not private golf courses, and are considered to be world-class, he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time,” Harris said. “It’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and, for that matter, in the world.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time,” Harris said. “It’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and, for that matter, in the world.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Public golf courses are those owned by local governments or parks districts. In the Bay Area, they tend to be inside or next to public parks you may know or frequent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses help lower barriers to the sport by being accessible and relatively cheap, said Lily Achatz, president of the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club and a member of the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses help lower barriers to the sport by being accessible and relatively cheap, said Lily Achatz, president of the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club and a member of the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lily Achatz, president of Harding Park Women’s Golf Club, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083084\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lily Achatz, president of Harding Park Women’s Golf Club, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s stunning and what makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here,” Achatz said. “The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s stunning and what makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here,” Achatz said. “The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Depending on the city or parks district, public golf courses can be real money-makers. Max Korten, acting general manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District, said Tilden Golf Course made the district $800,000 last year. It was the most profitable concession in the entire parks district last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/fy26-adopted-operating-capital-projects-budgets-w-bookmarks.pdf\">according to district documents.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s not the case with every city or district. In San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sf-golfers-grumble-over-course-privatization-plan-20184922.php\">the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit\u003c/a> and has \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/22/sf-parks-fees/\">begun raising rates\u003c/a> at some public courses to help close the gap. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s not the case with every city or district. In San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sf-golfers-grumble-over-course-privatization-plan-20184922.php\">the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit\u003c/a> and has \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/22/sf-parks-fees/\">begun raising rates\u003c/a> at some public courses to help close the gap. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the East Bay, course fees are limited by a public board to keep fees low-cost for residents, Korten said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Have there been any talks of converting golf courses to other uses?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s no widespread movement to convert golf courses in the Bay Area into other uses. But there are two notable examples of private golf courses undergoing their own transformations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The most controversial right now is Pleasant Hills in San José. It’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">a former private 115-acre golf course\u003c/a> that may become 2,000 new homes with some commercial and open space. It’s currently in environmental review as the community goes back and forth on what to do with it. What to do has become a fight, said Manira Sandhir, deputy director of planning for the city of San José. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“On one hand we have the community who’s directly affected by this project and has expressed concerns about the traffic that it would generate,” she said. It’s located in a highly car-dependent area, and there’s not a lot of transit or freeway access there either. “But then on the other hand, we have housing advocates who want to see more housing at the site, and they feel that putting 2,000 units at the site would be underutilization of this really large acreage that’s available for development.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“On one hand we have the community who’s directly affected by this project and has expressed concerns about the traffic that it would generate,” she said. It’s located in a highly car-dependent area, and there’s not a lot of transit or freeway access there either. “But then on the other hand, we have housing advocates who want to see more housing at the site, and they feel that putting 2,000 units at the site would be underutilization of this really large acreage that’s available for development.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The course, Sandhir said, was established in the 1960s but closed in 2004, likely for financial reasons — so not explicitly for this conversion. Sandhir said it’s likely to be years before the dust settles and a coherent plan for the site emerges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The course, Sandhir said, was established in the 1960s but closed in 2004, likely for financial reasons — so not explicitly for this conversion. Sandhir said it’s likely to be years before the dust settles and a coherent plan for the site emerges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Farther to the north, in Marin County’s San Geronimo Valley, another golf course has seen the end of its days. The Trust for Public Land, a land conservation organization, converted what was once a private 18-hole golf course into \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/our-work/san-geronimo-commons\">San Geronimo Commons\u003c/a>, a public park that fills a missing connection to surrounding open spaces, restores water rights to the Larson Creek and returns the land to its former function as a wetland. A county firehouse has even taken over the old golf clubhouse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Farther to the north, in Marin County’s San Geronimo Valley, another golf course has seen the end of its days. The Trust for Public Land, a land conservation organization, converted what was once a private 18-hole golf course into \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/our-work/san-geronimo-commons\">San Geronimo Commons\u003c/a>, a public park that fills a missing connection to surrounding open spaces, restores water rights to the Larson Creek and returns the land to its former function as a wetland. A county firehouse has even taken over the old golf clubhouse.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I do think cities, park systems across the country, certainly in California, are rethinking their inventory and what can happen,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I do think cities, park systems across the country, certainly in California, are rethinking their inventory and what can happen,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The car paths became walking paths, the sand traps became sandboxes for the kids,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, Trust for Public Land’s California director. He said this is one of four golf course conversions they have helped lead in the state, part of what he sees as a growing trend in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The car paths became walking paths, the sand traps became sandboxes for the kids,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, Trust for Public Land’s California director. He said this is one of four golf course conversions they have helped lead in the state, part of what he sees as a growing trend in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San Geronimo conversion wasn’t without its own controversy. After purchasing the property in 2018, Trust for Public Land launched a two-year process to narrow down what the community wanted from the property – and not everyone agreed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The San Geronimo conversion wasn’t without its own controversy. After purchasing the property in 2018, Trust for Public Land launched a two-year process to narrow down what the community wanted from the property – and not everyone agreed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We had a lot of passionate golfers who had lots of memories tied to that facility,” he said. “And while, yes, there were other facilities they could go play golf in, they had history there, and so we had to work through that.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We had a lot of passionate golfers who had lots of memories tied to that facility,” he said. “And while, yes, there were other facilities they could go play golf in, they had history there, and so we had to work through that.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Senior manager on the project Erica Williams said in some ways, the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for the transition of the property — opening people’s imaginations to how their community spaces could look. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Senior manager on the project Erica Williams said in some ways, the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for the transition of the property — opening people’s imaginations to how their community spaces could look. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“With the pandemic, I think that really allowed people to connect with the landscape, to reconnect with the land and to imagine a future,” she said. “It became a sanctuary.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“With the pandemic, I think that really allowed people to connect with the landscape, to reconnect with the land and to imagine a future,” she said. “It became a sanctuary.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Can I visit a golf course as a non-golfer?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses are open to everyone, whether you want to reserve a tee time to try your hand at playing, practice your swing at the driving range, or just hang out at the cafes and restaurants onsite. Unlike private courses, there is no dress code at public golf courses. Dogs are not allowed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses are open to everyone, whether you want to reserve a tee time to try your hand at playing, practice your swing at the driving range, or just hang out at the cafes and restaurants onsite. Unlike private courses, there is no dress code at public golf courses. Dogs are not allowed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While walking along the course if you’re not playing generally isn’t allowed (getting hit by a ball is a real risk), many courses like Tilden have walking trails nearby that are open to anyone. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While walking along the course if you’re not playing generally isn’t allowed (getting hit by a ball is a real risk), many courses like Tilden have walking trails nearby that are open to anyone. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you want to play a round of golf, you should plan to book a tee time in advance. Public courses also offer golf club rentals if you don’t have any of your own.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you want to play a round of golf, you should plan to book a tee time in advance. Public courses also offer golf club rentals if you don’t have any of your own.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and everything is shut down – even the gym. So Bay Curious listener Mary Newsom decided to go for a walk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and everything is shut down – even the gym. So Bay Curious listener Mary Newsom decided to go for a walk. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music starts\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> I live in Oakland. And so I would usually sort of go up to the ridgeline and start hiking and all the regional parks that are up on the ridgeline.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> I live in Oakland. And so I would usually sort of go up to the ridgeline and start hiking and all the regional parks that are up on the ridgeline.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Eventually, Mary made her way up to Anthony Chabot Regional Park. Given the pandemic, there was no one around.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Eventually, Mary made her way up to Anthony Chabot Regional Park. Given the pandemic, there was no one around.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>And so one of the golf courses that’s right alongside Chabot was completely empty. There were, like, deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and like all these animals. That it just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>And so one of the golf courses that’s right alongside Chabot was completely empty. There were, like, deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and like all these animals. That it just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> But then, the restrictions started to let up, and things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> But then, the restrictions started to let up, and things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>It sort of made me wonder about the relationship between the park and the golf course that’s right up against it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>It sort of made me wonder about the relationship between the park and the golf course that’s right up against it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mary looked into what other municipal golf courses are located inside public parks, and the list is really quite long…\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mary looked into what other municipal golf courses are located inside public parks, and the list is really quite long…\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Golden Gate Park, Presidio, Lincoln Park, Gleneagles, Tilden Park, Lake Chabot, Redwood Canyon, Sequoia…\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Golden Gate Park, Presidio, Lincoln Park, Gleneagles, Tilden Park, Lake Chabot, Redwood Canyon, Sequoia…\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>And that’s just a partial list. This all got Mary wondering about the relationship between public parks and the golf courses within them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Why are there so many golf courses in the Bay Area right next to, or inside public parks? Do they subsidize the parks? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>We sent KQED’s outdoors reporter, Sarah Wright, to take a swing at finding some answers. She started, as you might expect, at Hole 1.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>We sent KQED’s outdoors reporter, Sarah Wright, to take a swing at finding some answers. She started, as you might expect, at Hole 1.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Birds chirping, golf balls getting whacked\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> The Golden Gate Park Golf Course is set up on a hill, right by San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. The breeze is strong, and a hawk has been circling overhead as a new set of golfers sets up at the first hole every 15 minutes. Here, I run into Lizzie Yurchak. She lives in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, and she came out to play the course today with a coworker who is from out of town.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> The Golden Gate Park Golf Course is set up on a hill, right by San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. The breeze is strong, and a hawk has been circling overhead as a new set of golfers sets up at the first hole every 15 minutes. Here, I run into Lizzie Yurchak. She lives in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, and she came out to play the course today with a coworker who is from out of town.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak: \u003c/strong>He lives in Texas, so we were like, what’s something fun we can do while he’s visiting the Bay.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> It’s her first time out to this course — actually, her first time golfing in the Bay Area since she moved here from Philadelphia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak:\u003c/strong> I don’t have my clubs out here, so maybe I’ll feel inspired today. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>And what are your goals for today on the golf course?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak: \u003c/strong>Um, don’t shank it. And don’t lose foul balls. I think that’s about it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak: \u003c/strong>Um, don’t shank it. And don’t lose foul balls. I think that’s about it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>She does not, in fact, shank it. I watch as she lines up for a stroke.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Lizzie hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Man:\u003c/strong> There we go!\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Man:\u003c/strong> There we go!\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Besides meeting golfers like Lizzie, I’m actually here to meet Richard Harris and Lily Achatz. They’re with the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, which advocates for affordable golf in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Besides meeting golfers like Lizzie, I’m actually here to meet Richard Harris and Lily Achatz. They’re with the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, which advocates for affordable golf in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>Hi, Sarah.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> Lily, great to meet you. Thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>Of course!\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> I am here to ask them Mary’s question. Why are there so many golf courses in public parks in the Bay Area?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To answer that, Richard says, we have to dig into history.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time. And it’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and for that matter, in the world.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time. And it’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and for that matter, in the world.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Golf traces its origins to Scotland — Richard explains.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Scottish music plays\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Originated in what they called the Links Land, which is the land between the cities and the coast, which was not much use for anything. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Golf traces its origins to Scotland — Richard explains.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Scottish music plays\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Originated in what they called the Links Land, which is the land between the cities and the coast, which was not much use for anything. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Richard says that in the 1890s and early 20th century, immigrants, including Scots, came here and brought golf with them. Among them was a man who had a huge impact on recreation in our region. The father of Golden Gate Park – John McLaren. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Richard says that in the 1890s and early 20th century, immigrants, including Scots, came here and brought golf with them. Among them was a man who had a huge impact on recreation in our region. The father of Golden Gate Park – John McLaren. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>John McLaren was a Scot. John McLaren liked golf. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>He first built Lincoln Park, a golf course by the Legion of Honor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris:\u003c/strong> And then quickly, he found another Scot to design Harding Park…\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>… A legendary course near Lake Merced.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>And then another Scot to design Sharp Park…\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>… Just steps from the ocean in Pacifica.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>That Scot being Alistair McKenzie. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>McKenzie is most famous for having designed Augusta, in Georgia, where the Masters is played.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>McKenzie is most famous for having designed Augusta, in Georgia, where the Masters is played.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those iconic early courses built in the Bay Area were — and still are — all public, not private, golf courses. And today they’re known as some of the most premium municipal courses in the nation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Those iconic early courses built in the Bay Area were — and still are — all public, not private, golf courses. And today they’re known as some of the most premium municipal courses in the nation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In California, Richard said, publicly owned courses make up about a third of all courses statewide. And they’re at the forefront of welcoming new players into the sport and combating golf’s reputation for being overly white, male and exclusive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In California, Richard said, publicly owned courses make up about a third of all courses statewide. And they’re at the forefront of welcoming new players into the sport and combating golf’s reputation for being overly white, male and exclusive.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lily Achatz, president of the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club, knows that firsthand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> I didn’t grow up playing golf. I got into golf much later, about like six years ago. I don’t know how many sports there are that you can get into, you know, get into it so late. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> I didn’t grow up playing golf. I got into golf much later, about like six years ago. I don’t know how many sports there are that you can get into, you know, get into it so late. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>She says municipal golf courses, with their relatively cheap fees and open access, are critical to help lower barriers to the sport.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from about $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>She says municipal golf courses, with their relatively cheap fees and open access, are critical to help lower barriers to the sport.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from about $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> What makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here. There’s friends, all different backgrounds. The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> What makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here. There’s friends, all different backgrounds. The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>In fact, golf wasn’t even racially integrated until the 1950s. And Bay Area municipal courses had a role in that, too. Richard shows me a photo of a plaque that hangs at Pacifica’s Sharp Park course. At the time, the course was known for denying tee times to Black players. But in 1955, that changed when Sharp Park became the site of the inaugural championship tournament of the Western States Golf Association, one of the country’s oldest and largest African American golfing organizations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>In fact, golf wasn’t even racially integrated until the 1950s. And Bay Area municipal courses had a role in that, too. Richard shows me a photo of a plaque that hangs at Pacifica’s Sharp Park course. At the time, the course was known for denying tee times to Black players. But in 1955, that changed when Sharp Park became the site of the inaugural championship tournament of the Western States Golf Association, one of the country’s oldest and largest African American golfing organizations.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris:\u003c/strong> It was swimming pools in the south. In San Francisco, it was golf courses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris:\u003c/strong> It was swimming pools in the south. In San Francisco, it was golf courses. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Still, even today, municipal courses can feel exclusive. When Mary asked her question originally, she actually pointed out this bias she feels. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Still, even today, municipal courses can feel exclusive. When Mary asked her question originally, she actually pointed out this bias she feels. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>If I’m walking through a city park and I pass by tennis courts, I don’t really blink an eye, or basketball courts. But it’s funny that to me, like a golf course strikes me differently, you know that I sort of wonder, oh, wait, why is this here? And who actually uses this? You know? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>If I’m walking through a city park and I pass by tennis courts, I don’t really blink an eye, or basketball courts. But it’s funny that to me, like a golf course strikes me differently, you know that I sort of wonder, oh, wait, why is this here? And who actually uses this? You know? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When we return, we explore who these golf courses are for. And get into the finances. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When we return, we explore who these golf courses are for. And get into the finances. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music starts\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music starts\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>KQED’s Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is very familiar with the condemnation golf courses sometimes face.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Any type of golf course will inevitably draw criticism from those worried about its environmental impact. They are, after all, enormous, frequently watered, heavily manicured lawns. Many golf courses are\u003cem> \u003c/em>working to become more sustainable, but that could be its own story for another day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To keep things focused on Mary’s question, I spoke with Max Korten, acting general manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To keep things focused on Mary’s question, I spoke with Max Korten, acting general manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He says the public has just as much a right to nice turf on a golf course as any other park amenity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He says the public has just as much a right to nice turf on a golf course as any other park amenity. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten: \u003c/strong>I think it’s one of the really cool things about some of our parks is like, in Tilden, there’s like the merry-go-round, the steam trains, the golf course, like some of these things that… You kind of feel like you’re visiting another era.\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>East Bay Regional Parks has two golf courses, Tilden and Redwood Canyon, and Max says they take up just a combined 240 acres of the 120,000 the district manages. And the golf courses aren’t just for golfers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten:\u003c/strong> The driving range is something that like anybody could do. I’ve taken my son there, my dad and step-mom, like who haven’t really ever played golf, and go just try to hit balls. And it’s really fun and fairly inexpensive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Max explained that golf courses in East Bay parks are operated as concessions. So a private company, in this case, called Touchstone, operates the courses and then a percentage of their profits, around 10 percent, goes to the parks district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They can also be a major money maker for the parks. Last year, Max said, Tilden brought in over $800,000 in revenue — it’s the most profitable concession in the entire parks district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the East Bay, fees are limited by the public parks district board to keep things affordable for the golfers themselves, Max said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten:\u003c/strong> Keeping these public courses around to provide low-cost ways for community members to access golf is really important because I think they’re sort of an equity opportunity to make sure that this sport is available to everyone. \u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Now, not every city can say public golf is a money maker. In San Francisco, for example, the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year, and the city has begun raising rates at some public courses to help close the gap.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten:\u003c/strong> Keeping these public courses around to provide low-cost ways for community members to access golf is really important because I think they’re sort of an equity opportunity to make sure that this sport is available to everyone. \u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Now, not every city can say public golf is a money maker. In San Francisco, for example, the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year, and the city has begun raising rates at some public courses to help close the gap.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, to answer Mary’s question, there often is a symbiotic relationship between the parks departments and the courses – but not always. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I went and told Mary what I found — about how the golf courses she was walking by during the pandemic — do help fund the park.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary: \u003c/strong>I’m glad to hear that they’re actually making money for East Bay Regional Parks. I feel like, you know, parks are always underfunded, you know, they’re always sort of like the first to be cut. So, to hear that they’re actually supporting the park, I think, is great.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>I admit — I was surprised to learn that too.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Yeah, it’s definitely sort of changed my mind and sort of given me more of a positive perspective on them than I had before.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>So much so that she was even willing to give it a try herself. Olivia and I asked Mary and Lily Achatz, from the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, to join us at Corica Park in Alameda. It’s hot and sunny, and for a Thursday afternoon, the golf course is bustling.