The game was tied at seven in the first half Saturday, but that’s as close as Santa Teresa would get as SHC routed the Saints to advance to the section title game, where the Fightin’ Irish will play rival St. Ignatius next week. SHC used a 28-point second quarter to propel the San Francisco school to the win. Quarterback Michael Sargent accounted for six touchdowns – throwing for four and rushing for two. Running back Jaylen Malcom had three touchdowns for Santa Teresa, which finished 11-1. – Nathan Canilao
CCS Division V
No. 1 Piedmont Hills 41, No. 4 Jefferson 14
Piedmont Hills will play in its first section final since 2010 after making quick work of Jefferson at home. Senior Diego Arias was excellent on both sides of the ball, getting a 32-yard pick-six and throwing a 50-yard touchdown to Travis Linane. Running back Alijah Torres had two rushing scores. Quarterback John Palomo ran for a touchdown and kicker Cash Martinez knocked in field goals from 26 and 32 yards away. Jefferson quarterback Robert Saulny-Green accounted for both of his team’s touchdowns with a rushing score and a passing TD. The Pirates will play Sobrato for the D-V championship next week. They will try to avenge a 40-30 loss to the Morgan Hill school this season. Jefferson ended its season 9-2. – Nathan Canilao
No. 2 Sobrato 27, No. 3 Terra Nova 19
Brady Lennon rushed for 272 yards and three touchdowns to help Sobrato to the win and the program’s first appearance in a CCS title game. Lennon broke a 70-yard scoring run on the second play of the game. Brandon Huighes connected with Jacob Sorrentino on a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0. After Terra Nova drew to within 20-19, Lennon’s 26-yard TD run with 1:46 left gave Sobrato (8-4) an eight-point lead. Then when kicker Kyle Gurney recovered a fumble on the subsequent kickoff, the Bulldogs were able to run out the clock. For Terra Nova (8-4), QB Joey Donati rushed for 93 yards and passed for 184 and touchdowns to Robbie Johnson and Holden Najar. – Glenn Reeves
NCS Division V
No. 2 Ferndale 35, No. 3 Salesian 7
Salesian traveled more than 250 miles up Highway 101 for its semifinal game against Ferndale, hoping to return home to Richmond with a shot to capture the program’s eighth NCS championship next week. For three quarters Saturday, there was still hope. The Pride trailed 14-7 with 12 minutes to play. But the home team found another gear down the stretch, scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter to advance to play top-seeded St. Vincent de Paul for the championship next Saturday at Rancho Cotate High in Rohnert Park. Instead of Salesian playing for an eighth NCS crown, Ferndale (12-0) will be seeking its 15th. Salesian finished 10-2. – Darren Sabedra
SAN JOSE — Few players in the NWSL cover more ground than Paige Metayer.
The former Cal midfielder has transformed into one of the league’s most versatile players. On Saturday, she brings that full-spectrum game back to the Bay Area as the Washington Spirit face Gotham FC in the NWSL championship at PayPal Park.
The third-year pro has played at forward, midfield, and fullback for the Spirit, and started at right back in last year’s 1-0 championship game loss to Orlando.
Bay FC’s Penelope Hocking advances on Gotham FC in Saturday night’s NWSL match in Harrison, N.J. Hocking scored Bay FC’s lone goal when she scored from close range in the 11th minute. It was Hocking’s fourth goal in her last five games. (Courtesy of Bay FC / NWSL)
Metayer started for four years at Cal, but didn’t receive all-conference recognition and went undrafted. But the Spirit offered her a preseason invite, and it took her just a few weeks to prove she belonged.
As a rookie in 2023, she started all 21 matches she appeared in, and scored three goals—every one of them a headed finish off a corner kick. Heading had never been a strength earlier in her career, but like so much else in her game, she developed it quickly, even unexpectedly.
“It wasn’t something I specialized in,” she said. “I wasn’t very tall growing up, so heading wasn’t really part of my game. But the service was great, and I was able to get my head on things. It became a strength I didn’t know I had.”
Cal coach Neil McGuire wasn’t surprised at Metayer’s professional evolution.
