Murder
One woman is dead, another in custody, after a stabbing last month that occurred on the 1400 block of Kansas Street, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The victim, identified by the San Francisco Medical Examiner as Latanette McDaniel, 35, was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Officers arrested Vernisha Mandigo, 25, of San Francisco, in connection with the homicide. She was booked into San Francisco County Jail and is being held without bond. Police said details of the killing are under investigation. Lanette Grady, of Richmond — one of the victim’s three sisters — said McDaniel’s boyfriend told her that the victim and assailant knew each other, and the assault was triggered by a dispute. Another sister, Antionette Guss of Houston, said the family is shocked and heartbroken. The lifelong Bay Area resident had seven children under the age of 14, her sister said. Family members will miss her big smile and big personality, Guss said. “We all had nicknames growing up, so everyone just called her Mooka,” Guss said. “She was just a ball of fun and the life of the party.” McDaniel felt alone after both of her parents died, Grady said. When the two would talk via FaceTime, McDaniel held her two-year-old twins in her lap. “She was just trying to take care of her kids and do the best she could,” Grady said. Guss said her sister wasn’t confrontational. “We’re just trying to figure out exactly what happened,” she said.
Anchored
In a 49 to three vote last month, Anchor Brewery workers ratified their first union contract. The ballot results followed a March labor force decision to organize with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. In May coalition leaders began negotiating a contract with Sapporo, which bought the facility in 2017. In labor-management talking land it was a fast turnaround. Supervisors “could’ve done a lot to stall this process and we’re thankful they didn’t want to do this,” noted fermentation worker Garrett Kelly, who was on the bargaining team. “This was the difference between working with a company that wanted to get us a contract versus a company that does not, said brewer and fellow negotiator Jon Ezell. “Anchor showed they wanted a contract.” The three-year agreement provides enhanced wages and benefits. “We look forward to a strong future together with the newly formed union,” said Scott Ungermann, Anchor’s brewmaster, in a statement jointly released with the ILWU. “Anchor has a storied history and enduring commitment to making great beers and valuing the people who brew them.”
Water?
A 12-inch water main, located just south of Rhode Island and 22nd streets, ruptured over the Thanksgiving holiday, flooding a handful of homes’ garages and basements, creating deep puddles that slowed traffic on Highway 101’s northbound lanes. It took two days for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to repair the break, during which water service was shutdown. “Many factors contribute to a pipe break, including age, weather conditions, and the temperature of the water passing through the pipe…it had been cold; the water coming through the pipe was cold. Recent rains may have disturbed the earth and sand that surround the pipe under the street,” said Suzanne Gautier, SFPUC external affairs communications manager. According to Gautier, the pipe that broke is made of cast iron, installed in 1952. To repair it several other smaller tubes had to be closed. “Shutting down…those additional pipes was done to prevent the continued flow of water into the broken pipe. Only the 12-inch pipe was broken,” said Gautier. There are roughly 1,200 miles of water pipes under the City. “One hundred miles of these pipes are over 100 years old. Each year the SFPUC works to repair or replace 12 miles of pipes,” said Gautier. “If anyone experiences a reduction in water pressure into the property or sees water coming from under the street or through a crack in the pavement, please contact 3-1-1 so that our crews can respond and investigate. Safety is our number one priority. Follow the directions given by personnel onsite, avoid the area of the break while repairs are underway. If water service is interrupted, follow instructions when you turn on your tap. Choose the tap nearest to the street and let cold water run for a few minutes to allow any sediment to be flushed out.”
Timber!
Brookfield Properties will construct North America’s largest mass timber office building as part of its 28-acre Pier 70 development. “Our decision to use mass timber is inspired by the neighborhood’s culture of creativity, sustainability and strong opinions,” said Brookfield Properties Senior Manager of Development Cutter MacLeod. “By applying emerging technologies and innovative designs to the structures we’re building here we are reinforcing that Pier 70 will be a thriving place for creative industries in San Francisco.” The 310,000 square foot mass timber edifice will extend six floors, 85-feet-high, located on the site’s northern side with Downtown and Bay views. It’ll feature cross laminated timber (CLT) floor slabs – a new building material – glue-laminated timber columns and beams, steel lateral seismic framing, and metal cladding. CLT floor panels laminate layers of solid wood that change direction in each subsequent stratum, making the panels strong in two directions, giving them comparable strength to such materials as steel or concrete.