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>So much so that she was even willing to give it a try herself. Olivia and I asked Mary and Lily Achatz, from the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, to join us at Corica Park in Alameda. It’s hot and sunny, and for a Thursday afternoon, the golf course is bustling.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>You guys brought the good weather. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Corica Park actually has several golf courses, and even a foot golf course where you can kick soccer balls into giant holes in the green. We convened at the smaller Par 3 course, which is a great option for kids, beginners or anyone looking for a lower-key experience — which was perfect for our group of just one expert and three complete amateurs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> I have never played golf before ever in my life. Not even miniature golf, actually, neither one. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>So how do you predict this is going to go?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>I honestly don’t know, but I do see some water over here and I imagine one of my balls would go in there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Well, as it turns out, Mary is an athlete – she grew up playing basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, rowing — you name it. So she got the hang of it quick.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Here, I’m just going to do a gentle putt.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Mary hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Nice, woohoo!\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>My first ever!\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Olivia and I, we did our best… \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Okay, it only took three swings to make contact.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> And you did it. And you were lined up perfectly. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Lily hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>That was incredible, I don’t even know where it went! \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>It sliced to the right.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>After around an hour, we called it quits. I asked Mary how she thought it went.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> It felt a little funny, but I think if I did it more, I would definitely get used to it, you know, and it would be something, like, I would be at home, right? You know before bed or something like that, practicing my swing, like, okay, you know.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> So, Olivia, what do you think? Is there more golfing in our future?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I think I’m going to stick to podcasting, for now. But I don’t know, Mary seemed to be getting into it. Maybe we’ll have to check in with her in a year and see how things are coming along.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I think I’m going to stick to podcasting, for now. But I don’t know, Mary seemed to be getting into it. Maybe we’ll have to check in with her in a year and see how things are coming along.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> I know that I’ll be practicing my swing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Sarah Wright, outdoors reporter for KQED. Thank you!\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> Thank you so much.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, and me, Olivia Allen-Price. We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on team KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakland resident Mary Newson would hike regularly in the parks up in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. It was a pleasant way to get outside, and there was no one around — even on a usually busy golf course near \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/anthony-chabot\">Anthony Chabot Regional Park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There were deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and all these animals that had just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it,” she said. “That was really a beautiful thing to see.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But then, the restrictions started to let up, things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks. It made her wonder: Why are there so many golf courses in public parks around the Bay Area? Can and should she visit as a non-golfer? And what is their financial relationship to the park?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03134-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golfers practice at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t sure how they worked, and if there was any sort of financial relationship, administrative relationship between the larger park and the golf course that sort of made them work together,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, golf — and public golf, in particular — has a storied history in the Bay Area. And apart from a few conversions, mostly of private golf courses, these public greens are unlikely to be going anywhere soon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jump straight to:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#private\">The difference between public and private golf courses\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#make-money\">How public courses do or don’t make money for local parks\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#converting-golf-courses\">Golf course conversions underway in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#visit-a-golf-course\">What to know if you’re visiting a public golf course for the first time\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the history of golf courses in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sport of golf made its way to the Bay Area with the arrival of Scottish immigrants in the 1890s and early 20th century, explained Richard Harris, who advocates for accessible golf with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/\">San Francisco Public Golf Alliance.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That included influential city leaders like John McLaren, the “father of Golden Gate Park,” who was a Scot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083083\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04079-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Richard Harris, president of the SF Public Golf Alliance, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>McLaren, Harris said, was influential in creating Lincoln Park and Harding Park in San Francisco, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfpublicgolf.org/index.php/save/alister-mackenzies-sharp-park\">Pacifica’s Sharp Park\u003c/a>, designed by famous golf architect Alister MacKenzie. These are all public, not private golf courses, and are considered to be world-class, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time,” Harris said. “It’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and, for that matter, in the world.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"private\">What makes a public golf course different from a private one?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public golf courses are those owned by local governments or parks districts. In the Bay Area, they tend to be inside or next to public parks you may know or frequent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses help lower barriers to the sport by being accessible and relatively cheap, said Lily Achatz, president of the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club and a member of the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04136-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lily Achatz, president of Harding Park Women’s Golf Club, poses for a portrait at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s stunning and what makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here,” Achatz said. “The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"make-money\">Do golf courses make money for public parks?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Depending on the city or parks district, public golf courses can be real money-makers. Max Korten, acting general manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District, said Tilden Golf Course made the district $800,000 last year. It was the most profitable concession in the entire parks district last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/fy26-adopted-operating-capital-projects-budgets-w-bookmarks.pdf\">according to district documents.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s not the case with every city or district. In San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sf-golfers-grumble-over-course-privatization-plan-20184922.php\">the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit\u003c/a> and has \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/22/sf-parks-fees/\">begun raising rates\u003c/a> at some public courses to help close the gap. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the East Bay, course fees are limited by a public board to keep fees low-cost for residents, Korten said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"converting-golf-courses\">Have there been any talks of converting golf courses to other uses?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s no widespread movement to convert golf courses in the Bay Area into other uses. But there are two notable examples of private golf courses undergoing their own transformations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most controversial right now is Pleasant Hills in San José. It’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">a former private 115-acre golf course\u003c/a> that may become 2,000 new homes with some commercial and open space. It’s currently in environmental review as the community goes back and forth on what to do with it. What to do has become a fight, said Manira Sandhir, deputy director of planning for the city of San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03581-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12083082\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083082\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-04043-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golfers play a game at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12083078\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12083078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260506-GOLFINGBAYCURIOUS-TV-03155-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golf balls line the ground at Golden Gate Park Golf Course Clubhouse in San Francisco on May 6, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“On one hand we have the community who’s directly affected by this project and has expressed concerns about the traffic that it would generate,” she said. It’s located in a highly car-dependent area, and there’s not a lot of transit or freeway access there either. “But then on the other hand, we have housing advocates who want to see more housing at the site, and they feel that putting 2,000 units at the site would be underutilization of this really large acreage that’s available for development.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The course, Sandhir said, was established in the 1960s but closed in 2004, likely for financial reasons — so not explicitly for this conversion. Sandhir said it’s likely to be years before the dust settles and a coherent plan for the site emerges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Farther to the north, in Marin County’s San Geronimo Valley, another golf course has seen the end of its days. The Trust for Public Land, a land conservation organization, converted what was once a private 18-hole golf course into \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/our-work/san-geronimo-commons\">San Geronimo Commons\u003c/a>, a public park that fills a missing connection to surrounding open spaces, restores water rights to the Larson Creek and returns the land to its former function as a wetland. A county firehouse has even taken over the old golf clubhouse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do think cities, park systems across the country, certainly in California, are rethinking their inventory and what can happen,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The car paths became walking paths, the sand traps became sandboxes for the kids,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, Trust for Public Land’s California director. He said this is one of four golf course conversions they have helped lead in the state, part of what he sees as a growing trend in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Geronimo conversion wasn’t without its own controversy. After purchasing the property in 2018, Trust for Public Land launched a two-year process to narrow down what the community wanted from the property – and not everyone agreed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We had a lot of passionate golfers who had lots of memories tied to that facility,” he said. “And while, yes, there were other facilities they could go play golf in, they had history there, and so we had to work through that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Senior manager on the project Erica Williams said in some ways, the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for the transition of the property — opening people’s imaginations to how their community spaces could look. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With the pandemic, I think that really allowed people to connect with the landscape, to reconnect with the land and to imagine a future,” she said. “It became a sanctuary.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"visit-a-golf-course\">Can I visit a golf course as a non-golfer?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Municipal golf courses are open to everyone, whether you want to reserve a tee time to try your hand at playing, practice your swing at the driving range, or just hang out at the cafes and restaurants onsite. Unlike private courses, there is no dress code at public golf courses. Dogs are not allowed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While walking along the course if you’re not playing generally isn’t allowed (getting hit by a ball is a real risk), many courses like Tilden have walking trails nearby that are open to anyone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you want to play a round of golf, you should plan to book a tee time in advance. Public courses also offer golf club rentals if you don’t have any of your own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and everything is shut down – even the gym. So Bay Curious listener Mary Newsom decided to go for a walk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music starts\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> I live in Oakland. And so I would usually sort of go up to the ridgeline and start hiking and all the regional parks that are up on the ridgeline.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Eventually, Mary made her way up to Anthony Chabot Regional Park. Given the pandemic, there was no one around.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>And so one of the golf courses that’s right alongside Chabot was completely empty. There were, like, deer and bunnies and geese and ducks and turkeys and like all these animals. That it just converged onto the golf course because nobody was using it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> But then, the restrictions started to let up, and things started to reopen, and Mary would start to find dozens of golf balls on her walks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>It sort of made me wonder about the relationship between the park and the golf course that’s right up against it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mary looked into what other municipal golf courses are located inside public parks, and the list is really quite long…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Golden Gate Park, Presidio, Lincoln Park, Gleneagles, Tilden Park, Lake Chabot, Redwood Canyon, Sequoia…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>And that’s just a partial list. This all got Mary wondering about the relationship between public parks and the golf courses within them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Why are there so many golf courses in the Bay Area right next to, or inside public parks? Do they subsidize the parks? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>We sent KQED’s outdoors reporter, Sarah Wright, to take a swing at finding some answers. She started, as you might expect, at Hole 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Birds chirping, golf balls getting whacked\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> The Golden Gate Park Golf Course is set up on a hill, right by San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. The breeze is strong, and a hawk has been circling overhead as a new set of golfers sets up at the first hole every 15 minutes. Here, I run into Lizzie Yurchak. She lives in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, and she came out to play the course today with a coworker who is from out of town.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak: \u003c/strong>He lives in Texas, so we were like, what’s something fun we can do while he’s visiting the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> It’s her first time out to this course — actually, her first time golfing in the Bay Area since she moved here from Philadelphia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak:\u003c/strong> I don’t have my clubs out here, so maybe I’ll feel inspired today. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>And what are your goals for today on the golf course?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lizzie Yurchak: \u003c/strong>Um, don’t shank it. And don’t lose foul balls. I think that’s about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>She does not, in fact, shank it. I watch as she lines up for a stroke.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Lizzie hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Man:\u003c/strong> There we go!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Besides meeting golfers like Lizzie, I’m actually here to meet Richard Harris and Lily Achatz. They’re with the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, which advocates for affordable golf in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>Hi, Sarah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> Lily, great to meet you. Thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>Of course!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> I am here to ask them Mary’s question. Why are there so many golf courses in public parks in the Bay Area?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To answer that, Richard says, we have to dig into history.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Golf has been an important part of the Bay Area for a long time. And it’s one of the major golf areas in the country, and for that matter, in the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Golf traces its origins to Scotland — Richard explains.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Scottish music plays\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>Originated in what they called the Links Land, which is the land between the cities and the coast, which was not much use for anything. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Richard says that in the 1890s and early 20th century, immigrants, including Scots, came here and brought golf with them. Among them was a man who had a huge impact on recreation in our region. The father of Golden Gate Park – John McLaren. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>John McLaren was a Scot. John McLaren liked golf. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>He first built Lincoln Park, a golf course by the Legion of Honor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris:\u003c/strong> And then quickly, he found another Scot to design Harding Park…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>… A legendary course near Lake Merced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>And then another Scot to design Sharp Park…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>… Just steps from the ocean in Pacifica.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris: \u003c/strong>That Scot being Alistair McKenzie. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>McKenzie is most famous for having designed Augusta, in Georgia, where the Masters is played.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those iconic early courses built in the Bay Area were — and still are — all public, not private, golf courses. And today they’re known as some of the most premium municipal courses in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, Richard said, publicly owned courses make up about a third of all courses statewide. And they’re at the forefront of welcoming new players into the sport and combating golf’s reputation for being overly white, male and exclusive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lily Achatz, president of the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club, knows that firsthand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> I didn’t grow up playing golf. I got into golf much later, about like six years ago. I don’t know how many sports there are that you can get into, you know, get into it so late. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>She says municipal golf courses, with their relatively cheap fees and open access, are critical to help lower barriers to the sport.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>A private golf club could run you thousands of dollars in initiation fees, monthly dues and food and beverage minimums. A round at a public golf course, meanwhile, ranges from about $30 to $100, with discounts for residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz:\u003c/strong> What makes it so wonderful is that there’s all different generations here. There’s friends, all different backgrounds. The municipal courses are so important because it’s hard to get access to a country club or even be accepted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>In fact, golf wasn’t even racially integrated until the 1950s. And Bay Area municipal courses had a role in that, too. Richard shows me a photo of a plaque that hangs at Pacifica’s Sharp Park course. At the time, the course was known for denying tee times to Black players. But in 1955, that changed when Sharp Park became the site of the inaugural championship tournament of the Western States Golf Association, one of the country’s oldest and largest African American golfing organizations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Harris:\u003c/strong> It was swimming pools in the south. In San Francisco, it was golf courses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Still, even today, municipal courses can feel exclusive. When Mary asked her question originally, she actually pointed out this bias she feels. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>If I’m walking through a city park and I pass by tennis courts, I don’t really blink an eye, or basketball courts. But it’s funny that to me, like a golf course strikes me differently, you know that I sort of wonder, oh, wait, why is this here? And who actually uses this? You know? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When we return, we explore who these golf courses are for. And get into the finances. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music starts\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>KQED’s Outdoors reporter Sarah Wright is very familiar with the condemnation golf courses sometimes face.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Any type of golf course will inevitably draw criticism from those worried about its environmental impact. They are, after all, enormous, frequently watered, heavily manicured lawns. Many golf courses are\u003cem> \u003c/em>working to become more sustainable, but that could be its own story for another day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To keep things focused on Mary’s question, I spoke with Max Korten, acting general manager of the East Bay Regional Parks District.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He says the public has just as much a right to nice turf on a golf course as any other park amenity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten: \u003c/strong>I think it’s one of the really cool things about some of our parks is like, in Tilden, there’s like the merry-go-round, the steam trains, the golf course, like some of these things that… You kind of feel like you’re visiting another era.\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>East Bay Regional Parks has two golf courses, Tilden and Redwood Canyon, and Max says they take up just a combined 240 acres of the 120,000 the district manages. And the golf courses aren’t just for golfers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten:\u003c/strong> The driving range is something that like anybody could do. I’ve taken my son there, my dad and step-mom, like who haven’t really ever played golf, and go just try to hit balls. And it’s really fun and fairly inexpensive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Max explained that golf courses in East Bay parks are operated as concessions. So a private company, in this case, called Touchstone, operates the courses and then a percentage of their profits, around 10 percent, goes to the parks district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They can also be a major money maker for the parks. Last year, Max said, Tilden brought in over $800,000 in revenue — it’s the most profitable concession in the entire parks district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the East Bay, fees are limited by the public parks district board to keep things affordable for the golfers themselves, Max said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Max Korten:\u003c/strong> Keeping these public courses around to provide low-cost ways for community members to access golf is really important because I think they’re sort of an equity opportunity to make sure that this sport is available to everyone. \u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Now, not every city can say public golf is a money maker. In San Francisco, for example, the city is subsidizing the courses’ expected $6 million deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year, and the city has begun raising rates at some public courses to help close the gap.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, to answer Mary’s question, there often is a symbiotic relationship between the parks departments and the courses – but not always. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I went and told Mary what I found — about how the golf courses she was walking by during the pandemic — do help fund the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary: \u003c/strong>I’m glad to hear that they’re actually making money for East Bay Regional Parks. I feel like, you know, parks are always underfunded, you know, they’re always sort of like the first to be cut. So, to hear that they’re actually supporting the park, I think, is great.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>I admit — I was surprised to learn that too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Yeah, it’s definitely sort of changed my mind and sort of given me more of a positive perspective on them than I had before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>So much so that she was even willing to give it a try herself. Olivia and I asked Mary and Lily Achatz, from the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, to join us at Corica Park in Alameda. It’s hot and sunny, and for a Thursday afternoon, the golf course is bustling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>You guys brought the good weather. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Corica Park actually has several golf courses, and even a foot golf course where you can kick soccer balls into giant holes in the green. We convened at the smaller Par 3 course, which is a great option for kids, beginners or anyone looking for a lower-key experience — which was perfect for our group of just one expert and three complete amateurs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> I have never played golf before ever in my life. Not even miniature golf, actually, neither one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>So how do you predict this is going to go?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>I honestly don’t know, but I do see some water over here and I imagine one of my balls would go in there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Well, as it turns out, Mary is an athlete – she grew up playing basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, rowing — you name it. So she got the hang of it quick.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>Here, I’m just going to do a gentle putt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Mary hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Nice, woohoo!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom: \u003c/strong>My first ever!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>Olivia and I, we did our best… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Okay, it only took three swings to make contact.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> And you did it. And you were lined up perfectly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>And, no surprise, Lily crushed us all. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sound of Lily hitting the golf ball\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>That was incredible, I don’t even know where it went! \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lily Achatz: \u003c/strong>It sliced to the right.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright: \u003c/strong>After around an hour, we called it quits. I asked Mary how she thought it went.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mary Newsom:\u003c/strong> It felt a little funny, but I think if I did it more, I would definitely get used to it, you know, and it would be something, like, I would be at home, right? You know before bed or something like that, practicing my swing, like, okay, you know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> So, Olivia, what do you think? Is there more golfing in our future?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I think I’m going to stick to podcasting, for now. But I don’t know, Mary seemed to be getting into it. Maybe we’ll have to check in with her in a year and see how things are coming along.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> I know that I’ll be practicing my swing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Sarah Wright, outdoors reporter for KQED. Thank you!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sarah Wright:\u003c/strong> Thank you so much.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, and me, Olivia Allen-Price. We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on team KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"slug": "berkeley-moves-forward-with-bike-lanes-on-hopkins-street-after-fierce-debate",