“She’s got incredible soccer intellect,” McGuire said. “She understands the game at a really high level, so positionally she can play in a number of spots. Athletically she’s extremely fit. Technically she’s gifted. She can deal with pressure, strike a ball over distance, receive with both feet—she just has a lot of strengths that make her right for the professional game.”
That combination of intelligence, composure, and athleticism turned her into one of the most adaptable players on the Spirit roster. In 2024 alone, she appeared in 20 regular-season matches, making 11 starts, and played across all three levels of the field.
Her first start at outside back came against Arsenal.
“I was like, ‘Oh, we’re playing Arsenal and I’m playing outside back,’” Metayer said. “But it worked out well. I’m grateful for the belief they had in me.”
Spirit head coach Adrián González sees that adaptability as a defining trait.
“It’s so positive for a player to have that many options,” he said. “She’s been open-minded. With her physicality and her quality, she can cover a lot of ground. Inside, outside, higher up, defensively—she can give us so much. And she’s improving. That type of versatility is important for her development and for our team.”
That growth stalled briefly this year when Metayer sustained a knee injury in preseason. Suddenly, a player known for covering ground couldn’t cover any. The timeline for her return was uncertain.
“Nothing’s ever guaranteed,” she said. “I was lucky it wasn’t season-ending, but I had to claw my way back.”
Metayer returned in the second half of the season, appearing in 11 matches, earning four starts, and playing 38 minutes in the quarterfinal against Racing Louisville that was decided on penalties. By the time the playoffs arrived, she felt fully herself again.
And now she’s back where she spent some of the most meaningful years of her life.
Cal’s women’s soccer alumni network is organizing a tailgate for Saturday’s final, and she expects plenty of familiar faces in the stands.
Returning now, with an NWSL title at stake, adds an extra layer of emotion—especially after the Spirit played in front of 40,000 fans at Oracle Park earlier this year.
The Bay FC takes on the Washington Spirit during the first half of an NWSL game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
“That was very, very cool,” she said. “It showed how much the Bay Area wants to support women’s sports. To play the final here is special.”
SAN FRANCISCO — The WNBA’s New York Liberty tabbed one of the Warriors’ top assistant coaches to be their next head coach.
Longtime Golden State assistant Chris DeMarco agreed to a midseason deal to become their head coach, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday morning. The New York Post’s Madeline Kenney first reported he was a leading candidate for the position on Tuesday.
DeMarco, 40, who is also the head coach of the Bahamas men’s national team that stars current Warrior Buddy Hield, has been an assistant coach for all four of the Warriors’ recent titles.
“Yesssirrr CD,” Draymond Green wrote in a post on Instagram. “(New York) got a great one!”
He has handled skill development and has been lauded for his work as a defensive coach. He will now join a Liberty team with championship aspirations following a disappointing first-round exit this September.
The Liberty fired coach Sandy Brondello despite her leading the franchise to the 2024 title.
DeMarco will inherit a roster that expects to return perennial MVP candidates in Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Walnut Creek native Sabrina Ionescu.
He is the latest in a long line of former Warriors assistants to become head coaches. Mike Brown, Luke Walton, Willie Green, Kenny Atkinson and Alvin Gentry are among those who have spent time under Kerr and become head coaches.
The Warriors are set to play the Trail Blazers on Friday night at Chase Center.
DEAR JOAN: There is something that I have noticed for years, and I finally decided to ask the only expert I know.
At the southbound Thornton Avenue exit to Interstate 880 in Newark, there are some power lines that extend all the way across the freeway. Every time I go that way I see many birds sitting on the lines, but only on the southbound side, never on the other side.
This is not a once-in-a-while thing; I’ve noticed it for many years.
I’ve never seen them fly away, they all just sit there. Can you think of anything special about these particular power lines?
Inquiring minds want to know.
— Sherry Hughes, Newark
DEAR SHERRY: Not being able to read bird minds, or the minds of any living beings, I can’t say for certain, although I’m sure they have an excellent reason. I can, however, list a few possibilities.
First off, birds really like sitting on elevated lines, whether those are power lines, telecommunication wires or cable lines. The high wires provide an excellent vantage point for surveying the area, giving them a bird’s eye view of the territory. From there, they can look around for food and watch out for predators.
The lines are also a convenient spot for taking a rest and as there are other birds on the line, a chance to converse. They come and go as they please, but it’s not likely they would all fly off at once unless something really frightened the entire flock. It might look like the birds sit there all day and night, but it’s a revolving cast.
