More than a decade after construction began, amid lengthy delays and a huge cost over-runs, the new Bay Bridge was officially opened. Hooyah!
From the Mercury-News' Lisa Vorderbrueggen: "After more ups and downs than a world class rollercoaster, California's most expensive public works project in history opened Monday night at 10:15 and capped an afternoon of lengthy celebratory opening speeches, chain-cutting and a VIP procession on the Bay Bridge."
"The historic opening marks the end of 11 years of construction -- more than twice as long as anticipated -- and costs that soared fivefold to $6.4 billion. It also comes after years of political battles and one controversy after another -- false allegations about bad welds, questions about concrete tests and then the worst of the lot, the high-strength steel bolts that snapped in March and threatened to jettison the timetable for months or weeks."
"Christen Grey and Anthony Thomas, of San Leandro, were the first "recognized' drivers to enter toll lane Number 1. As Grey tried to explain the couple's excitement, Thomas blurted out, "It's shiny!"
Sixty-five years later, 28 anonymous victims of an airplane crash -- all of them farm laborers -- had their names read aloud at a memorial ceremony.
From the LAT's Diana Marcum: "At a memorial service that was 65 years in the making, decades after Woody Guthrie sang "all they will call you will be deportee," the real names of 28 Mexican nationals killed in a plane crash were read at a Mass here on Monday."
"The unexpected moment came when the large crowd spontaneously repeated each name."
"In 1948, a plane chartered by U.S. Immigration Services went down in Los Gatos Canyon, in the hills above Coalinga. All 32 aboard were killed in a fiery crash, including 28 farmworkers, many of whom were part of the former bracero work program. The workers were buried unnamed in a mass grave in Fresno."
San Bernardino got what it wanted from a federal bankruptcy judge -- a ruling that the city was eligible for bankruptcy. But the city will also have to do what CalPERS demanded, which is lay out an exit strategy.
From Calpensions' Ed Mendel: "A sketchy plan issued by San Bernardino last November called for a “fresh start” that would “reamortize CalPERS liability over 30 years,” perhaps in a way that would “realize value of $1.3 million per year starting fiscal year 2014.”
"U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Jury said last week that San Bernardino should prepare an outline or “term sheet” of its bankruptcy exit strategy for mediation to be conducted soon by retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Gregg Zive of Reno."
"After briefly conferring with city finance officials, an attorney for San Bernardino told the judge the city could have a term sheet ready by the end of the year or early January."
The morale may be lousy at the state Public Utilities Commission, but things are looking up -- the employees are getting new workstations.
From the Chronicle's Matier and Ross: "With all the complaints about low morale and poor oversight at the California Public Utilities Commission, it's interesting to note that more than 750 staffers at the Golden Gate Avenue headquarters are getting new workstations - at a cost of about $18,000 apiece."
"The cubicles themselves actually cost only $2.3 million. They're also spending $3.7 million to rent office space a block away to house those workers temporarily displaced while the new cubicles are installed - one floor at a time to limit the disruptions."
Plus, they're spending $2.9 million more to rewire for cable, upgrade the bathrooms and add a pair of break rooms on all five floors - a job that is scheduled to take just over two years."
Meanwhile, California is on a roll for job creation, leading the nation in employment expansion.
From the Bee's Mark Glover: "California employers have added jobs for 25 straight months, the longest streak in the nation, with a total gain of 807,700 since the state's job market hit bottom in February 2010, the state Employment Development Department's annual Labor Day Briefing said."
"California is making a remarkable comeback from a nationwide recession of historic magnitude," said Sharon Hilliard, EDD chief deputy director."
"The report shows that opportunities in the professional and business services and leisure and hospitality industries are leading the way, producing more than half of the net new jobs in the current expansion. Educational and health services, and trade, transportation and utilities have also seen solid job gains."
And from our "Don't Go Near the Water" file comes word of some really big alligators. We mean, big alligators.
"There was excitement from the start as word spread that Brandon “Boo” Maskew of Ellisville had harvested a female alligator weighing 295.3 pounds and measuring 10 feet, breaking both the heaviest and longest records for a female."
"By mid-morning Sunday, Beth Trammell of Madison sent out another shockwave. A first-time hunter, Trammell said her crew hooked up on a large gator after heading for a boat launch and calling it quits for the night."
"With two lines on it, the animal fought hard for 1½ hours and pushed Trammell’s husband, Rob, and hunter Sean King, of Yazoo City to their physical limits. When the alligator finally surfaced beside the boat, Beth Trammell said, “Oh, my gosh. It’s the Loch Ness monster.”
This is bigger than Nessie ....