"title": "Berkeley Moves Forward With Bike Lanes on Hopkins Street, After Fierce Debate",
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"headTitle": "Berkeley Moves Forward With Bike Lanes on Hopkins Street, After Fierce Debate | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Berkeley is one step closer to having protected \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bike-lanes\">bicycle lanes\u003c/a> on Hopkins Street — an issue that has divided the city for years and has forced a reckoning on how the city approaches its ambitious climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After hours of public comment that dragged the meeting past midnight, City Council voted 7-2 to back a repavement plan for Hopkins that includes one-way bike lanes on each side of the busy street, which connects San Pablo Avenue to the Berkeley hills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, whose district includes one part of Hopkins, championed the plan. At Tuesday’s meeting, she insisted that adding bike lanes will help calm car traffic in a street that has seen several dangerous accidents in the past decade. In 2017, 69-year-old Seon O’Neill was \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/05/01/longtime-activist-69-dies-north-berkeley-crash-police-say-driver-failed-yield\">hit and killed\u003c/a> at Hopkins and Monterey Avenue by a driver who did not stop. Since then, the city has recorded four severe injuries among pedestrians and cyclists along Hopkins.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The proposed safety treatments are not arbitrary,” Kesarwani said. “They are directly informed by where people have been killed and severely injured on this street.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All along Hopkins, there are potholes and cracked pavement. City officials have sought to repave Hopkins since 2018, but the process has stalled for years as neighborhood groups have pushed back against plans that include protected bike lanes. One of these groups, Friends of Hopkins, mobilized hundreds of residents to Tuesday’s meeting. Many argued that adding bike lanes on both sides of the street would create more problems than actually increase safety.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A bicyclist rides past a salon displaying a sign protesting the Hopkins bike lane project on Hopkins Street on July 28, 2026, in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Donna DeDiemar, one of the leaders of the group, has lived near Hopkins for 50 years and told KQED that city officials prioritized the demands of cyclists over the needs of current residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We knew we had facts and data on our side, and we simply could not overcome ideology,” she said. “How do you overcome people who have made a decision because it’s trendy to want that?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others who spoke up at Tuesday’s meeting said that the cyclists moving through the lane could potentially crash into cars backing out of their driveway, while others expressed concern that the concrete barriers protecting cyclists could interfere with garbage pickup. But the biggest worry for many was the possibility of over a hundred on-street parking spots disappearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hopkins is more than just another commercial corridor. It’s actually a destination,” said Jacqui Yu, the manager of a restaurant in the corridor that would lose parking space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several dozen businesses call Hopkins home, including the historic Monterey Fish Market and Hopkins Street Bakery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Removing so much parking without practical alternatives will discourage visitors, hurting the small businesses that have made this area successful in the first place,” Yu said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But bike lane supporters were just as numerous at Tuesday’s meeting, representing a wide coalition of young families, elderly residents and cyclists who have survived being hit by cars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve got a big safety problem on Hopkins,” said Lucinda Young, a senior who uses her bicycle as her main mode of transportation. “Let’s just not wait for another fatality or serious accident to correct this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As public comment stretched into the fifth hour, Councilmember Mark Humbert acknowledged the intensity of the debate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s honestly a little crazy that this is the amount and intensity of discussion that we need in order to install a protected bike lane,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But at the same time, it makes sense,” Humber said, “because this is about more than just a bike lane on one street. It’s about what kind of a city we want to be and what we’re willing to do to live up to our professed priorities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" data-id=\"12093028\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs supporting bike lane construction are displayed outside of a home on Hopkins Street on July 28, 2026 in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1235\" data-id=\"12093027\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093027\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED-1536x948.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bikes are parked outside Monterey Market on Hopkins Street on July 28, 2026 in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bike lane advocates have repeatedly pointed out that Berkeley has established commitments to reducing the city’s carbon emissions and prioritizing active modes of transit. In 2021, the city \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025-04-15%20Item%2023%20Climate%20Action%20Plan%20and%20Resilience%20Update_0.pdf\">committed\u003c/a> to reaching zero net carbon emissions, which includes eliminating emissions from private vehicles. And the city’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Berkeley%20Bicycle%20Plan%202026.pdf\">Bicycle Plan\u003c/a> included Hopkins in the list of streets that need improvements to bicycle safety.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Meeting our climate goals requires more than just transitioning to cleaner vehicles,” said Jacob Dadmun, a member of the local Sierra Club. “It requires creating communities where walking, bicycling, rolling and public transit are safe, convenient and attractive choices for everyday trips.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no plan yet for construction to begin — for now, city staff must seek community input as they begin designing a complete proposal.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, whose district includes one part of Hopkins, championed the plan. At Tuesday’s meeting, she insisted that adding bike lanes will help calm car traffic in a street that has seen several dangerous accidents in the past decade. In 2017, 69-year-old Seon O’Neill was \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/05/01/longtime-activist-69-dies-north-berkeley-crash-police-say-driver-failed-yield\">hit and killed\u003c/a> at Hopkins and Monterey Avenue by a driver who did not stop. Since then, the city has recorded four severe injuries among pedestrians and cyclists along Hopkins.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, whose district includes one part of Hopkins, championed the plan. At Tuesday’s meeting, she insisted that adding bike lanes will help calm car traffic in a street that has seen several dangerous accidents in the past decade. In 2017, 69-year-old Seon O’Neill was \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/05/01/longtime-activist-69-dies-north-berkeley-crash-police-say-driver-failed-yield\">hit and killed\u003c/a> at Hopkins and Monterey Avenue by a driver who did not stop. Since then, the city has recorded four severe injuries among pedestrians and cyclists along Hopkins.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All along Hopkins, there are potholes and cracked pavement. City officials have sought to repave Hopkins since 2018, but the process has stalled for years as neighborhood groups have pushed back against plans that include protected bike lanes. One of these groups, Friends of Hopkins, mobilized hundreds of residents to Tuesday’s meeting. Many argued that adding bike lanes on both sides of the street would create more problems than actually increase safety.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Donna DeDiemar, one of the leaders of the group, has lived near Hopkins for 50 years and told KQED that city officials prioritized the demands of cyclists over the needs of current residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We knew we had facts and data on our side, and we simply could not overcome ideology,” she said. “How do you overcome people who have made a decision because it’s trendy to want that?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Others who spoke up at Tuesday’s meeting said that the cyclists moving through the lane could potentially crash into cars backing out of their driveway, while others expressed concern that the concrete barriers protecting cyclists could interfere with garbage pickup. But the biggest worry for many was the possibility of over a hundred on-street parking spots disappearing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Others who spoke up at Tuesday’s meeting said that the cyclists moving through the lane could potentially crash into cars backing out of their driveway, while others expressed concern that the concrete barriers protecting cyclists could interfere with garbage pickup. But the biggest worry for many was the possibility of over a hundred on-street parking spots disappearing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Hopkins is more than just another commercial corridor. It’s actually a destination,” said Jacqui Yu, the manager of a restaurant in the corridor that would lose parking space. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Several dozen businesses call Hopkins home, including the historic Monterey Fish Market and Hopkins Street Bakery. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Removing so much parking without practical alternatives will discourage visitors, hurting the small businesses that have made this area successful in the first place,” Yu said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But bike lane supporters were just as numerous at Tuesday’s meeting, representing a wide coalition of young families, elderly residents and cyclists who have survived being hit by cars.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve got a big safety problem on Hopkins,” said Lucinda Young, a senior who uses her bicycle as her main mode of transportation. “Let’s just not wait for another fatality or serious accident to correct this problem.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As public comment stretched into the fifth hour, Councilmember Mark Humbert acknowledged the intensity of the debate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s honestly a little crazy that this is the amount and intensity of discussion that we need in order to install a protected bike lane,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But at the same time, it makes sense,” Humber said, “because this is about more than just a bike lane on one street. It’s about what kind of a city we want to be and what we’re willing to do to live up to our professed priorities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093028\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs supporting bike lane construction are displayed outside of a home on Hopkins Street on July 28, 2026 in Berkeley.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bike lane advocates have repeatedly pointed out that Berkeley has established commitments to reducing the city’s carbon emissions and prioritizing active modes of transit. In 2021, the city \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025-04-15%20Item%2023%20Climate%20Action%20Plan%20and%20Resilience%20Update_0.pdf\">committed\u003c/a> to reaching zero net carbon emissions, which includes eliminating emissions from private vehicles. And the city’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Berkeley%20Bicycle%20Plan%202026.pdf\">Bicycle Plan\u003c/a> included Hopkins in the list of streets that need improvements to bicycle safety.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bike lane advocates have repeatedly pointed out that Berkeley has established commitments to reducing the city’s carbon emissions and prioritizing active modes of transit. In 2021, the city \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025-04-15%20Item%2023%20Climate%20Action%20Plan%20and%20Resilience%20Update_0.pdf\">committed\u003c/a> to reaching zero net carbon emissions, which includes eliminating emissions from private vehicles. And the city’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Berkeley%20Bicycle%20Plan%202026.pdf\">Bicycle Plan\u003c/a> included Hopkins in the list of streets that need improvements to bicycle safety.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Meeting our climate goals requires more than just transitioning to cleaner vehicles,” said Jacob Dadmun, a member of the local Sierra Club. “It requires creating communities where walking, bicycling, rolling and public transit are safe, convenient and attractive choices for everyday trips.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Meeting our climate goals requires more than just transitioning to cleaner vehicles,” said Jacob Dadmun, a member of the local Sierra Club. “It requires creating communities where walking, bicycling, rolling and public transit are safe, convenient and attractive choices for everyday trips.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The city will implement a controversial plan to implement protected bike lanes on each side of the busy East Bay street.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Berkeley is one step closer to having protected \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bike-lanes\">bicycle lanes\u003c/a> on Hopkins Street — an issue that has divided the city for years and has forced a reckoning on how the city approaches its ambitious climate goals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After hours of public comment that dragged the meeting past midnight, City Council voted 7-2 to back a repavement plan for Hopkins that includes one-way bike lanes on each side of the busy street, which connects San Pablo Avenue to the Berkeley hills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, whose district includes one part of Hopkins, championed the plan. At Tuesday’s meeting, she insisted that adding bike lanes will help calm car traffic in a street that has seen several dangerous accidents in the past decade. In 2017, 69-year-old Seon O’Neill was \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/05/01/longtime-activist-69-dies-north-berkeley-crash-police-say-driver-failed-yield\">hit and killed\u003c/a> at Hopkins and Monterey Avenue by a driver who did not stop. Since then, the city has recorded four severe injuries among pedestrians and cyclists along Hopkins.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The proposed safety treatments are not arbitrary,” Kesarwani said. “They are directly informed by where people have been killed and severely injured on this street.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All along Hopkins, there are potholes and cracked pavement. City officials have sought to repave Hopkins since 2018, but the process has stalled for years as neighborhood groups have pushed back against plans that include protected bike lanes. One of these groups, Friends of Hopkins, mobilized hundreds of residents to Tuesday’s meeting. Many argued that adding bike lanes on both sides of the street would create more problems than actually increase safety.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT20-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A bicyclist rides past a salon displaying a sign protesting the Hopkins bike lane project on Hopkins Street on July 28, 2026, in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Donna DeDiemar, one of the leaders of the group, has lived near Hopkins for 50 years and told KQED that city officials prioritized the demands of cyclists over the needs of current residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We knew we had facts and data on our side, and we simply could not overcome ideology,” she said. “How do you overcome people who have made a decision because it’s trendy to want that?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others who spoke up at Tuesday’s meeting said that the cyclists moving through the lane could potentially crash into cars backing out of their driveway, while others expressed concern that the concrete barriers protecting cyclists could interfere with garbage pickup. But the biggest worry for many was the possibility of over a hundred on-street parking spots disappearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hopkins is more than just another commercial corridor. It’s actually a destination,” said Jacqui Yu, the manager of a restaurant in the corridor that would lose parking space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several dozen businesses call Hopkins home, including the historic Monterey Fish Market and Hopkins Street Bakery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Removing so much parking without practical alternatives will discourage visitors, hurting the small businesses that have made this area successful in the first place,” Yu said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But bike lane supporters were just as numerous at Tuesday’s meeting, representing a wide coalition of young families, elderly residents and cyclists who have survived being hit by cars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve got a big safety problem on Hopkins,” said Lucinda Young, a senior who uses her bicycle as her main mode of transportation. “Let’s just not wait for another fatality or serious accident to correct this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As public comment stretched into the fifth hour, Councilmember Mark Humbert acknowledged the intensity of the debate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s honestly a little crazy that this is the amount and intensity of discussion that we need in order to install a protected bike lane,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But at the same time, it makes sense,” Humber said, “because this is about more than just a bike lane on one street. It’s about what kind of a city we want to be and what we’re willing to do to live up to our professed priorities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" data-id=\"12093028\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT11-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs supporting bike lane construction are displayed outside of a home on Hopkins Street on July 28, 2026 in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1235\" data-id=\"12093027\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093027\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072826-BERKELEYSTREETFIGHT05-MC-KQED-1536x948.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bikes are parked outside Monterey Market on Hopkins Street on July 28, 2026 in Berkeley. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bike lane advocates have repeatedly pointed out that Berkeley has established commitments to reducing the city’s carbon emissions and prioritizing active modes of transit. In 2021, the city \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025-04-15%20Item%2023%20Climate%20Action%20Plan%20and%20Resilience%20Update_0.pdf\">committed\u003c/a> to reaching zero net carbon emissions, which includes eliminating emissions from private vehicles. And the city’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Berkeley%20Bicycle%20Plan%202026.pdf\">Bicycle Plan\u003c/a> included Hopkins in the list of streets that need improvements to bicycle safety.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Meeting our climate goals requires more than just transitioning to cleaner vehicles,” said Jacob Dadmun, a member of the local Sierra Club. “It requires creating communities where walking, bicycling, rolling and public transit are safe, convenient and attractive choices for everyday trips.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no plan yet for construction to begin — for now, city staff must seek community input as they begin designing a complete proposal.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>At the end of the 2025-26 school year, fresh-faced kindergarteners at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley-unified-school-district\">Berkeley \u003c/a>practiced reading using small story books. They sounded out aloud in Spanish, like a disorganized, but undeniably impressive, chorus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Lo..lo..\u003cem>la\u003c/em> manzana!” “Esta es mi casa.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At their own pace, students decoded the words on the pages, pulling apart the sounds and common parts, and then stringing them back together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you go around, everyone is reading,” their teacher, Rocio Guzman, said. Guzman has taught at the Berkeley Unified School District for 17 years, and most recently at this dual-language school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are in kindergarten, and you see their writings, too. For me, it’s incredible.”\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t always that way, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before there was a big difference between who could read and who couldn’t,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocio Guzman, a two-way immersion teacher, works with students during a reading session at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nearly a decade after a landmark class-action lawsuit accused BUSD of failing students with reading disabilities, the district is starting to see evidence that a sweeping overhaul of literacy instruction is taking root.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A final report delivered this month found that the change extends beyond curriculum — reforms from the legal settlement and shifting educational paradigms in the U.S. are becoming embedded in the district’s culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The changes stem from a 2017 lawsuit, when several district families alleged the district allowed their kids with reading disorders like dyslexia to fall through the cracks, causing lifelong harm. The plaintiffs argued that the district had failed to test kids for these learning differences — which, if identified and met with appropriate interventions in their early years, could allow them to progress alongside their peers and even excel.[aside postID=news_12086884 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP1.jpg']The district settled the suit in 2021, agreeing to a formidable \u003ca href=\"https://dredf.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Class-Action-Settlement-Agreement.pdf\">list\u003c/a> of 35 action steps. BUSD embarked on a plan to improve literacy the following year, alongside three years of mandated oversight. This work coincided with a national reckoning on how to teach reading, which has become known as the “Reading Wars.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate was \u003ca href=\"https://www.educationnext.org/what-made-sold-a-story-so-consequential-emily-hanford-interview/\">addressed\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/\">\u003cem>Sold a Story\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a 2022 podcast by education journalist Emily Hanson. Her report described how many parents realized during COVID-19 lockdowns that phonics — analyzing a word by its parts and sounds —was no longer the instructional approach for their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, schools encouraged kids to try to figure out words from context or pictures, a practice known as “cueing,” as part of a “balanced literacy” approach. This method \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/science-of-reading-literacy-parents.html\">focused more\u003c/a> on developing a love of books and ensuring students understood the meaning of stories. BUSD was among the practice’s most fervent adherents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973560/7-years-after-lawsuit-berkeley-schools-slow-to-adopt-effective-reading-curriculum\">protracted\u003c/a> legal dispute and other delays, BUSD joined districts \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2023/newsom-proposes-literacy-roadmap-but-will-remain-hands-off-on-how-districts-teach-reading/686621\">state- and \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/the-science-of-reading-vs-balanced-literacy\">nationwide \u003c/a>in reversing course on its approach to teaching literacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its first three years of monitoring, the district adopted screenings and science-based interventions for struggling elementary and middle schoolers. During that time, the teachers were required to review their reading curricula to see if it was evidence-based. They concluded that it wasn’t and began the process of selecting a new approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086387\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086387\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students listen to teacher Rocio Guzman during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>BUSD eventually selected two new programs for all elementary school-aged kids: a functional phonics and morphology curriculum, and a Spanish-language equivalent — programs that experts say aren’t just the right way to teach kids with learning differences — but are great for all young learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a final \u003ca href=\"https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030527&MID=74568&Tab=Agenda&enIID=a6yoZvV2BpFzPvKus5D1XQ%3D%3D\">report \u003c/a>delivered at the end of BUSD’s recent school year — its first using the new approach district-wide — Kim Gibbons, the district’s former literacy consultant and most recent settlement monitor, told the school board the “ shift” she observed “is one of the clearest indicators that improvement efforts have really started to become embedded within the district’s culture and systems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Gibbons’ analysis, the district’s youngest readers showed the largest gains: 79% of BUSD kindergarteners were reading at or above grade level by the spring, a 27% improvement from the fall. Of first graders, 86% finished on track, a 19-point jump over the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, according to the report, challenges remained. Nearly a quarter of second graders at one of two unnamed focus schools identified previously as lagging in adopting the new methods remained well below benchmarks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Hispanic K-2 students showed strong growth alongside some benchmark improvement for African American students, longstanding achievement disparities persist between white and African American students, especially in older grades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086381\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086381\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocio Guzman, a two-way immersion teacher, teaches at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We know we’re not done,” BUSD Literacy Coordinator Rose James said. “The data doesn’t look as good as we want it to look, and it never will. We’re going to keep going.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gibbons found that the district had met its legal obligation to the settlement, but some families still worry the district still isn’t ready to fly solo when it comes to literacy education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lindsay Nofelt, a Berkeley mom of a dyslexic child as well as a BUSD middle schooler, has tracked the district’s literacy transformation, creating a resource \u003ca href=\"https://www.readingforberkeley.org/\">website \u003c/a>for other families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nofelt said a monitor is still needed because she believes the report, which focused on grades K-5, hasn’t proven BUSD met the settlement goal of “ensuring fidelity of Literacy Improvement Program implementation” in upper grades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The settlement is not complete until middle school students have better instruction and support. They don’t read many books. It’s a roulette wheel based on what teacher you get,” Nofelt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bse.berkeley.edu/george-ellis\">George Ellis\u003c/a>, director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UC Berkeley and BUSD’s former settlement monitor, disagreed. He said while the district has overhauled special education interventions for middle schools, structured literacy likely won’t be the focus of any future changes to overall middle school curriculum because it’s not age-appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet Ellis said he understands why some families are reluctant to lose a rare level of oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086386\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086386\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocio Guzman, a two-way immersion teacher, works with students during a reading session at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This was a very unique situation where you had outside monitors reporting on progress and compliance. You don’t see that in public schools,” Ellis said, “I think the monitoring piece was a wonderful addition and a very necessary piece. I think at the same time at some point it became a crutch for going around the systems that are already in place for holding the district accountable for improving student outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, Ellis said he believes the data shows Berkeley administrators and many teachers have successfully internalized a culture of data-based decision-making. He said he expects that to carry forward into real student gains beginning next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special education attorney Deborah Jacobson, who brought the original lawsuit, is optimistic, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were many times where I was like, crap, we didn’t have language in there that could enforce this, or that could do this, or that; we had some loosey-goosey language that was the result of years of exhaustion,” Jacobson said, “But in the end … the experts … really did see a culture shift. That was the goal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you go around, everyone is reading,” their teacher, Rocio Guzman, said. Guzman has taught at the Berkeley Unified School District for 17 years, and most recently at this dual-language school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are in kindergarten, and you see their writings, too. For me, it’s incredible.”