Such gatherings also provide some communal support and protection from predators, and in the winter, the combined flocks can offer a little extra warmth.
Considering how much power is surging through the lines, we have to wonder how the birds can casually perch on them and avoid electrocution. The answer? Science.
Just like water, and nature itself, electricity seeks a balance. It flows from high energy points to low energy points. A bird sitting on the wire doesn’t interrupt or redirect the flow, but if it was to have one foot on the wire (high energy) and another on the ground (low energy), the electricity would seek to balance, redirecting through the bird to complete the circuit, with deadly consequences. The birds are remarkably exact about the positioning on the lines, keeping a small but equal distance between them, and avoiding touching anything else.
Why the birds choose one wire and not the other most likely has to do with environmental factors. The wind might be stronger on that side, the wires might not provide the same vantage point, or there could be something on that side of the freeway or the lines themselves, that the birds just don’t care for.
The birds like a clear pathway when they fly off the wire, and the ones on the northbound side might be more advantageous.
Wish we knew for certain, but maybe one day the birds will talk.
The Animal Life column runs on Mondays. Contact Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.
NEW ORLEANS – Draymond Green had a contentious second-quarter discussion with a heckling courtside fan Sunday night in the Warriors’ win over the Pelicans, apparently due to the fan’s reference to a WNBA All-Star.
Standing at his locker at Smoothie King Arena after the win, Green explained that a fan on the baseline repeatedly called him a “woman.” Green then confronted the man with 2:02 remaining in the first half. Official Courtney Kirkland kept Green and the fan separated.
“It was a good joke at first, but you can’t call me a woman,” Green said. “I’ve got four kids and one on the way. He got quiet, though, so it’s fine.”
Green, 35, added that the fan “didn’t say much else” once Green got closer.
Though the Warriors star declined to specify whose name the fan was using, the Associated Press reported that the fan, who identified himself to the AP as Sam Green, was calling him “Angel Reese.”
Reese was a record-breaking rebounder at nearby LSU and has become a polarizing figure in the WNBA for the Chicago Sky while playing at an All-Star level. The fan told the AP that he made his verbal jab because Draymond Green had several rebounds but had not attempted many shots yet in the game, and that the Warriors player threatened to punch him if the taunts continued.
“It was a little unnerving,” said Sam Green, who insisted that he did not use profanity toward the Warriors’ four-time NBA champion.
Ushers were seen speaking with the fan after the incident, but he was allowed to remain in his seat for the rest of the game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he did not know exactly what happened during the incident, but was not bothered by Draymond Green chatting with the fan.
“As long as it doesn’t escalate, it’s fine to go over and have a discussion,” Kerr said. “I had no problem with it. Would have been nice if security got there a little bit earlier, but it’s hard to comment on it because I don’t know what was said.”
This is not the first time Green has had a brush with a fan.
In 2022, the Warriors veteran was fined $25,000 for what the NBA dubbed “directing obscene language toward a fan.”
During Game 2 of May’s playoff series against the Timberwolves, a fan was ejected after making racially charged comments toward Green.
The Crusaders scored 28 points in the first quarter and didn’t look back in a rout of Salinas at home. Despite having four touchdowns called back because of penalties, the San Francisco school had no problem moving the ball against the Cowboys. The lead grew insurmountable in the second half as a running clock initiated in the third quarter. Riordan (10-0) will play Serra (7-4) for the Open Division title next week. – Nathan Canilao
No. 2 Serra 29, No. 7 Archbishop Mitty 13
The Padres rushed for 312 yards and shut down Mitty’s offensive attack to cruise to a 16-point win at home. Speedy receiver Charlie Walsh led Serra with a rushing and a receiving score. Kicker Saul Marks knocked in three field goals and Serra’s defense forced three turnovers.S Serra will get a rematch with Riordan – after falling to the Crusaders in the WCAL regular season finale – in the Open Division finals next week. Nathan Canilao was in San Mateo and has the story here.