\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t always that way, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before there was a big difference between who could read and who couldn’t,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocio Guzman, a two-way immersion teacher, works with students during a reading session at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nearly a decade after a landmark class-action lawsuit accused BUSD of failing students with reading disabilities, the district is starting to see evidence that a sweeping overhaul of literacy instruction is taking root.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A final report delivered this month found that the change extends beyond curriculum — reforms from the legal settlement and shifting educational paradigms in the U.S. are becoming embedded in the district’s culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The changes stem from a 2017 lawsuit, when several district families alleged the district allowed their kids with reading disorders like dyslexia to fall through the cracks, causing lifelong harm. The plaintiffs argued that the district had failed to test kids for these learning differences — which, if identified and met with appropriate interventions in their early years, could allow them to progress alongside their peers and even excel.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The district settled the suit in 2021, agreeing to a formidable \u003ca href=\"https://dredf.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Class-Action-Settlement-Agreement.pdf\">list\u003c/a> of 35 action steps. BUSD embarked on a plan to improve literacy the following year, alongside three years of mandated oversight. This work coincided with a national reckoning on how to teach reading, which has become known as the “Reading Wars.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate was \u003ca href=\"https://www.educationnext.org/what-made-sold-a-story-so-consequential-emily-hanford-interview/\">addressed\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/\">\u003cem>Sold a Story\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a 2022 podcast by education journalist Emily Hanson. Her report described how many parents realized during COVID-19 lockdowns that phonics — analyzing a word by its parts and sounds —was no longer the instructional approach for their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, schools encouraged kids to try to figure out words from context or pictures, a practice known as “cueing,” as part of a “balanced literacy” approach. This method \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/science-of-reading-literacy-parents.html\">focused more\u003c/a> on developing a love of books and ensuring students understood the meaning of stories. BUSD was among the practice’s most fervent adherents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973560/7-years-after-lawsuit-berkeley-schools-slow-to-adopt-effective-reading-curriculum\">protracted\u003c/a> legal dispute and other delays, BUSD joined districts \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2023/newsom-proposes-literacy-roadmap-but-will-remain-hands-off-on-how-districts-teach-reading/686621\">state- and \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/the-science-of-reading-vs-balanced-literacy\">nationwide \u003c/a>in reversing course on its approach to teaching literacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its first three years of monitoring, the district adopted screenings and science-based interventions for struggling elementary and middle schoolers. During that time, the teachers were required to review their reading curricula to see if it was evidence-based. They concluded that it wasn’t and began the process of selecting a new approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086387\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086387\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-14-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students listen to teacher Rocio Guzman during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>BUSD eventually selected two new programs for all elementary school-aged kids: a functional phonics and morphology curriculum, and a Spanish-language equivalent — programs that experts say aren’t just the right way to teach kids with learning differences — but are great for all young learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a final \u003ca href=\"https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030527&MID=74568&Tab=Agenda&enIID=a6yoZvV2BpFzPvKus5D1XQ%3D%3D\">report \u003c/a>delivered at the end of BUSD’s recent school year — its first using the new approach district-wide — Kim Gibbons, the district’s former literacy consultant and most recent settlement monitor, told the school board the “ shift” she observed “is one of the clearest indicators that improvement efforts have really started to become embedded within the district’s culture and systems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Gibbons’ analysis, the district’s youngest readers showed the largest gains: 79% of BUSD kindergarteners were reading at or above grade level by the spring, a 27% improvement from the fall. Of first graders, 86% finished on track, a 19-point jump over the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, according to the report, challenges remained. Nearly a quarter of second graders at one of two unnamed focus schools identified previously as lagging in adopting the new methods remained well below benchmarks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Hispanic K-2 students showed strong growth alongside some benchmark improvement for African American students, longstanding achievement disparities persist between white and African American students, especially in older grades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086381\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086381\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocio Guzman, a two-way immersion teacher, teaches at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We know we’re not done,” BUSD Literacy Coordinator Rose James said. “The data doesn’t look as good as we want it to look, and it never will. We’re going to keep going.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gibbons found that the district had met its legal obligation to the settlement, but some families still worry the district still isn’t ready to fly solo when it comes to literacy education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lindsay Nofelt, a Berkeley mom of a dyslexic child as well as a BUSD middle schooler, has tracked the district’s literacy transformation, creating a resource \u003ca href=\"https://www.readingforberkeley.org/\">website \u003c/a>for other families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nofelt said a monitor is still needed because she believes the report, which focused on grades K-5, hasn’t proven BUSD met the settlement goal of “ensuring fidelity of Literacy Improvement Program implementation” in upper grades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The settlement is not complete until middle school students have better instruction and support. They don’t read many books. It’s a roulette wheel based on what teacher you get,” Nofelt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bse.berkeley.edu/george-ellis\">George Ellis\u003c/a>, director of the California Reading and Literature Project at UC Berkeley and BUSD’s former settlement monitor, disagreed. He said while the district has overhauled special education interventions for middle schools, structured literacy likely won’t be the focus of any future changes to overall middle school curriculum because it’s not age-appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet Ellis said he understands why some families are reluctant to lose a rare level of oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086386\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086386\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-12-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocio Guzman, a two-way immersion teacher, works with students during a reading session at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This was a very unique situation where you had outside monitors reporting on progress and compliance. You don’t see that in public schools,” Ellis said, “I think the monitoring piece was a wonderful addition and a very necessary piece. I think at the same time at some point it became a crutch for going around the systems that are already in place for holding the district accountable for improving student outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That said, Ellis said he believes the data shows Berkeley administrators and many teachers have successfully internalized a culture of data-based decision-making. He said he expects that to carry forward into real student gains beginning next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special education attorney Deborah Jacobson, who brought the original lawsuit, is optimistic, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were many times where I was like, crap, we didn’t have language in there that could enforce this, or that could do this, or that; we had some loosey-goosey language that was the result of years of exhaustion,” Jacobson said, “But in the end … the experts … really did see a culture shift. That was the goal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A few times a week, I FaceTime my dad to check in. He’s in Boston; I’m in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, I’ve been trying to speak to him in his native language, Mandarin Chinese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wǎn shàng hǎo,” I say. \u003cem>Good evening\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He answers quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nǐ zài gàn shénme?” he asks. \u003cem>What are you doing?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I know what I want to say: “I’m doing homework.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve learned that word before, but it disappears the moment I need it. I can feel him waiting while I rack my brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, I stumble through the sentence in a mixture of Chinese and English: Chinglish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been wondering for a long time why I never learned to speak my heritage language fluently. I’m trying my best, but I can’t help but feel like I’m a failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking complete sentences in Mandarin is new for me. Until a few months ago, I could barely do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087638\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087638\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou and her dad, Zou Yongan, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square during their first visit to China in 2003. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Anna Zou)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My mom is a white American. My dad is from a small town in Hubei Province, China. After meeting my mom while they were both teaching English at Yangtze University, he moved to the U.S. in 1995.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When they were expecting me, my dad imagined raising a bilingual child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have the roots in Chinese culture,” he would say. “Ideally, I expect you to be in both cultures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the first few years of my life, my dad spoke to me exclusively in Mandarin. However, like many other American-born children of immigrants, my dad said we ran into one roadblock.[aside postID=news_12086123 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/1.png']“When I would speak Chinese to you, even when you understood, you were always responding in English.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He assumed I would become bilingual naturally. Instead, I resisted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a kid, I obviously didn’t understand what I was rejecting. I felt out of place at weekend Chinese school as the only biracial kid in class. The other students’ parents were both native Mandarin speakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Simultaneously, I wanted to fit in with the kids from my elementary school, whose parents were both native English speakers. They spent their weekends playing instead of memorizing characters. To me, learning Chinese was an onerous obligation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my earliest memories is sitting on my dad’s lap in the back of a Chinese school classroom, crying over a textbook I couldn’t understand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I remember feeling embarrassed, like I was already failing at something I was supposed to inherit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I got older, my dad stopped speaking Mandarin to me altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then communicated mostly in English, talking about practical things like rides or schedules. But now that I’m in my twenties and my dad is getting older, I’ve started wanting something more: a closer relationship with him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086580\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086580\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou speaks in Mandarin with her father on a FaceTime call from her home in Berkeley on June 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sometimes I wondered if my rejection of his language felt, to him, like a rejection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last semester, while attending graduate school at UC Berkeley, I enrolled in a Chinese for Heritage Speakers course. The class was designed for students who grew up hearing Mandarin at home but never fully learned to read or write it. For some students, it’s an easy A. For me, it was anything but.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One assignment required us to record two-minute video blogs in Mandarin. For the first vlog, I did more than 30 takes — I kept mixing up shū, meaning “book,” and shù, meaning “tree.” Every mistake felt like proof that I was light-years behind everyone else in the class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But my professor, Cai Weisi, known to her students as Cai Laoshi — “Teacher Cai” — said many of her heritage speaker students share similar feelings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086578\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086578\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou sits at her home in Berkeley on June 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After more than 15 years of teaching the course, she’s heard countless stories from students who grew up resenting weekend language schools or feeling ashamed of not speaking fluently. They’ve shaped how she’s raising her own daughter to learn Mandarin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From the very beginning, I already decided to not send her to any Chinese school,” she told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pushing children too hard, she said, can sometimes drive them away from their heritage languages altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hearing that felt validating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086583\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086583\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou holds a photo of her grandparents at her home in Berkeley on June 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I wasn’t the only one struggling. One of Cai Laoshi’s past students, Sofia Guo, told me her first Mandarin vlogs mortified her. But as her language skills improved, she said her relationship with her parents did too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can see my parents as people, adults who have their own personalities and they express themselves better in Chinese than in English. Of course, they could say all those same things in English … but you can see it on their faces. They light up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Listening to her, I realized I wasn’t just missing a connection with my dad. I was missing a connection with an entire side of my family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For years, whenever my dad called relatives in China, I was too ashamed of my Mandarin to chat. Three months into my class, I decided to try.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087639\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087639\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou (right) with her dad’s older sister, or Gugu, at her house in their hometown of Songzi, China during the summer of 2007. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Anna Zou)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My dad called his older sister, my gūgu, who still lives in our family’s hometown of Songzi. Her internet connection was spotty, and her accent is different from the Mandarin I learned in school. But for the first time in a while, I could understand enough to keep up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I told her I wanted to visit China.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Huānyíng nǐ huí jiā,” she said. We will welcome you back home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I always knew Songzi was where my family came from. What surprised me was realizing that my relatives there considered it my home, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before we hung up, my aunt told me my Chinese sounded good, and my dad agreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087637\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087637\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou on her dad’s shoulders at a traditional Chinese courtyard hotel in Beijing, 2007. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Anna Zou)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My dad and I are far from having deep philosophical conversations in Mandarin. I’m still a beginner — I forget words and mispronounce tones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But my dad said something has changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a while, I felt like we were a little distant,” he told me. “Now I feel like you’re getting closer to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This Father’s Day, I’ll tell my dad something I’ve never been able to tell him before in his native language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>爸爸，父亲节快乐。bābā, fùqīn jié kuàilè\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Happy Father’s Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A few times a week, I FaceTime my dad to check in. He’s in Boston; I’m in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, I’ve been trying to speak to him in his native language, Mandarin Chinese.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wǎn shàng hǎo,” I say. \u003cem>Good evening\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He answers quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nǐ zài gàn shénme?” he asks. \u003cem>What are you doing?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I know what I want to say: “I’m doing homework.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve learned that word before, but it disappears the moment I need it. I can feel him waiting while I rack my brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, I stumble through the sentence in a mixture of Chinese and English: Chinglish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been wondering for a long time why I never learned to speak my heritage language fluently. I’m trying my best, but I can’t help but feel like I’m a failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking complete sentences in Mandarin is new for me. Until a few months ago, I could barely do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087638\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087638\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-tiananmen-square-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou and her dad, Zou Yongan, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square during their first visit to China in 2003. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Anna Zou)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My mom is a white American. My dad is from a small town in Hubei Province, China. After meeting my mom while they were both teaching English at Yangtze University, he moved to the U.S. in 1995.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When they were expecting me, my dad imagined raising a bilingual child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have the roots in Chinese culture,” he would say. “Ideally, I expect you to be in both cultures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the first few years of my life, my dad spoke to me exclusively in Mandarin. However, like many other American-born children of immigrants, my dad said we ran into one roadblock.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“When I would speak Chinese to you, even when you understood, you were always responding in English.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He assumed I would become bilingual naturally. Instead, I resisted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a kid, I obviously didn’t understand what I was rejecting. I felt out of place at weekend Chinese school as the only biracial kid in class. The other students’ parents were both native Mandarin speakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Simultaneously, I wanted to fit in with the kids from my elementary school, whose parents were both native English speakers. They spent their weekends playing instead of memorizing characters. To me, learning Chinese was an onerous obligation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my earliest memories is sitting on my dad’s lap in the back of a Chinese school classroom, crying over a textbook I couldn’t understand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I remember feeling embarrassed, like I was already failing at something I was supposed to inherit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I got older, my dad stopped speaking Mandarin to me altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then communicated mostly in English, talking about practical things like rides or schedules. But now that I’m in my twenties and my dad is getting older, I’ve started wanting something more: a closer relationship with him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086580\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086580\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou speaks in Mandarin with her father on a FaceTime call from her home in Berkeley on June 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sometimes I wondered if my rejection of his language felt, to him, like a rejection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last semester, while attending graduate school at UC Berkeley, I enrolled in a Chinese for Heritage Speakers course. The class was designed for students who grew up hearing Mandarin at home but never fully learned to read or write it. For some students, it’s an easy A. For me, it was anything but.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One assignment required us to record two-minute video blogs in Mandarin. For the first vlog, I did more than 30 takes — I kept mixing up shū, meaning “book,” and shù, meaning “tree.” Every mistake felt like proof that I was light-years behind everyone else in the class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But my professor, Cai Weisi, known to her students as Cai Laoshi — “Teacher Cai” — said many of her heritage speaker students share similar feelings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086578\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086578\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou sits at her home in Berkeley on June 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After more than 15 years of teaching the course, she’s heard countless stories from students who grew up resenting weekend language schools or feeling ashamed of not speaking fluently. They’ve shaped how she’s raising her own daughter to learn Mandarin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From the very beginning, I already decided to not send her to any Chinese school,” she told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pushing children too hard, she said, can sometimes drive them away from their heritage languages altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hearing that felt validating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086583\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086583\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260605-FathersDay-13-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou holds a photo of her grandparents at her home in Berkeley on June 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I wasn’t the only one struggling. One of Cai Laoshi’s past students, Sofia Guo, told me her first Mandarin vlogs mortified her. But as her language skills improved, she said her relationship with her parents did too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can see my parents as people, adults who have their own personalities and they express themselves better in Chinese than in English. Of course, they could say all those same things in English … but you can see it on their faces. They light up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Listening to her, I realized I wasn’t just missing a connection with my dad. I was missing a connection with an entire side of my family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For years, whenever my dad called relatives in China, I was too ashamed of my Mandarin to chat. Three months into my class, I decided to try.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087639\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087639\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-gugu-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou (right) with her dad’s older sister, or Gugu, at her house in their hometown of Songzi, China during the summer of 2007. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Anna Zou)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My dad called his older sister, my gūgu, who still lives in our family’s hometown of Songzi. Her internet connection was spotty, and her accent is different from the Mandarin I learned in school. But for the first time in a while, I could understand enough to keep up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I told her I wanted to visit China.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Huānyíng nǐ huí jiā,” she said. We will welcome you back home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I always knew Songzi was where my family came from. What surprised me was realizing that my relatives there considered it my home, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before we hung up, my aunt told me my Chinese sounded good, and my dad agreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087637\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087637\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/me-and-dad-in-beijing2-KQED-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anna Zou on her dad’s shoulders at a traditional Chinese courtyard hotel in Beijing, 2007. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Anna Zou)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My dad and I are far from having deep philosophical conversations in Mandarin. I’m still a beginner — I forget words and mispronounce tones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But my dad said something has changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a while, I felt like we were a little distant,” he told me. “Now I feel like you’re getting closer to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This Father’s Day, I’ll tell my dad something I’ve never been able to tell him before in his native language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>爸爸，父亲节快乐。bābā, fùqīn jié kuàilè\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Happy Father’s Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "free-rose-gardens-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-oakland-marin-san-mateo-when-in-bloom",
"title": "3 Under-the-Radar Bay Area Rose Gardens to Stroll for Free This Summer",