CCS Division II
No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 34, No. 7 Wilcox 21
After trailing by two at halftime, the Fightin’ Irish took over the game behind a second-half surge to down visiting Wilcox at City College of San Francisco. Three second half touchdowns from quarterback Michael Sargent charged SHC’s offense, and the San Francisco school’s defense held Wilcox to just one score in the final two periods to seal the win. SHC (5-6) will host another South Bay powerhouse in undefeated Santa Teresa (11-0) next week. – Nathan Canilao
No. 4 Menlo School 17, No. 5 The King’s Academy 7
Menlo earned a hard-fought postseason win, defeating TKA at home. Quarterback Jack Freehill threw a touchdown pass to Chuck Wynn and Trevor van der Pyl’s 82-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter sealed the win for Menlo. Dylan O’ Malley rounded out Menlo’s scoring with a 27-yard first-quarter field goal. Quarterback Jaiden Flores to wide receiver Ricky Gutierrez was the only score TKA had on Saturday. Menlo (9-2) will travel to top-seeded St. Ignatius next week for its semifinal game. TKA ends its season 9-2. – Nathan Canilao
CCS Division V
No. 2 Sobrato 28, No. 7 Santa Cruz 17
Sobrato advanced to the Division V semifinals after defeating Santa Cruz at home. Junior running back Brady Lennon led the way with rushing touchdowns from 35 and 10 yards. Jacob Sorrentino had a 75-yard touchdown grab and senior Jacob Kimerer had a 65-yard touchdown run. Sobrato improved to 7-4 and will host Terra Nova (8-3) next week.
NCS Division V
No. 3 Salesian 38, No. 6 Northgate 33
Quarterback Izeah Buchanan tossed four touchdown passes to lead the Pride to a win over Northgate at home. Basketball star Carlton Perrilliat Jr. caught two touchdown passes while Joseph Tarin had two receiving scores of his own as Salesian will advance to the section semifinals at Ferndale next Saturday. Senior Jahlil Lindsey had a 95-yard scoop-and-score and kicker Roberto Mora knocked in a 27-yard field goal to round out the scoring for Salesian. Northgate (5-6) ends its 2025 season one game under .500. – Nathan Canilao
SAN ANTONIO – Wearing a white shirt emblazoned with ‘John Beam’ and a black heart on the front, Warriors coach Steve Kerr began his pregame press conference in San Antonio Friday night by sharing his thoughts on the late football coach and Oakland icon.
Beam coached in the East Bay for 40 years, first at Skyline High School and then at Laney College, before retiring from coaching in 2024 and becoming Laney’s athletic director. He was shot in the head at the college’s athletic fieldhouse on Thursday, and was pronounced dead on Friday morning.
“It’s a really difficult time for people in Oakland right now,” Kerr said. “Coach Beam was a legend … a sad day, sad day for the Bay Area, and a sad day for coach Beam’s family.”
The longtime coach was beloved by members from every corner of the Oakland community, and later became a nationally-recognized figure for his role in Netflix’s “Last Chance U” documentary that featured Beam’s Eagles.
Kerr then made a heartfelt plea to address gun violence in the city that the Warriors played in until 2019.
“Everybody knows he’s a revered figure in Oakland, who did so much for so many people,” Kerr said. “On behalf of the Warriors, I want to extend our condolences, and remind everybody we have to be the change, as a community, as citizens, we have to be the ones who insist that we address gun violence issues.”
Kerr said that he did not “know him personally,” but that the two had many mutual friends.
Kuminga status
Jonathan Kuminga will not play against San Antonio as he battles knee soreness that kept him out of the second half of Wednesday’s victory.
Kuminga is averaging 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while starting 12 times before coming off the bench in the last game.
“Hopefully over the next couple of days as he visits with our training staff every day, they’ll get him on track soon,” Kerr said. “But just day to day (for now).”
In Redwood City, on Friday evening, several dozen community members gathered in a park for a vigil to remember two employees of a local liquor store who were found dead earlier this month following a fire. Neighbors said these two liquor store employees were familiar and beloved faces in the community.
Amy Anthony, of Redwood City, welcomed attendees to the vigil, saying, “I can’t begin to thank you all enough for taking time out of your busy lives to honor two loved men, who lost their lives at a tragic fire at their workplace.”