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"headTitle": "3 Under-the-Radar Bay Area Rose Gardens to Stroll for Free This Summer | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a>, our temperate climate means there’s no shortage of stunning rose gardens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the first, biggest bloom in springtime for many rose varietals has already come and gone, the arrival of summer offers many more weeks to visit one of these gardens — to admire these big, bright flowers that thrive in the Bay (almost) all season long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have already been to the \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=berkeley+rose+garden&rlz=1C1GCCA_enUS1161US1161&oq=berkeley+rose+gar&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyEAgBEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyEAgCEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyEAgFEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyBwgGEAAYgAQyBggHEEUYPKgCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on\">Berkeley Rose Garden,\u003c/a> a secluded and amphitheater-like space where you can meander along endless rows of flowers. In San Francisco, there’s the smaller — but just as stunning — \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/911/Golden-Gate-Park---Rose-Garden\">Golden Gate Park Rose Garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the South Bay, perhaps you’ve seen the gigantic \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/2295/2028?npage=9\">San Jose Municipal Rose Garden\u003c/a> and its next-door \u003ca href=\"https://www.heritageroses.us/\">Heritage Rose Gardens\u003c/a>, which are famed for their enormous footprints and expansive varieties of the plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lucky for us, the Bay Area holds \u003cem>even \u003c/em>more under-the-radar options for rose lovers looking for a romantic stroll, a contemplative break from the bustle of daily life or simply a scenic (and free) place to stroll with a coffee. A time and a space, if you will, to simply stop and smell the roses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read on for three more local and blooming rose gardens around the Bay Area:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://maringarden.org/\">Marin Art and Garden Center, Marin\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This North Bay rose garden is small but mighty, boasting 150 different species of roses all “mapped out in a pretty tight space,” said garden manager and rosarian — yes, “rosarian” is the name for a cultivator of roses — Jennifer Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even so, the Marin Art and Garden Center’s roses range from miniatures to standard and climbing, hybrid and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland on July 16, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This year, their first major flush came a few weeks before Mother’s Day and lasted through the holiday. But most of their roses go through three seasons, so they expect another flush in a month or two, in June or July. And “when you come to the rose garden, you will always see something blooming now through October,” Board said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A visit to this place also offers a chance to spy wildlife in the air. In addition to the roses, their habitat garden “is lush with narrowleaf and showy milkweed, and so the monarch [butterflies] are dancing about that right now,” she said. They also have several ponds and fountains that make good habitat for dragonflies and birds as well as a redwood grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cost:\u003c/strong> The Marin Art and Garden Center is free to enter and is open to foot traffic from sunrise to sunset every day. The parking lot and public restrooms are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pro tip: \u003c/strong>Board recommended coming Mondays through Fridays, when the offices are open. That way you have the best chance of catching a staff member to ask questions and learn more about the roses you’re seeing. And if you can catch one of local artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tule-twined-basket-workshop-with-charlie-kennard-registration-1981806789456\">Charlie Kennard’s basketry classes\u003c/a> or see him in the garden behind the barn, you won’t be disappointed, Board said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Rent-a-Facility-or-Park/Morcom-Rose-Garden\">Morcom Rose Garden, Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Described by its caretakers, Friends of the Morcom Rose Garden, as an \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofoaklandrose.org/\">“oasis” right here in Oakland\u003c/a>, Morcom Garden is a 1930s-era 7-acre formal rose garden that’s “surrounded by winding paths, graceful stairways, dramatic water features, and enough natural habitat to attract and provide a sanctuary for a variety of birds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garden volunteer Nancy Friedman attested that “there’s plenty of bloom down there” right now, even despite some pesky deer who love to munch on the rose buds and\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/11/05/morcom-rose-garden-oakland-stolen-bushes/\"> a series of thefts and vandalism\u003c/a> last year that affected some of their rarest plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085321\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rosarian Royal Kreiger looks at a rose bush in the Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland on July 16, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because of California’s Mediterranean climate, blooms will persist well into the fall, she said, and even all the way to December. Then, each winter, volunteers like her “hard-prune” the bushes to encourage growth again come spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The garden has bathrooms and is wheelchair accessible via the Jean Street entrance, Friedman said, “so there are many different ways to approach the garden depending on people’s physical abilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’re looking to spend even more time in your local rose garden, Morcom is currently in need of volunteers, so \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofoaklandrose.org/volunteer/\">you can even consider lending a hand yourself.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cost:\u003c/strong> Morcom Rose Garden is free to enter and is open seven days a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pro tip: \u003c/strong>Morcom is the perfect place for a photoshoot or celebration – groups of hundreds of people are often there to celebrate, Friedman said. But one thing is key: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11994024/heading-to-morcom-rose-garden-better-leave-your-glitter-at-home\">Leave the glitter at home.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/rose-garden/\">Marion Panaretos Rose Garden, San Mateo\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Managed by the San Mateo Arboretum Society, this garden in San Mateo’s Central Park is designed to “showcase the roses that do well in our area,” according to Susan Carter and Archana Singh, members of the San Mateo Arboretum Society, which developed and maintains the garden “so people can see the roses, admire them, and also know what they can plant in \u003cem>their \u003c/em>gardens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carter and Singh said their group chooses the roses primarily for their disease resistance, then their bloom power and finally, their fragrance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085317\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks through the Berkeley Rose Garden in Berkeley on May 21, 2026, where approximately 1,500 rose bushes bloom across the terraced garden built in the 1930s. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Singh said they also tend to choose varieties that already do well in the area, so they are easy to care for. All of the roses here are labeled so that if you see one you like, you can figure out what it is and grow it at home, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s even a kiosk in the garden with a map and an alphabetical list of every type of rose growing there — so visitors “can look to see if it’s in the garden and exactly where to find it,” Carter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in Central Park, you can visit the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/3319/Central-Park-Japanese-Garden\">Japanese Garden\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/community-outreach-gardens/\">butterfly and hummingbird garden\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/gardens/\">new native garden\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12083697 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/CampingGetty1.jpg']This garden is open all year round, 24/7, and Singh said it’s especially rewarding to visit the garden at different times of day during different seasons – and get entirely different experiences each time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the bursting green buds to the spring flush and even late into autumn and winter, these roses “take on a glow that’s just magical,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cost: \u003c/strong>The Marion Panaretos Rose Garden is free to enter and is open 24/7\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pro tip: \u003c/strong>Singh said the biggest hidden gem of the area is the nearby \u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/nursery/\">San Mateo Arboretum Society nursery and greenhouse\u003c/a>. They do plant sales there, with plants donated by volunteers, on Saturdays and Sundays and even offer workshops throughout the year. The arboretum is only open on weekends from noon to 3 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of whether you consider yourself a “plant enthusiast” or are new to gardening, “you can visit the nursery, and you get an amazing group of volunteers helping you out with the plantings,” Singh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Plus: pro tips from rose gardeners on what to look for while you’re there.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a>, our temperate climate means there’s no shortage of stunning rose gardens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the first, biggest bloom in springtime for many rose varietals has already come and gone, the arrival of summer offers many more weeks to visit one of these gardens — to admire these big, bright flowers that thrive in the Bay (almost) all season long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have already been to the \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=berkeley+rose+garden&rlz=1C1GCCA_enUS1161US1161&oq=berkeley+rose+gar&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyEAgBEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyEAgCEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyEAgFEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyBwgGEAAYgAQyBggHEEUYPKgCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on\">Berkeley Rose Garden,\u003c/a> a secluded and amphitheater-like space where you can meander along endless rows of flowers. In San Francisco, there’s the smaller — but just as stunning — \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/911/Golden-Gate-Park---Rose-Garden\">Golden Gate Park Rose Garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the South Bay, perhaps you’ve seen the gigantic \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/2295/2028?npage=9\">San Jose Municipal Rose Garden\u003c/a> and its next-door \u003ca href=\"https://www.heritageroses.us/\">Heritage Rose Gardens\u003c/a>, which are famed for their enormous footprints and expansive varieties of the plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lucky for us, the Bay Area holds \u003cem>even \u003c/em>more under-the-radar options for rose lovers looking for a romantic stroll, a contemplative break from the bustle of daily life or simply a scenic (and free) place to stroll with a coffee. A time and a space, if you will, to simply stop and smell the roses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read on for three more local and blooming rose gardens around the Bay Area:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://maringarden.org/\">Marin Art and Garden Center, Marin\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This North Bay rose garden is small but mighty, boasting 150 different species of roses all “mapped out in a pretty tight space,” said garden manager and rosarian — yes, “rosarian” is the name for a cultivator of roses — Jennifer Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even so, the Marin Art and Garden Center’s roses range from miniatures to standard and climbing, hybrid and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland on July 16, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This year, their first major flush came a few weeks before Mother’s Day and lasted through the holiday. But most of their roses go through three seasons, so they expect another flush in a month or two, in June or July. And “when you come to the rose garden, you will always see something blooming now through October,” Board said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A visit to this place also offers a chance to spy wildlife in the air. In addition to the roses, their habitat garden “is lush with narrowleaf and showy milkweed, and so the monarch [butterflies] are dancing about that right now,” she said. They also have several ponds and fountains that make good habitat for dragonflies and birds as well as a redwood grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cost:\u003c/strong> The Marin Art and Garden Center is free to enter and is open to foot traffic from sunrise to sunset every day. The parking lot and public restrooms are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pro tip: \u003c/strong>Board recommended coming Mondays through Fridays, when the offices are open. That way you have the best chance of catching a staff member to ask questions and learn more about the roses you’re seeing. And if you can catch one of local artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tule-twined-basket-workshop-with-charlie-kennard-registration-1981806789456\">Charlie Kennard’s basketry classes\u003c/a> or see him in the garden behind the barn, you won’t be disappointed, Board said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Rent-a-Facility-or-Park/Morcom-Rose-Garden\">Morcom Rose Garden, Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Described by its caretakers, Friends of the Morcom Rose Garden, as an \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofoaklandrose.org/\">“oasis” right here in Oakland\u003c/a>, Morcom Garden is a 1930s-era 7-acre formal rose garden that’s “surrounded by winding paths, graceful stairways, dramatic water features, and enough natural habitat to attract and provide a sanctuary for a variety of birds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garden volunteer Nancy Friedman attested that “there’s plenty of bloom down there” right now, even despite some pesky deer who love to munch on the rose buds and\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/11/05/morcom-rose-garden-oakland-stolen-bushes/\"> a series of thefts and vandalism\u003c/a> last year that affected some of their rarest plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085321\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/240716-GLITTER-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rosarian Royal Kreiger looks at a rose bush in the Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland on July 16, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because of California’s Mediterranean climate, blooms will persist well into the fall, she said, and even all the way to December. Then, each winter, volunteers like her “hard-prune” the bushes to encourage growth again come spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The garden has bathrooms and is wheelchair accessible via the Jean Street entrance, Friedman said, “so there are many different ways to approach the garden depending on people’s physical abilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’re looking to spend even more time in your local rose garden, Morcom is currently in need of volunteers, so \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofoaklandrose.org/volunteer/\">you can even consider lending a hand yourself.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cost:\u003c/strong> Morcom Rose Garden is free to enter and is open seven days a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pro tip: \u003c/strong>Morcom is the perfect place for a photoshoot or celebration – groups of hundreds of people are often there to celebrate, Friedman said. But one thing is key: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11994024/heading-to-morcom-rose-garden-better-leave-your-glitter-at-home\">Leave the glitter at home.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/rose-garden/\">Marion Panaretos Rose Garden, San Mateo\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Managed by the San Mateo Arboretum Society, this garden in San Mateo’s Central Park is designed to “showcase the roses that do well in our area,” according to Susan Carter and Archana Singh, members of the San Mateo Arboretum Society, which developed and maintains the garden “so people can see the roses, admire them, and also know what they can plant in \u003cem>their \u003c/em>gardens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carter and Singh said their group chooses the roses primarily for their disease resistance, then their bloom power and finally, their fragrance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085317\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260521-ROSEGARDENS-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks through the Berkeley Rose Garden in Berkeley on May 21, 2026, where approximately 1,500 rose bushes bloom across the terraced garden built in the 1930s. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Singh said they also tend to choose varieties that already do well in the area, so they are easy to care for. All of the roses here are labeled so that if you see one you like, you can figure out what it is and grow it at home, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s even a kiosk in the garden with a map and an alphabetical list of every type of rose growing there — so visitors “can look to see if it’s in the garden and exactly where to find it,” Carter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in Central Park, you can visit the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/3319/Central-Park-Japanese-Garden\">Japanese Garden\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/community-outreach-gardens/\">butterfly and hummingbird garden\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/gardens/\">new native garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This garden is open all year round, 24/7, and Singh said it’s especially rewarding to visit the garden at different times of day during different seasons – and get entirely different experiences each time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the bursting green buds to the spring flush and even late into autumn and winter, these roses “take on a glow that’s just magical,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cost: \u003c/strong>The Marion Panaretos Rose Garden is free to enter and is open 24/7\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pro tip: \u003c/strong>Singh said the biggest hidden gem of the area is the nearby \u003ca href=\"https://sanmateoarboretum.org/nursery/\">San Mateo Arboretum Society nursery and greenhouse\u003c/a>. They do plant sales there, with plants donated by volunteers, on Saturdays and Sundays and even offer workshops throughout the year. The arboretum is only open on weekends from noon to 3 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of whether you consider yourself a “plant enthusiast” or are new to gardening, “you can visit the nursery, and you get an amazing group of volunteers helping you out with the plantings,” Singh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"headTitle": "The Wetsuit Changed Surfing — We’ve Got a Berkeley Physicist to Thank for It | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelly’s Cove is located at the northernmost curve of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s Ocean Beach. Tucked right below the Cliff House, it was one of the earliest surfing spots in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The now quintessential California sport was late to arrive in San Francisco, only coming into its own in the 1940s. If you’ve ever dipped your toes in the ocean here, you’ll know why.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water temperatures would creep below 50 degrees at times,” longtime surfer Jim Gallagher said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher was part of the Kelly’s Cove community. They were a select group, willing to brave frigid waters for the chance at the perfect wave. And in the early days, they did it without wetsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before neoprene suits were invented, surfers like Gallagher had to rely on their senses to keep them safe. “We became experts in hypothermia,” Gallagher said. Surfers kept sessions short and experimented with creative ways to stay warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Guys tried almost everything,” Gallagher said. People surfed in wool sweaters, covered their bodies in petroleum jelly or tried warming up from the inside with brandy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079528\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Surfers near Ocean Beach in San Francisco in an undated photograph believed to date to the late 1960s or early 1970s. Photographer unknown. The image is from a collection of photo negatives belonging to Dennis O’Rorke. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079525\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079525 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"850\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-2000x664.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-1536x510.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-2048x680.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Surfers check out a wetsuit at Kelly’s Cove on Ocean Beach, circa 1970s. Right: Beach goers lie out to enjoy a warm day at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, circa 1970s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There was a theory that two or three of them started by wearing your mother’s underwear, which was nylon and close-fit, you would have less cloth,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That particular hypothesis was debunked quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonfires were the most reliable way to warm up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084172\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A surfer walks in the water to surf at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Typically, somebody would bring down old tires because tires really hold the heat,” Gallagher said. “It didn’t smell too good, but it was better than freezing to death.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 75 years later, everyone at Ocean Beach is wearing a wetsuit, not to mention neoprene hoods, gloves, and booties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How that happened has roots in Kelly’s Cove and a whole lot to do with a Berkeley physicist.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Designing a suit for the military man\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One of the major challenges for Allied forces during World War II was figuring out how to land ships and soldiers on enemy coasts. The shorelines were heavily fortified, rigged with concrete, metal and wood obstacles that could only be dismantled by soldiers in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On D-Day in 1944, Naval Combat Demolition Units — better known as frogmen — deployed to Omaha Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re just wearing wool sweaters and things like that,” historian Peter Westwick said. “And they suffered terribly; their casualty rate was like 50%.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084194\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner-160x72.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner-1536x692.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Hugh Bradner at the California Institute of Technology around 1941. Right: Hugh Bradner at his desk at the California Institute of Technology around 1941. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of UC San Diego Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The soldiers were left exposed to enemy fire, doing precision work in cold water for a long time. For the U.S., it was part of a larger wake-up call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The U.S. Navy [is] quickly realizing the equipment that these divers are wearing really is going to make a difference,” Westwick said. “So the Navy started thinking more about how we can improve these things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Post-war, the Navy turned to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasonline.org/\">National Academy of Sciences\u003c/a> for help. They convened a panel to tackle the problem and tapped Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner to join the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After completing his PhD at Caltech, Bradner had worked on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11956611/from-berkeley-to-the-bomb-oppenheimer-before-los-alamos\">Manhattan Project\u003c/a>, helping the United States develop the atomic bomb. Perhaps more importantly, he was an avid diver and waterman.[aside postID=news_12082529 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/042506CORASANTOSBELOY_GH_004-KQED.jpg']One of his first projects with the panel was trying to design a suit to help divers survive underwater explosions. But he soon realized the foam materials he was working with could help tackle the cold water problem, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was then, Westwick said, that Bradner came up with his fundamental contribution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>You don’t have to stay dry to stay warm.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a concept that flew in the face of accepted knowledge at the time, when the best option for watermen was a dry suit. Dry suits, as the name suggests, keep divers warm by keeping them dry. They’d bundle up in wool underlayers and step into a bulky rubber shell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You stayed relatively warm, but they’re really hard to move around [in],” Westwick said. Bradner’s “wetsuit” idea wouldn’t depend on layers of wool underwear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You let the water in and then let [the divers’] body warm them up,” Westwick said. “The [suit] material acts not as a barrier, but rather as an insulator. So this is really his crucial insight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter dated June 21, 1951, Bradner shared his revolutionary idea with a colleague. It’s the earliest known documentation for what would later come to be known as the wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other innovation in Bradner’s design was the use of neoprene, a synthetic rubber that became widely available during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084195\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084195\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3-1536x930.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Two men in diving gear with small, round raft. These diving suits predate the neoprene wetsuit. Right: John S. Foster modeling wet suit designed by Hugh Bradner around 1953. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of UC San Diego Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Westwick said Bradner started testing his neoprene suit in 1951. “He tests them in swimming pools. He tests them in Lake Tahoe, and they seem to work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a novel idea and a patentable invention. But Bradner wasn’t interested in becoming a businessman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He says, ‘No, no, I want to preserve my objectivity here,’” Westwick said. “‘I don’t want to be tainted with commercial bias or the perception of commercial bias … I just want to be available to advise the Navy if they want to call on me.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, Bradner never patented his design. “‘Let’s just throw it out there,” Westwick paraphrased, “and let people run with it.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s exactly what happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The wetsuit goes mainstream\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the other side of San Francisco Bay — back on foggy Ocean Beach — a local surfer and tinkerer at Kelly’s Cove was working on his own suit. After experimenting with other materials, Jack O’Neill also stumbled across neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Gallagher, the guy who used to warm up by tire fires on Ocean Beach, was friends with O’Neill. “He was a guy that was a salesman and did a bunch of different things,” Gallagher said. “But he was a really curious sort of guy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084191\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084191\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1021\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL-160x82.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL-1536x784.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Jack O’Neill as a young man wearing a pre-wetsuit in the 1950s. Right: Jack O’Neill and sons Pat and Mike demonstrating Jack’s supersuit he invented between 1970 and 1979. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Shades of San Francisco, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>O’Neill has long been considered one of the fathers of the wetsuit, along with the Southern California company Body Glove, a distinction both were happy to cultivate. But this line on the \u003ca href=\"https://eu.oneill.com/blogs/all/who-was-jack-oneill\">O’Neill company blog\u003c/a> raises questions about those claims: “Seeing the successful experiments of UC Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner in the early 1950s, Jack O’Neill switched to neoprene.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I reached out to the O’Neill company to get a better understanding of the degree to which O’Neill was aware of Bradner’s discovery, but the company did not respond to my request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jenna Meistrell, the granddaughter of one of Body Glove’s founders, said the family does not believe the founders knew of Hugh Bradner, and that the company credits itself with the first commercially viable wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher said the O’Neill suit was a game-changer for surfers at Kelly’s Cove. When they saw the inventor in his neoprene suit, “[they] said, ‘Well, how do I get one?’ He said, ‘Well, I’ll make you one.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher was lucky enough to get one of the early models. It was custom in every sense of the word, carefully measured and tailored to his body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080309\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080309\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary Silberstein sits in the back of his car next to his surfboard at his home in Santa Cruz on April 14, 2026, before heading out to surf. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084192\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084192\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"820\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL-160x66.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL-1536x630.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Gary Silberstein holds a Jack O’Neill wetsuit he has owned since the 1960s. Right: Silberstein surfing at Ocean Beach in the 1960s. \u003ccite>(Left: Beth LaBerge/KQED. Right: Courtesy of Gary Silberstein)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These early suits weren’t lined. Surfers like Kelly’s Cove local Gary Silberstein used cornstarch or talc to help them slip on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Silberstein has held on to one of O’Neill’s later models. The neoprene is thick and inflexible by today’s standards, but it still looks warmer than a wool sweater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the years, Silberstein has put the suit through the wringer. “The wetsuit has 18 holes; it’s real leaky and cold,” he said, pointing out the tears. “You can see this has been repaired, but this would still be a functional wetsuit 50 years in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080277\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080277\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Jack O’Neill’s first surf shop on Wawona Street in San Francisco with Jack’s children, Cathy, Mike and Pat, standing in front of shop in 1957. Right: The site of the first Jack O’Neill surf shop on Wawona Street in San Francisco on April 14, 2026. The shop opened in the early 1950s and later moved to Santa Cruz in the late 1950s. \u003ccite>(Left: Courtesy of Shades of San Francisco, San Francisco Public Library. Right: Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084402\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084402\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis-160x102.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis-1536x982.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A surfer stands at Ocean Beach in San Francisco in 1972. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As demand for his surf gear grew, O’Neill opened up a store near Ocean Beach, often thought of as one of America’s first surf shops. He continued refining his wetsuit, rolling out new styles and diving headfirst into marketing. Today, O’Neill is one of the biggest surf companies out there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why you might know his name, while Bradner has largely been left out of the popular retelling.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How the wetsuit changed surfing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>These days, people are surfing in Iceland, British Columbia, the Great Lakes in the middle of winter, and of course at Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You think of the product, and it really was the foundation of the explosion of winter surfing sports all over the world,” Silberstein said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he goes out to surf on his home waves in Santa Cruz, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be packed. “I can go out here on a good day and see over 100 people in the water,” despite the cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Jack O’Neill used to say, “When you’re wearing a wetsuit, it’s always summer on the inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s a foggy day at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach … just like so many before it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything’s gray … cold and windy … but familiar landmarks stick out in the fog … seal rock … the Cliff House …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the early 1950s … and the waves are roaring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Waves crashing\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> There are a few surfers paddling out. They’re wearing … shorts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just shorts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>When you first went in the water, your fingers would sting and your toes would sting, and that stinging would begin to increase a little bit up your arms and so forth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Jim Gallagher was part of a group of surfers who braved Northern California’s frigid waters in the early days of surfing here. A place where ocean temperature stays in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/coastal-water-temperature-guide/all_table.html\">50s\u003c/a> for \u003ca href=\"https://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Ocean-Beach/seatemp\">most\u003c/a> of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher:\u003c/strong> And then after an hour or so, that stinging would abate, and you start feeling good, well, you’re about to die, so you better get out of the water fast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> At Ocean Beach, surfers found community and creative ways to keep warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher:\u003c/strong> We became experts on hypothermia …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Bay Curious reporter Gabriela Glueck takes it from here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cu>\u003c/u>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Jim got into body surfing as a kid and soon found a community of surfers at Kelly’s Cove, at the north end of Ocean Beach. It was one of the earliest board and body surfing spots in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>A myth went out that somebody named Kelly died on the beach. There was a competing story that was a Foster & Kleiser sign, a big advertisement for Kelly’s tires. So people had been saying, where’s the beach, or go down to see the Kelly sign …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>In the early days of the sport, people surfed in wool sweaters, covered their bodies in petroleum jelly, or tried warming up from the inside with brandy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher:\u003c/strong> Guys tried almost everything. There was a theory, two or three of them started by wearing your mother’s underwear was nylon and close fit, you would get have less cloth. And that got debunked pretty quick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The solution was quick surf sessions, maybe ride a few waves and come running back to the beach, to the bonfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>Typically, somebody would bring down old tires, and because tires really hold the heat. And so you could be standing 5 and 6 feet away from the fire and be quite warmed by that fire. It didn’t smell too good, but it was better than freezing to death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>While Kelly’s Cove surfers were doing their best to outsmart the ocean … thousands of miles away, another group was having trouble with cold water too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During World War II, the U.S. military learned the hard way that a soldier’s capacity to function in cold water could make or break an invasion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>World War II music\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>For the Allied forces, one of the major challenges of the war was figuring out how to land ships and soldiers on heavily fortified enemy coasts\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The concrete, metal and wood obstacles could only really be dealt with by soldiers in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>War tape\u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UDv5BUUm2A\">\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> The story of the United States Navy’s frogmen is a story of adventure, of brave men against the enemy and against the sea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>So-called “frogmen” trained in warm-weather Florida, in mild surf … not the kind of conditions you typically find off the coast of France.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>War tape\u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UDv5BUUm2A\">\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> The weather is none too good, but the little ships are plugging onto the beaches, bringing enormous support of manpower and weapons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>On D-Day, they deployed to Omaha Beach. And as historian Peter Westwick tells it, they were pretty poorly equipped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And basically, they’re just wearing kind of like wool sweaters and things like that. And they suffered terribly. Their casualty rate was like 50%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The soldiers were left exposed to enemy fire … doing precision work in cold water for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the US military, the whole war was one big wake-up call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>The US Navy is quickly realizing, OK, the equipment that these divers are wearing really is going to make a difference. So the Navy started thinking more about how we can improve these things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>At the time, if you wanted to stay warm underwater … dry suits were the answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And what the dry suit basically did was, as its name suggests, was it kept you dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The suits were bulky. You’d bundle up in wool layers and then step into a watertight rubber shell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even today, many scuba divers use a more advanced version of this technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Americans sometimes used drysuits during the war, they weren’t perfect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>The downside was, you know, you stayed relatively warm, but they’re really hard to move around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>“Suit squeeze” was common, pinching watermen in sensitive places at the most inopportune times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Imagine trying to disarm a bomb underwater while wearing 20 leather jackets stacked on each other. Not exactly practical combat gear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, what’s a Navy to do?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the war, the Navy turned to scientists for help. One man in particular seemed like a good bet — Hugh Bradner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>Bradner likes to dive, and has dived in cold water regions before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Bradner got his PhD in physics from Caltech. During World War II, he worked on the Manhattan Project… helping the United States develop the atomic bomb.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, he got a job as a professor at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>He’s diving, swimming and playing water polo around the Bay Area. So avid kind of waterman, as we would call it now, but also a top-notch physicist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Bradner joined the project … working first on a different problem … a suit to protect divers from underwater explosions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s tinkering with these foam materials, using them like shock absorbers … and starts wondering if the foam could also help keep divers warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And then he comes in and ends up with the really fundamental contribution to this whole, this whole enterprise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>You don’t have to stay dry to stay warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter dated June 21, 1951, Bradner shared his revolutionary idea with a colleague …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>Actually, I do not think it is necessary to have a waterproof suit. It should be possible to obtain adequate warmth by use of a “dead water” space from a furry type of porous material …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>There’s this really kind of central, counterintuitive insight there, before the whole assumption was that if you’re in cold water, the way you keep from getting cold is to keep the water out. The water is cold. If you keep the water out, you will stay warm. Bradner says you let the water in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Let the water in, he thought, and your body would warm it up naturally.\u003cu> \u003c/u>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And the material acts not as a barrier, but rather as an insulator. So this is really his crucial insight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>His other big breakthrough was identifying the kind of material needed to make that happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>When he’s looking around for materials to test, here is this material right at hand that the chemical industry is cranking out in great quantities, especially for the U.S. military.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The synthetic rubber was invented in the 1930s by chemists at DuPont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During World War II, it became an important substitute for rubber, which was hard to come by. Inventors improved on the material, making it better and more widely available … just in time for Bradner to prototype his wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>He begins testing this in 195. And he tests them in swimming pools. He tests them in Lake Tahoe, and they seem to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>It was a novel idea and a patentable invention. Bradner’s 1951 letter describing his idea is the earliest known documentation for what would later come to be known as the wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But chances are, unless you’re a physicist or history nerd, you probably haven’t heard of Hugh Bradner. That’s because he never patented his design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>So he says, no, no, I want to preserve my kind of objectivity here. I don’t want to be tainted with commercial bias or the perception of commercial bias … I just want to be available to advise the Navy if they want to call on me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>He was a science guy … not a businessman. And as the thinking went, diving and surfing were destined to remain small niches, not places to make real money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And it’s funny, because some of the other panel members are actually writing Bradner at this time, saying, like, Dude, you’re blowing it. Like you can do both … you can be a businessman. And Brander says, like, no, no… forget it. I’m not going to patent it, and let’s just make it. Let’s just throw it out there and let people run with it, which is what happens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Bradner had no idea that the suit he’d invented would forever change the world of surfing and water sports. More on that when we return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re enjoying stories like this one, consider becoming a member of KQED. We can’t do this work without listener donations, so consider joining the hundreds of thousands of your Bay Area neighbors today. \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/donate\">KQED.org/donate\u003c/a> is the place to do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sponsor messages\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> We’re talking about the invention of the wetsuit, and its Bay Area connection. Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner came up with the idea in 1951, but he never had it patented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It didn’t take long for the novel concept to go mainstream, thanks in part to the ingenuity and marketing prowess of a few California surfing legends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s Bay Curious reporter Gabriela Glueck again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Just a short time after Bradner comes up with his wetsuit, a local tinkerer at Kelly’s Cove stumbled upon a similar idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Gallagher — the guy who used to warm up by tire fires on Ocean Beach — he was friends with him: a man named Jack O’Neill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>He was a guy that was a salesman and did a bunch of different things, but he was a really curious sort of guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Legend has it that O’Neill experimented with all kinds of interesting suit solutions. But nothing really worked. Until he, like Bradner, came across neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>He made the neoprene suit, and he made one for himself, went out and came back, and people saw that, and he said, Well, how did I get one? He said, Well, I’ll make you one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Unlike the mainstream wetsuits of today, Jack’s suits were always custom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>And I remember when I went down to get mine, I went to his home. He was still living on Wawona, and his brother Bob was there. He was working for Jack, and you went in and he measured you like a tailor would … almost you know, the length of from your elbow midpoint to your wrist and up to your shoulders, around your waist or chest, arm length, legs, the whole body, and he might make a template and then cut the neoprene to that template and glue it together. And that’s how the first ones were made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>As demand for his surf gear grew, O’Neill opened up a store near Ocean Beach, often thought of as one of America’s first surf shops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He continued refining his wetsuit, rolling out new styles … and dove headfirst into marketing. At a 1956 San Francisco trade show, for instance, he dressed up his six kids in little wetsuits and threw them into tubs of ice water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelly’s Cove surfer Gary Silberstein remembers this time well, when the early wetsuit was gaining traction, rudimentary as they were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> They weren’t lined, okay, with any fabric. And … use cornstarch to or talc, something to make them slip on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>When I met up with Gary at his Santa Cruz home, he pulled an old O’Neill suit out to show me … like most early wetsuits, it’s just a jacket, nothing covering the legs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> You are looking at Jack O’Neill. This is his logo, which is now all kind of etched away from years and years of surfing. And it’s a jacket. It’s simply a long sleeved, long sleeve jacket, pretty heavy neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The neoprene was rough … and cracked in places …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein: \u003c/strong>You can see that the stitches hold the arm pieces. These are all pieces of neoprene that had to be cut before they’re stitched together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck in scene: \u003c/strong>And do you remember how much they cost back in\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>the day?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein: \u003c/strong>I’m guessing everything’s so much cheaper, probably 35-40 bucks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>I wouldn’t be surprised if Gary’s old O’Neill suit ended up in a museum one day. It’s well-preserved evidence of an invention that changed surfing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> You think of the product, and it really was the foundation of the explosion of winter surfing sports all over the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>These days, people are surfing in Iceland, British Columbia, the Great Lakes in the middle of winter… and of course, at Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> And so the whole culture, the whole availability of equipment, improved enormously over those years, from, let’s say, 58 to 65 or 64 when I left Kelly’s Cove … Wet suits became very inexpensive and available, and surfboards made of foam were mass produced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>When Gary goes out to surf on his home waves in Santa Cruz, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be packed\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> I can go out here on a good day and see over 100 people in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Due to his commercial success, O’Neill came to be known as one of the “fathers of the wetsuit.” Body Glove, an early SoCal surf and dive company, is often also given that accolade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bradner, though, was largely left out of the popular retelling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But about 40 years after walking away from wetsuit development, Bradner began writing letters to try to clarify the history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>Dear Jack, You have lately been getting much well-deserved publicity for your invention of the surfing wetsuit. You perhaps recall that I was early in the wetsuit too, but not for surfers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>One letter recipient? Jack O’Neill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>The enclosed xerox of my June 21, 1951, letter to Larry Marshall has the disclosure that I believe \u003cu>may\u003c/u> (underlined) have been the beginning of it all. I’d be interested to learn whether your wetsuit predates it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sincerely,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hugh Bradner\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Bradner’s copy of O’Neill’s reply, if one existed, isn’t in the archive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are a lot of other letters. All following a similar thread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>Dear Bill, I am enjoying very much your latest book … There is one experience in which I did participate: the wetsuit … We have there an important question of timing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I consider this very important because if your work predates June 21, 1951, I must set about recanting my claim and fame by contacting significant people and widely read publications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Please set my mind at rest as soon as you can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The letter recipients, all in all, seem to have been less concerned than Bradner about clearing up the timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over Willard Bascom: \u003c/strong>“Dear Hugh … History is what we remember (including you).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My suggestion is that you let all statements stand …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Relax and have a merry Christmas. Kindest, Willard”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Like Hugh Bradner, I did some of my own due diligence … and reached out to O’Neill and Body Glove for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jenna Meistrell, the granddaughter of one of Body Glove’s founders, told me the family does not believe the founders knew of Hugh Bradner, and that the company credits itself with the first commercially viable wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The O’Neill company didn’t respond to my request for comment … But they’ve got this line on their company blog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over: \u003c/strong>Seeing the successful experiments of UC Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner in the early 1950s, Jack O’Neill switched to neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Versions of this neoprene suit are everywhere these days. Now complete with gloves, booties, and a hood for the cold-weather rider. It’s a combination early Ocean Beach surfers could have only dreamed of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because, as Jack O’Neill would say, when you’re wearing a wetsuit, it’s always summer on the inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>That was Bay Curious reporter Gabriela Glueck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I want to let you all in on something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for the last few months! A historically-themed gaming experience at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers. It’s like nothing Bay Curious had done before … and now, it’s time to invite you to join us! Come out on June 20 and 21st and explore the history of the Conservatory and the people who created it. Tickets on sale at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/live\">KQED.org/live\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There will be no episode dropping next week because of the Memorial Day holiday. We’ll be back with the freshy fresh on June 4.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and me Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a wonderful week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelly’s Cove is located at the northernmost curve of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s Ocean Beach. Tucked right below the Cliff House, it was one of the earliest surfing spots in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The now quintessential California sport was late to arrive in San Francisco, only coming into its own in the 1940s. If you’ve ever dipped your toes in the ocean here, you’ll know why.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The water temperatures would creep below 50 degrees at times,” longtime surfer Jim Gallagher said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher was part of the Kelly’s Cove community. They were a select group, willing to brave frigid waters for the chance at the perfect wave. And in the early days, they did it without wetsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before neoprene suits were invented, surfers like Gallagher had to rely on their senses to keep them safe. “We became experts in hypothermia,” Gallagher said. Surfers kept sessions short and experimented with creative ways to stay warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Guys tried almost everything,” Gallagher said. People surfed in wool sweaters, covered their bodies in petroleum jelly or tried warming up from the inside with brandy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079528\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/O_Neill-14ARP_edited-1-3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Surfers near Ocean Beach in San Francisco in an undated photograph believed to date to the late 1960s or early 1970s. Photographer unknown. The image is from a collection of photo negatives belonging to Dennis O’Rorke. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079525\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079525 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"850\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-2000x664.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-1536x510.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/South-1AAANC-9-2048x680.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Surfers check out a wetsuit at Kelly’s Cove on Ocean Beach, circa 1970s. Right: Beach goers lie out to enjoy a warm day at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, circa 1970s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There was a theory that two or three of them started by wearing your mother’s underwear, which was nylon and close-fit, you would have less cloth,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That particular hypothesis was debunked quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonfires were the most reliable way to warm up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084172\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/250210-SurferSewage-05-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A surfer walks in the water to surf at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Typically, somebody would bring down old tires because tires really hold the heat,” Gallagher said. “It didn’t smell too good, but it was better than freezing to death.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 75 years later, everyone at Ocean Beach is wearing a wetsuit, not to mention neoprene hoods, gloves, and booties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How that happened has roots in Kelly’s Cove and a whole lot to do with a Berkeley physicist.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Designing a suit for the military man\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One of the major challenges for Allied forces during World War II was figuring out how to land ships and soldiers on enemy coasts. The shorelines were heavily fortified, rigged with concrete, metal and wood obstacles that could only be dismantled by soldiers in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On D-Day in 1944, Naval Combat Demolition Units — better known as frogmen — deployed to Omaha Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re just wearing wool sweaters and things like that,” historian Peter Westwick said. “And they suffered terribly; their casualty rate was like 50%.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084194\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner-160x72.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HughBradner-1536x692.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Hugh Bradner at the California Institute of Technology around 1941. Right: Hugh Bradner at his desk at the California Institute of Technology around 1941. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of UC San Diego Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The soldiers were left exposed to enemy fire, doing precision work in cold water for a long time. For the U.S., it was part of a larger wake-up call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The U.S. Navy [is] quickly realizing the equipment that these divers are wearing really is going to make a difference,” Westwick said. “So the Navy started thinking more about how we can improve these things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Post-war, the Navy turned to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nasonline.org/\">National Academy of Sciences\u003c/a> for help. They convened a panel to tackle the problem and tapped Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner to join the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After completing his PhD at Caltech, Bradner had worked on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11956611/from-berkeley-to-the-bomb-oppenheimer-before-los-alamos\">Manhattan Project\u003c/a>, helping the United States develop the atomic bomb. Perhaps more importantly, he was an avid diver and waterman.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>One of his first projects with the panel was trying to design a suit to help divers survive underwater explosions. But he soon realized the foam materials he was working with could help tackle the cold water problem, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was then, Westwick said, that Bradner came up with his fundamental contribution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>You don’t have to stay dry to stay warm.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a concept that flew in the face of accepted knowledge at the time, when the best option for watermen was a dry suit. Dry suits, as the name suggests, keep divers warm by keeping them dry. They’d bundle up in wool underlayers and step into a bulky rubber shell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You stayed relatively warm, but they’re really hard to move around [in],” Westwick said. Bradner’s “wetsuit” idea wouldn’t depend on layers of wool underwear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You let the water in and then let [the divers’] body warm them up,” Westwick said. “The [suit] material acts not as a barrier, but rather as an insulator. So this is really his crucial insight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter dated June 21, 1951, Bradner shared his revolutionary idea with a colleague. It’s the earliest known documentation for what would later come to be known as the wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other innovation in Bradner’s design was the use of neoprene, a synthetic rubber that became widely available during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084195\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084195\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/HistoryoftheWetsuit3-1536x930.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Two men in diving gear with small, round raft. These diving suits predate the neoprene wetsuit. Right: John S. Foster modeling wet suit designed by Hugh Bradner around 1953. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of UC San Diego Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Westwick said Bradner started testing his neoprene suit in 1951. “He tests them in swimming pools. He tests them in Lake Tahoe, and they seem to work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a novel idea and a patentable invention. But Bradner wasn’t interested in becoming a businessman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He says, ‘No, no, I want to preserve my objectivity here,’” Westwick said. “‘I don’t want to be tainted with commercial bias or the perception of commercial bias … I just want to be available to advise the Navy if they want to call on me.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, Bradner never patented his design. “‘Let’s just throw it out there,” Westwick paraphrased, “and let people run with it.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s exactly what happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The wetsuit goes mainstream\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the other side of San Francisco Bay — back on foggy Ocean Beach — a local surfer and tinkerer at Kelly’s Cove was working on his own suit. After experimenting with other materials, Jack O’Neill also stumbled across neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Gallagher, the guy who used to warm up by tire fires on Ocean Beach, was friends with O’Neill. “He was a guy that was a salesman and did a bunch of different things,” Gallagher said. “But he was a really curious sort of guy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084191\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084191\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1021\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL-160x82.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/JackONeill_SFPL-1536x784.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Jack O’Neill as a young man wearing a pre-wetsuit in the 1950s. Right: Jack O’Neill and sons Pat and Mike demonstrating Jack’s supersuit he invented between 1970 and 1979. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Shades of San Francisco, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>O’Neill has long been considered one of the fathers of the wetsuit, along with the Southern California company Body Glove, a distinction both were happy to cultivate. But this line on the \u003ca href=\"https://eu.oneill.com/blogs/all/who-was-jack-oneill\">O’Neill company blog\u003c/a> raises questions about those claims: “Seeing the successful experiments of UC Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner in the early 1950s, Jack O’Neill switched to neoprene.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I reached out to the O’Neill company to get a better understanding of the degree to which O’Neill was aware of Bradner’s discovery, but the company did not respond to my request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jenna Meistrell, the granddaughter of one of Body Glove’s founders, said the family does not believe the founders knew of Hugh Bradner, and that the company credits itself with the first commercially viable wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher said the O’Neill suit was a game-changer for surfers at Kelly’s Cove. When they saw the inventor in his neoprene suit, “[they] said, ‘Well, how do I get one?’ He said, ‘Well, I’ll make you one.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gallagher was lucky enough to get one of the early models. It was custom in every sense of the word, carefully measured and tailored to his body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080309\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080309\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-BAYCURIOUSINVENTIONOFWETSUIT-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary Silberstein sits in the back of his car next to his surfboard at his home in Santa Cruz on April 14, 2026, before heading out to surf. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084192\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084192\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"820\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL-160x66.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260414-HistoryoftheWetsuit-30-BL-1536x630.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Gary Silberstein holds a Jack O’Neill wetsuit he has owned since the 1960s. Right: Silberstein surfing at Ocean Beach in the 1960s. \u003ccite>(Left: Beth LaBerge/KQED. Right: Courtesy of Gary Silberstein)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These early suits weren’t lined. Surfers like Kelly’s Cove local Gary Silberstein used cornstarch or talc to help them slip on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Silberstein has held on to one of O’Neill’s later models. The neoprene is thick and inflexible by today’s standards, but it still looks warmer than a wool sweater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the years, Silberstein has put the suit through the wringer. “The wetsuit has 18 holes; it’s real leaky and cold,” he said, pointing out the tears. “You can see this has been repaired, but this would still be a functional wetsuit 50 years in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080277\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080277\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Untitled-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Jack O’Neill’s first surf shop on Wawona Street in San Francisco with Jack’s children, Cathy, Mike and Pat, standing in front of shop in 1957. Right: The site of the first Jack O’Neill surf shop on Wawona Street in San Francisco on April 14, 2026. The shop opened in the early 1950s and later moved to Santa Cruz in the late 1950s. \u003ccite>(Left: Courtesy of Shades of San Francisco, San Francisco Public Library. Right: Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084402\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084402\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis-160x102.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/1972-Dennis-1536x982.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A surfer stands at Ocean Beach in San Francisco in 1972. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As demand for his surf gear grew, O’Neill opened up a store near Ocean Beach, often thought of as one of America’s first surf shops. He continued refining his wetsuit, rolling out new styles and diving headfirst into marketing. Today, O’Neill is one of the biggest surf companies out there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why you might know his name, while Bradner has largely been left out of the popular retelling.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How the wetsuit changed surfing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>These days, people are surfing in Iceland, British Columbia, the Great Lakes in the middle of winter, and of course at Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You think of the product, and it really was the foundation of the explosion of winter surfing sports all over the world,” Silberstein said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he goes out to surf on his home waves in Santa Cruz, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be packed. “I can go out here on a good day and see over 100 people in the water,” despite the cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Jack O’Neill used to say, “When you’re wearing a wetsuit, it’s always summer on the inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s a foggy day at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach … just like so many before it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything’s gray … cold and windy … but familiar landmarks stick out in the fog … seal rock … the Cliff House …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the early 1950s … and the waves are roaring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Waves crashing\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> There are a few surfers paddling out. They’re wearing … shorts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just shorts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>When you first went in the water, your fingers would sting and your toes would sting, and that stinging would begin to increase a little bit up your arms and so forth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Jim Gallagher was part of a group of surfers who braved Northern California’s frigid waters in the early days of surfing here. A place where ocean temperature stays in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/coastal-water-temperature-guide/all_table.html\">50s\u003c/a> for \u003ca href=\"https://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Ocean-Beach/seatemp\">most\u003c/a> of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher:\u003c/strong> And then after an hour or so, that stinging would abate, and you start feeling good, well, you’re about to die, so you better get out of the water fast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> At Ocean Beach, surfers found community and creative ways to keep warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher:\u003c/strong> We became experts on hypothermia …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Bay Curious reporter Gabriela Glueck takes it from here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cu>\u003c/u>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Jim got into body surfing as a kid and soon found a community of surfers at Kelly’s Cove, at the north end of Ocean Beach. It was one of the earliest board and body surfing spots in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>A myth went out that somebody named Kelly died on the beach. There was a competing story that was a Foster & Kleiser sign, a big advertisement for Kelly’s tires. So people had been saying, where’s the beach, or go down to see the Kelly sign …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>In the early days of the sport, people surfed in wool sweaters, covered their bodies in petroleum jelly, or tried warming up from the inside with brandy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher:\u003c/strong> Guys tried almost everything. There was a theory, two or three of them started by wearing your mother’s underwear was nylon and close fit, you would get have less cloth. And that got debunked pretty quick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The solution was quick surf sessions, maybe ride a few waves and come running back to the beach, to the bonfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>Typically, somebody would bring down old tires, and because tires really hold the heat. And so you could be standing 5 and 6 feet away from the fire and be quite warmed by that fire. It didn’t smell too good, but it was better than freezing to death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>While Kelly’s Cove surfers were doing their best to outsmart the ocean … thousands of miles away, another group was having trouble with cold water too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During World War II, the U.S. military learned the hard way that a soldier’s capacity to function in cold water could make or break an invasion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>World War II music\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>For the Allied forces, one of the major challenges of the war was figuring out how to land ships and soldiers on heavily fortified enemy coasts\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The concrete, metal and wood obstacles could only really be dealt with by soldiers in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>War tape\u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UDv5BUUm2A\">\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> The story of the United States Navy’s frogmen is a story of adventure, of brave men against the enemy and against the sea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>So-called “frogmen” trained in warm-weather Florida, in mild surf … not the kind of conditions you typically find off the coast of France.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>War tape\u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UDv5BUUm2A\">\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> The weather is none too good, but the little ships are plugging onto the beaches, bringing enormous support of manpower and weapons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>On D-Day, they deployed to Omaha Beach. And as historian Peter Westwick tells it, they were pretty poorly equipped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And basically, they’re just wearing kind of like wool sweaters and things like that. And they suffered terribly. Their casualty rate was like 50%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The soldiers were left exposed to enemy fire … doing precision work in cold water for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the US military, the whole war was one big wake-up call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>The US Navy is quickly realizing, OK, the equipment that these divers are wearing really is going to make a difference. So the Navy started thinking more about how we can improve these things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>At the time, if you wanted to stay warm underwater … dry suits were the answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And what the dry suit basically did was, as its name suggests, was it kept you dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The suits were bulky. You’d bundle up in wool layers and then step into a watertight rubber shell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even today, many scuba divers use a more advanced version of this technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Americans sometimes used drysuits during the war, they weren’t perfect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>The downside was, you know, you stayed relatively warm, but they’re really hard to move around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>“Suit squeeze” was common, pinching watermen in sensitive places at the most inopportune times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Imagine trying to disarm a bomb underwater while wearing 20 leather jackets stacked on each other. Not exactly practical combat gear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, what’s a Navy to do?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the war, the Navy turned to scientists for help. One man in particular seemed like a good bet — Hugh Bradner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>Bradner likes to dive, and has dived in cold water regions before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Bradner got his PhD in physics from Caltech. During World War II, he worked on the Manhattan Project… helping the United States develop the atomic bomb.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, he got a job as a professor at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>He’s diving, swimming and playing water polo around the Bay Area. So avid kind of waterman, as we would call it now, but also a top-notch physicist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Bradner joined the project … working first on a different problem … a suit to protect divers from underwater explosions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s tinkering with these foam materials, using them like shock absorbers … and starts wondering if the foam could also help keep divers warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And then he comes in and ends up with the really fundamental contribution to this whole, this whole enterprise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>You don’t have to stay dry to stay warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter dated June 21, 1951, Bradner shared his revolutionary idea with a colleague …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>Actually, I do not think it is necessary to have a waterproof suit. It should be possible to obtain adequate warmth by use of a “dead water” space from a furry type of porous material …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>There’s this really kind of central, counterintuitive insight there, before the whole assumption was that if you’re in cold water, the way you keep from getting cold is to keep the water out. The water is cold. If you keep the water out, you will stay warm. Bradner says you let the water in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Let the water in, he thought, and your body would warm it up naturally.\u003cu> \u003c/u>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And the material acts not as a barrier, but rather as an insulator. So this is really his crucial insight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>His other big breakthrough was identifying the kind of material needed to make that happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>When he’s looking around for materials to test, here is this material right at hand that the chemical industry is cranking out in great quantities, especially for the U.S. military.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The synthetic rubber was invented in the 1930s by chemists at DuPont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During World War II, it became an important substitute for rubber, which was hard to come by. Inventors improved on the material, making it better and more widely available … just in time for Bradner to prototype his wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>He begins testing this in 195. And he tests them in swimming pools. He tests them in Lake Tahoe, and they seem to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>It was a novel idea and a patentable invention. Bradner’s 1951 letter describing his idea is the earliest known documentation for what would later come to be known as the wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But chances are, unless you’re a physicist or history nerd, you probably haven’t heard of Hugh Bradner. That’s because he never patented his design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>So he says, no, no, I want to preserve my kind of objectivity here. I don’t want to be tainted with commercial bias or the perception of commercial bias … I just want to be available to advise the Navy if they want to call on me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>He was a science guy … not a businessman. And as the thinking went, diving and surfing were destined to remain small niches, not places to make real money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Westwick: \u003c/strong>And it’s funny, because some of the other panel members are actually writing Bradner at this time, saying, like, Dude, you’re blowing it. Like you can do both … you can be a businessman. And Brander says, like, no, no… forget it. I’m not going to patent it, and let’s just make it. Let’s just throw it out there and let people run with it, which is what happens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Bradner had no idea that the suit he’d invented would forever change the world of surfing and water sports. More on that when we return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re enjoying stories like this one, consider becoming a member of KQED. We can’t do this work without listener donations, so consider joining the hundreds of thousands of your Bay Area neighbors today. \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/donate\">KQED.org/donate\u003c/a> is the place to do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sponsor messages\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> We’re talking about the invention of the wetsuit, and its Bay Area connection. Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner came up with the idea in 1951, but he never had it patented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It didn’t take long for the novel concept to go mainstream, thanks in part to the ingenuity and marketing prowess of a few California surfing legends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s Bay Curious reporter Gabriela Glueck again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Just a short time after Bradner comes up with his wetsuit, a local tinkerer at Kelly’s Cove stumbled upon a similar idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Gallagher — the guy who used to warm up by tire fires on Ocean Beach — he was friends with him: a man named Jack O’Neill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>He was a guy that was a salesman and did a bunch of different things, but he was a really curious sort of guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Legend has it that O’Neill experimented with all kinds of interesting suit solutions. But nothing really worked. Until he, like Bradner, came across neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>He made the neoprene suit, and he made one for himself, went out and came back, and people saw that, and he said, Well, how did I get one? He said, Well, I’ll make you one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Unlike the mainstream wetsuits of today, Jack’s suits were always custom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jim Gallagher: \u003c/strong>And I remember when I went down to get mine, I went to his home. He was still living on Wawona, and his brother Bob was there. He was working for Jack, and you went in and he measured you like a tailor would … almost you know, the length of from your elbow midpoint to your wrist and up to your shoulders, around your waist or chest, arm length, legs, the whole body, and he might make a template and then cut the neoprene to that template and glue it together. And that’s how the first ones were made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>As demand for his surf gear grew, O’Neill opened up a store near Ocean Beach, often thought of as one of America’s first surf shops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He continued refining his wetsuit, rolling out new styles … and dove headfirst into marketing. At a 1956 San Francisco trade show, for instance, he dressed up his six kids in little wetsuits and threw them into tubs of ice water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelly’s Cove surfer Gary Silberstein remembers this time well, when the early wetsuit was gaining traction, rudimentary as they were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> They weren’t lined, okay, with any fabric. And … use cornstarch to or talc, something to make them slip on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>When I met up with Gary at his Santa Cruz home, he pulled an old O’Neill suit out to show me … like most early wetsuits, it’s just a jacket, nothing covering the legs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> You are looking at Jack O’Neill. This is his logo, which is now all kind of etched away from years and years of surfing. And it’s a jacket. It’s simply a long sleeved, long sleeve jacket, pretty heavy neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The neoprene was rough … and cracked in places …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein: \u003c/strong>You can see that the stitches hold the arm pieces. These are all pieces of neoprene that had to be cut before they’re stitched together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck in scene: \u003c/strong>And do you remember how much they cost back in\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>the day?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein: \u003c/strong>I’m guessing everything’s so much cheaper, probably 35-40 bucks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>I wouldn’t be surprised if Gary’s old O’Neill suit ended up in a museum one day. It’s well-preserved evidence of an invention that changed surfing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> You think of the product, and it really was the foundation of the explosion of winter surfing sports all over the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>These days, people are surfing in Iceland, British Columbia, the Great Lakes in the middle of winter… and of course, at Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> And so the whole culture, the whole availability of equipment, improved enormously over those years, from, let’s say, 58 to 65 or 64 when I left Kelly’s Cove … Wet suits became very inexpensive and available, and surfboards made of foam were mass produced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>When Gary goes out to surf on his home waves in Santa Cruz, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be packed\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gary Silberstein:\u003c/strong> I can go out here on a good day and see over 100 people in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Due to his commercial success, O’Neill came to be known as one of the “fathers of the wetsuit.” Body Glove, an early SoCal surf and dive company, is often also given that accolade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bradner, though, was largely left out of the popular retelling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But about 40 years after walking away from wetsuit development, Bradner began writing letters to try to clarify the history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>Dear Jack, You have lately been getting much well-deserved publicity for your invention of the surfing wetsuit. You perhaps recall that I was early in the wetsuit too, but not for surfers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>One letter recipient? Jack O’Neill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>The enclosed xerox of my June 21, 1951, letter to Larry Marshall has the disclosure that I believe \u003cu>may\u003c/u> (underlined) have been the beginning of it all. I’d be interested to learn whether your wetsuit predates it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sincerely,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hugh Bradner\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Bradner’s copy of O’Neill’s reply, if one existed, isn’t in the archive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are a lot of other letters. All following a similar thread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over for Hugh Bradner: \u003c/strong>Dear Bill, I am enjoying very much your latest book … There is one experience in which I did participate: the wetsuit … We have there an important question of timing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I consider this very important because if your work predates June 21, 1951, I must set about recanting my claim and fame by contacting significant people and widely read publications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Please set my mind at rest as soon as you can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>The letter recipients, all in all, seem to have been less concerned than Bradner about clearing up the timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over Willard Bascom: \u003c/strong>“Dear Hugh … History is what we remember (including you).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My suggestion is that you let all statements stand …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Relax and have a merry Christmas. Kindest, Willard”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Like Hugh Bradner, I did some of my own due diligence … and reached out to O’Neill and Body Glove for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jenna Meistrell, the granddaughter of one of Body Glove’s founders, told me the family does not believe the founders knew of Hugh Bradner, and that the company credits itself with the first commercially viable wetsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The O’Neill company didn’t respond to my request for comment … But they’ve got this line on their company blog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice Over: \u003c/strong>Seeing the successful experiments of UC Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner in the early 1950s, Jack O’Neill switched to neoprene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriela Glueck: \u003c/strong>Versions of this neoprene suit are everywhere these days. Now complete with gloves, booties, and a hood for the cold-weather rider. It’s a combination early Ocean Beach surfers could have only dreamed of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because, as Jack O’Neill would say, when you’re wearing a wetsuit, it’s always summer on the inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>That was Bay Curious reporter Gabriela Glueck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I want to let you all in on something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for the last few months! A historically-themed gaming experience at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers. It’s like nothing Bay Curious had done before … and now, it’s time to invite you to join us! Come out on June 20 and 21st and explore the history of the Conservatory and the people who created it. Tickets on sale at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/live\">KQED.org/live\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There will be no episode dropping next week because of the Memorial Day holiday. We’ll be back with the freshy fresh on June 4.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and me Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a wonderful week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Sales specialist Eli Inkelas helps outdoor enthusiasts shop at Recreational Equipment Inc. But on a recent day, the 28-year-old asked potential customers approaching \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037284/frustrated-berkeley-rei-workers-accuse-co-op-union-busting-straying-from-values\">REI’s Berkeley store\u003c/a> to boycott the retailer’s biggest sale of the year in support of unionized workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want REI corporate and their attorneys to treat us respectfully and to bargain in good faith and help us ratify this contract that we’ve been fighting for now for three years,” said Inkelas, a Berkeley native who has also worked at REI in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of unionized REI workers are urging customers to boycott the retailer’s anniversary sale through Memorial Day as contract negotiations have stretched for more than three years, escalating pressure on the outdoor co-op to reach a deal while it works to recover from recent financial losses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company said the controversial tactic, also opposed by some employees at union stores, threatens jobs at a time when it’s trying to regain its financial footing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a disappointing move that targets the co‑op. It seems the union’s focus is on harming the financial wellbeing of the business, instead of advancing negotiations,” REI said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/rei-co-op-statement-on-bargaining-status-and-union-s-planned-boycott\">statement\u003c/a>. “The union’s dedication to undermining the business puts jobs, wages, benefits, and future opportunity at risk, and pulls everyone further from the progress our employees deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>REI, a values-based consumer co-op, said it remains committed to bargaining in good faith. The specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle, has not finalized an agreement with workers at any of the 11 locations that have unionized since 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_5408-scaled-e1779300643537.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_5408-scaled-e1779300643537.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eli Inkelas passes out flyers encouraging REI customers to boycott the outdoors retailer, outside the Berkeley store where he works on May 15, 2026. \u003ccite>(Farida Jhabvala Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>REI has 195 stores across the U.S., employing about 14,000 people. Workers at a 12th store in San Diego are scheduled to vote on whether to join the union next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In North Berkeley, some shoppers entered the San Pablo Avenue store after declining flyers offered by workers in “REI Union” white T-shirts. Other customers chatted with the employees and their supporters, opting to leave without shopping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was kind of a no-brainer. I wasn’t going to cross the line and go in and buy,” said Cristina Cano, a San Francisco public school teacher and union member who lives in Berkeley. “I can buy whatever I need at another place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, REI reported revenue of more than $3.5 billion annually, but also net losses of $311 million in \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/rei-co-op-releases-2023-impact-report-and-financials-reporting-3-76-billion-in-revenue\">2023\u003c/a> and $156.4 million in \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/rei-co-op-releases-2024-impact-report-and-financials-becoming-first-national-retailer-to-achieve-zero-waste\">2024\u003c/a>, even as it opened new stores. The co-op, which invests significantly in member rewards, nonprofit donations and employee incentives and retirement contributions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/2025-financials-impact\">posted\u003c/a> a narrower net loss of $54.3 million in 2025, citing “progress toward profitability.”[aside postID=news_12032259 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/REIDublinGetty-1020x680.jpg']Workers supporting the boycott pushed aside concerns that it risks alienating customers beyond the 10-day sale event. As a consumer co-op, REI’s 25 million members can make a difference in how the company approaches bargaining, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“REI’s only tactic has been to delay and obfuscate and to make the process more difficult to convince us that we don’t need a union,” said Inkelas, who studies city planning and law at UC Berkeley and works part-time at REI, including as a cashier. “I just want them to come back to the table and negotiate fairly with us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said that company negotiators recently floated requiring the labor organization to make a $1 million charitable donation, and limit negative talk about the company — claims that REI said \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/document/some-straightforward-facts-about-rei-co-op-s-union-negotiations\">misrepresented\u003c/a> bargaining discussions that were ultimately not pursued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Private-sector employees have a right to choose whether to organize and bargain collectively in the U.S. But labor experts said employers opposing a union can undermine those rights with little to no accountability, as federal law does not financially penalize violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, investigators with the National Labor Relations Board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032259/rei-punished-unionized-workers-in-berkeley-by-holding-back-raises-labor-board-alleges\">found evidence\u003c/a> that REI illegally withheld wage raises and bonuses from hundreds of employees — while continuing to give the benefits to nonunion employees — to discourage union membership. The company reached \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050938/unionized-berkeley-rei-workers-get-pay-raises-after-labor-board-alleged-they-were-shut-out\">a settlement agreement \u003c/a>on that complaint, paying impacted workers retroactive raises, in exchange for the union dropping dozens of unfair labor practice charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samuel Wirt, a Berkeley REI employee who is part of the bargaining team, said workers can’t accept offers of lower pay increases and fewer benefits when compared to nonunion stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This could be hashed out tomorrow if they’re willing to meet us on an offer that we can actually vote yes on,” he said. “We’re not asking for the sun and the stars here. We want to be able to continue working here in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "REI has not reached contracts with any unionized stores since bargaining began in 2022, as workers in Berkeley and other locations escalate a boycott of the anniversary sale, while the outdoor retailer insists it is negotiating in good faith.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Sales specialist Eli Inkelas helps outdoor enthusiasts shop at Recreational Equipment Inc. But on a recent day, the 28-year-old asked potential customers approaching \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037284/frustrated-berkeley-rei-workers-accuse-co-op-union-busting-straying-from-values\">REI’s Berkeley store\u003c/a> to boycott the retailer’s biggest sale of the year in support of unionized workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want REI corporate and their attorneys to treat us respectfully and to bargain in good faith and help us ratify this contract that we’ve been fighting for now for three years,” said Inkelas, a Berkeley native who has also worked at REI in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of unionized REI workers are urging customers to boycott the retailer’s anniversary sale through Memorial Day as contract negotiations have stretched for more than three years, escalating pressure on the outdoor co-op to reach a deal while it works to recover from recent financial losses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company said the controversial tactic, also opposed by some employees at union stores, threatens jobs at a time when it’s trying to regain its financial footing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a disappointing move that targets the co‑op. It seems the union’s focus is on harming the financial wellbeing of the business, instead of advancing negotiations,” REI said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/rei-co-op-statement-on-bargaining-status-and-union-s-planned-boycott\">statement\u003c/a>. “The union’s dedication to undermining the business puts jobs, wages, benefits, and future opportunity at risk, and pulls everyone further from the progress our employees deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>REI, a values-based consumer co-op, said it remains committed to bargaining in good faith. The specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle, has not finalized an agreement with workers at any of the 11 locations that have unionized since 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_5408-scaled-e1779300643537.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_5408-scaled-e1779300643537.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eli Inkelas passes out flyers encouraging REI customers to boycott the outdoors retailer, outside the Berkeley store where he works on May 15, 2026. \u003ccite>(Farida Jhabvala Romero/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>REI has 195 stores across the U.S., employing about 14,000 people. Workers at a 12th store in San Diego are scheduled to vote on whether to join the union next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In North Berkeley, some shoppers entered the San Pablo Avenue store after declining flyers offered by workers in “REI Union” white T-shirts. Other customers chatted with the employees and their supporters, opting to leave without shopping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was kind of a no-brainer. I wasn’t going to cross the line and go in and buy,” said Cristina Cano, a San Francisco public school teacher and union member who lives in Berkeley. “I can buy whatever I need at another place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, REI reported revenue of more than $3.5 billion annually, but also net losses of $311 million in \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/rei-co-op-releases-2023-impact-report-and-financials-reporting-3-76-billion-in-revenue\">2023\u003c/a> and $156.4 million in \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/rei-co-op-releases-2024-impact-report-and-financials-becoming-first-national-retailer-to-achieve-zero-waste\">2024\u003c/a>, even as it opened new stores. The co-op, which invests significantly in member rewards, nonprofit donations and employee incentives and retirement contributions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/article/2025-financials-impact\">posted\u003c/a> a narrower net loss of $54.3 million in 2025, citing “progress toward profitability.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Workers supporting the boycott pushed aside concerns that it risks alienating customers beyond the 10-day sale event. As a consumer co-op, REI’s 25 million members can make a difference in how the company approaches bargaining, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“REI’s only tactic has been to delay and obfuscate and to make the process more difficult to convince us that we don’t need a union,” said Inkelas, who studies city planning and law at UC Berkeley and works part-time at REI, including as a cashier. “I just want them to come back to the table and negotiate fairly with us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said that company negotiators recently floated requiring the labor organization to make a $1 million charitable donation, and limit negative talk about the company — claims that REI said \u003ca href=\"https://www.rei.com/newsroom/document/some-straightforward-facts-about-rei-co-op-s-union-negotiations\">misrepresented\u003c/a> bargaining discussions that were ultimately not pursued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Private-sector employees have a right to choose whether to organize and bargain collectively in the U.S. But labor experts said employers opposing a union can undermine those rights with little to no accountability, as federal law does not financially penalize violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, investigators with the National Labor Relations Board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032259/rei-punished-unionized-workers-in-berkeley-by-holding-back-raises-labor-board-alleges\">found evidence\u003c/a> that REI illegally withheld wage raises and bonuses from hundreds of employees — while continuing to give the benefits to nonunion employees — to discourage union membership. The company reached \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050938/unionized-berkeley-rei-workers-get-pay-raises-after-labor-board-alleged-they-were-shut-out\">a settlement agreement \u003c/a>on that complaint, paying impacted workers retroactive raises, in exchange for the union dropping dozens of unfair labor practice charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samuel Wirt, a Berkeley REI employee who is part of the bargaining team, said workers can’t accept offers of lower pay increases and fewer benefits when compared to nonunion stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This could be hashed out tomorrow if they’re willing to meet us on an offer that we can actually vote yes on,” he said. “We’re not asking for the sun and the stars here. We want to be able to continue working here in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion",
"title": "Berkeley Extends Surveillance Contract With Flock Safety but Rejects Major Expansion",
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"headTitle": "Berkeley Extends Surveillance Contract With Flock Safety but Rejects Major Expansion | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> is extending its contract with the surveillance company Flock Safety but halting a proposed major expansion that would have added drones and more cameras to the city’s system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council’s vote Thursday night comes after a leaked memo from the city attorney’s office pointing to high-profile instances in other cities where data from Flock’s automated license plate readers was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072077/as-california-cities-grow-wary-of-flock-safety-cameras-mountain-views-shuts-its-off\">shared with outside agencies\u003c/a>. The memo warned council members that Flock might not be able to comply with contractual obligations not to share their data with other customers, including federal immigration enforcement and out-of-state agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flock’s track record raises serious concerns about data sharing, accountability and oversight,” Mayor Adena Ishii said ahead of the meeting. “One, I do not trust Flock as a company, and two, I don’t trust our current federal government.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council voted 5 to 4 to approve an extension of up to 12 months of its existing contract with Flock, which was initially approved in 2023 and provides 52 automatic license plate readers. The cameras are used to track down suspects and stolen vehicles, streamline police department coordination and aid investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Council members, however, overwhelmingly rejected the Berkeley Police Department’s request to grow its Flock fleet, introducing new drone technology, investigative software and additional fixed surveillance cameras that would have cost an additional $1.4 million over the next four years. Instead, the council directed the city to engage in a competitive bidding process with other vendors who could offer that surveillance software.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii, along with Councilmembers Igor Tregub, Cecilia Lunaparra and Ben Bartlett, voted against the extension of the city’s current contract. The expanded package was rejected on an 8–1 vote, with only Bartlett opposed. He said his district’s residents opposed any contract that could be awarded to Flock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters gather outside the Berkeley Unified School District boardroom ahead of a Berkeley City Council meeting on a proposed expansion of the city’s contract with surveillance company Flock Safety in Berkeley on May 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Berkeley is one of many Bay Area cities that have contracted with Flock to operate automatic license plate reading cameras in recent years, as police officials and the company have hailed the technology as an effective tool to find suspects and stolen vehicles, and even curb dangerous collisions by reducing the need for pursuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, municipalities have started to rethink or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">terminate\u003c/a> their contracts with Flock after reports that some customers’ data had been accessed by out-of-state agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, without their knowledge and in violation of California law. Separately, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">San José is facing lawsuits in state and district courts\u003c/a> from civil liberties organizations alleging that the technology creates an unconstitutional “mass surveillance system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under a 2015 state law, California public agencies are barred from sharing license plate reader data with federal and out-of-state agencies, and they are subject to strict privacy policies on such information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flock advertises data sharing as part of its offerings, providing options for its customers to share their camera data with other contracted agencies on either a national, state or one-to-one sharing level.[aside postID=news_12080233 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg']While many Bay Area agencies have said that they do not participate in the “National Lookup,” and instead share their data on a one-to-one basis with neighboring departments, some have alleged that the wider sharing setting was reactivated by Flock without their knowledge, allowing out-of-state agencies to access their information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flock spokesperson Trevor Chandler told the council at Thursday’s meeting that the company has made it possible for cities to opt out of data sharing and “could have communicated the compliance features better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We take full responsibility for that,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public officials and activists say the data collected by Flock’s systems could be used against immigrants and women seeking reproductive care, as the Trump administration moves to expand deportations and limit abortion access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our data not only could be, but has been accessed time and time again and used by federal agencies in ways that have undermined other commitments elsewhere, and could and would undermine Berkeley Sanctuary City commitments here,” Tregub said. “There is a real anxiety among our immigrant residents. And safety that does not include our immigrant community is not true public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, Flock began a pilot program with the U.S. Border Patrol that allowed the agency to search its “National Lookup” database without alerting affected jurisdictions, according to the memo from Berkeley’s city attorney. Berkeley — and the state of California — have sanctuary policy protections that prevent local law enforcement from aiding in federal immigration enforcement operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082870\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082870\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters gather outside the Berkeley Unified School District boardroom before a Berkeley City Council meeting on Berkeley’s proposed contract expansion with surveillance company Flock Safety in Berkeley on May 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Allowing Border Patrol to access California agencies’ data, the city attorney said, “raises concerns among civil liberty groups that Flock is either intentionally violating or recklessly disregarding local sanctuary policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data from departments that aren’t opted in to the National Lookup could also be at risk if it is shared with other local jurisdictions that then share the information nationally themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2025/06/california-police-sharing-license-plate-reader-data/\">investigation by \u003cem>CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/a> last summer revealed that multiple law enforcement departments in Southern California had carried out searches of data from other agencies in the state on behalf of ICE and Customs and Border Protection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082873\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Organizers speak during a rally opposing Berkeley’s proposed contract expansion with surveillance company Flock Safety outside the Berkeley Unified School District boardroom in Berkeley on May 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the fall, California Attorney General Rob Bonta also sued the city of El Cajon, alleging it had shared data with more than 100 agencies, including in Texas, Florida and Georgia — all states with stricter limitations on abortion access. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/border-immigration/2025/10/08/records-el-cajon-license-plate-data-used-in-nationwide-immigration-searches\">city’s data\u003c/a> was used in immigration-related searches more than 500 times last year, according to KPBS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal agencies have accessed data from Flock cameras in Oakland, and the city of Richmond earlier this year deactivated its own camera network after discovering that federal officials could search its database.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the city can map who attends a place of worship or who seeks immigration help, people fear the worst,” said Musa Tariq, the policy coordinator for the Bay Area’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “They fear that by simply showing up to pray, by seeking legal help, or by standing up for justice, that they or their kids will be violently kidnapped or worse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kmonahan\">\u003cem>Katherine Monahan\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Although the City Council approved up to 12 more months of Flock’s automated license plate readers, it voted against the Berkeley Police Department’s request to add drones, more cameras and new technology. ",
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"title": "Berkeley Extends Surveillance Contract With Flock Safety but Rejects Major Expansion | KQED",
"description": "Although the City Council approved up to 12 more months of Flock’s automated license plate readers, it voted against the Berkeley Police Department’s request to add drones, more cameras and new technology. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> is extending its contract with the surveillance company Flock Safety but halting a proposed major expansion that would have added drones and more cameras to the city’s system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council’s vote Thursday night comes after a leaked memo from the city attorney’s office pointing to high-profile instances in other cities where data from Flock’s automated license plate readers was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072077/as-california-cities-grow-wary-of-flock-safety-cameras-mountain-views-shuts-its-off\">shared with outside agencies\u003c/a>. The memo warned council members that Flock might not be able to comply with contractual obligations not to share their data with other customers, including federal immigration enforcement and out-of-state agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flock’s track record raises serious concerns about data sharing, accountability and oversight,” Mayor Adena Ishii said ahead of the meeting. “One, I do not trust Flock as a company, and two, I don’t trust our current federal government.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council voted 5 to 4 to approve an extension of up to 12 months of its existing contract with Flock, which was initially approved in 2023 and provides 52 automatic license plate readers. The cameras are used to track down suspects and stolen vehicles, streamline police department coordination and aid investigations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Council members, however, overwhelmingly rejected the Berkeley Police Department’s request to grow its Flock fleet, introducing new drone technology, investigative software and additional fixed surveillance cameras that would have cost an additional $1.4 million over the next four years. Instead, the council directed the city to engage in a competitive bidding process with other vendors who could offer that surveillance software.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii, along with Councilmembers Igor Tregub, Cecilia Lunaparra and Ben Bartlett, voted against the extension of the city’s current contract. The expanded package was rejected on an 8–1 vote, with only Bartlett opposed. He said his district’s residents opposed any contract that could be awarded to Flock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters gather outside the Berkeley Unified School District boardroom ahead of a Berkeley City Council meeting on a proposed expansion of the city’s contract with surveillance company Flock Safety in Berkeley on May 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Berkeley is one of many Bay Area cities that have contracted with Flock to operate automatic license plate reading cameras in recent years, as police officials and the company have hailed the technology as an effective tool to find suspects and stolen vehicles, and even curb dangerous collisions by reducing the need for pursuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, municipalities have started to rethink or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">terminate\u003c/a> their contracts with Flock after reports that some customers’ data had been accessed by out-of-state agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, without their knowledge and in violation of California law. Separately, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">San José is facing lawsuits in state and district courts\u003c/a> from civil liberties organizations alleging that the technology creates an unconstitutional “mass surveillance system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under a 2015 state law, California public agencies are barred from sharing license plate reader data with federal and out-of-state agencies, and they are subject to strict privacy policies on such information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flock advertises data sharing as part of its offerings, providing options for its customers to share their camera data with other contracted agencies on either a national, state or one-to-one sharing level.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>While many Bay Area agencies have said that they do not participate in the “National Lookup,” and instead share their data on a one-to-one basis with neighboring departments, some have alleged that the wider sharing setting was reactivated by Flock without their knowledge, allowing out-of-state agencies to access their information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Flock spokesperson Trevor Chandler told the council at Thursday’s meeting that the company has made it possible for cities to opt out of data sharing and “could have communicated the compliance features better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We take full responsibility for that,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public officials and activists say the data collected by Flock’s systems could be used against immigrants and women seeking reproductive care, as the Trump administration moves to expand deportations and limit abortion access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our data not only could be, but has been accessed time and time again and used by federal agencies in ways that have undermined other commitments elsewhere, and could and would undermine Berkeley Sanctuary City commitments here,” Tregub said. “There is a real anxiety among our immigrant residents. And safety that does not include our immigrant community is not true public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, Flock began a pilot program with the U.S. Border Patrol that allowed the agency to search its “National Lookup” database without alerting affected jurisdictions, according to the memo from Berkeley’s city attorney. Berkeley — and the state of California — have sanctuary policy protections that prevent local law enforcement from aiding in federal immigration enforcement operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082870\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082870\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters gather outside the Berkeley Unified School District boardroom before a Berkeley City Council meeting on Berkeley’s proposed contract expansion with surveillance company Flock Safety in Berkeley on May 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Allowing Border Patrol to access California agencies’ data, the city attorney said, “raises concerns among civil liberty groups that Flock is either intentionally violating or recklessly disregarding local sanctuary policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data from departments that aren’t opted in to the National Lookup could also be at risk if it is shared with other local jurisdictions that then share the information nationally themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2025/06/california-police-sharing-license-plate-reader-data/\">investigation by \u003cem>CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/a> last summer revealed that multiple law enforcement departments in Southern California had carried out searches of data from other agencies in the state on behalf of ICE and Customs and Border Protection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082873\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/050726BERKELEY-FLOCK-RALLY_GH_023-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Organizers speak during a rally opposing Berkeley’s proposed contract expansion with surveillance company Flock Safety outside the Berkeley Unified School District boardroom in Berkeley on May 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the fall, California Attorney General Rob Bonta also sued the city of El Cajon, alleging it had shared data with more than 100 agencies, including in Texas, Florida and Georgia — all states with stricter limitations on abortion access. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/border-immigration/2025/10/08/records-el-cajon-license-plate-data-used-in-nationwide-immigration-searches\">city’s data\u003c/a> was used in immigration-related searches more than 500 times last year, according to KPBS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal agencies have accessed data from Flock cameras in Oakland, and the city of Richmond earlier this year deactivated its own camera network after discovering that federal officials could search its database.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the city can map who attends a place of worship or who seeks immigration help, people fear the worst,” said Musa Tariq, the policy coordinator for the Bay Area’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “They fear that by simply showing up to pray, by seeking legal help, or by standing up for justice, that they or their kids will be violently kidnapped or worse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kmonahan\">\u003cem>Katherine Monahan\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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},
"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"on-the-media": {
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"planet-money": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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