This week, officials identified Benigno “Benny” Nuguid Pare, 56, and Anil Kumar Sharma, 25, as the two people found dead at the Avenue Liquor Store on Roosevelt Avenue at 5:30 a.m. on November 3. Their bodies were found by firefighters responding to a fire at the liquor store. Officials said they don’t know what Pare and Kumar were doing inside the building at the time or what caused the fire. Redwood City police and fire departments, as well as the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office, are investigating the fire and the deaths.
Police said that the liquor store owner is cooperating with investigators.
Neighbors are heartbroken about Pare and Sharma’s deaths. The people who spoke at the vigil shared story after story of the everyday kindnesses these two men showed people at the liquor store.
10-year-old Kaiden Warren of Redwood City recalled a recent time when he walked by the store on his way home from school to say hello to Pare. Warren recalled telling Pare that he did not have any money to buy anything, he just wanted to say hello, but Pare offered him a free soda.
“He said to us, ‘Don’t worry about paying, you can just pay forward my kindness,’” Warren recalled.
“He was always like that, he was always in a good mood, I would never see him in a bad mood,” Warren continued.
Neighbors said that both Pare and Sharma were each working to support their families.
Anthony explained that Pare was supporting his family back in the Philippines.
The day before the fire, Alberto Cabrera of Redwood City, who works and lives near the liquor store, said he stopped by the store at around 10 p.m. and saw Pare.
“Benny was very emotional, he was — he couldn’t stop himself from crying,” Cabrera recalled. “He told us that that week he was retiring and was gonna go back to the Philippines.”
Other neighbors recalled Pare telling them that he was planning to get on a flight in the next day or two to go to the Philippines. Many neighbors said they were especially concerned to hear the fire had happened just as Pare was planning to retire.
“Benny is and was a great person, who deserves a lot of love,” Cabrera said.
“His family needs to see the love the community holds for him,” he continued.
Neighbors said the absence of these two friendly faces leaves a big void in the community. The front of the liquor store has since been lined with flowers and tributes to the two employees.
Now, neighbors and community members have started GoFundMe pages to raise donations for Pare and Sharma’s families.
“I know their families greatly appreciate the love and support,” Anthony said.
SAN ANTONIO – Victor Wembanyama enjoys the towering stature of a redwood tree, possesses the nimble feet of a man half his size, owns a wingspan wider than Texas and the skillset of the game’s best guards.
It’s a fantastical combination of traits and talents that the visiting Warriors knew was impossible to stop.
They only needed to make him sweat, to expend energy against men with – at least by the NBA’s outlandish standards – more reasonable proportions.
And that’s exactly what they did in Golden State’s 125-120 victory in the heart of Texas. They hurled body after body at him, invaded his space and made sure to bump him at every opportunity.
“You’ve got to make him work for everything,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “You can’t give him the easy stuff.”
Golden State employed five different individual defenders – Draymond Green, Al Horford, Jonathan Kuminga, Will Richard and Jimmy Butler – on Wembanyama in the first half alone.
His stat line was still, undeniably, impressive: 31 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and a block in 36 minutes. It was his 17th career game with at least 30 points and 10 boards.
But compared to some of the truly outlandish performances Wembanyama has compiled over the course of his first 10 games this season, the Warriors’ defense actually won their fair share of possessions.
They forced the 21-year-old Frenchman into eight turnovers, and on the vast majority of his 22 shots, a Warrior was there to contest. Whether that raised hand actually meant something is up for debate.
“When he pulls up like that for 3, it’s hard and you try your best to challenge it,” Horford said. “I felt like we did good, and we contained him as best we could.”
As he has done so often over the course of a career that has seen him earn nine all-defense selections, Draymond Green bore the brunt of the team’s toughest assignment.
Even though Wembanyama stood nearly a foot taller than Green, the wily veteran had an advantage in both the strength, and center of gravity categories.
He used both to great effect.
Though Green may have had only one official steal, his point-of-attack defense allowed his teammates – Gary Payton II was a particular standout – to swarm the driving Wembanyama.
It was the same tactic Phoenix used to hold him to just nine points earlier in the season.
And if the Spurs center was able to get off a shot against Green, it was often a tough fallaway after the Warriors captain blunted Wembanyama’s initial drive.
Of course, Wembanyama’s prodigious offensive talent is only half of the reason he is in line to become the game’s top player. His endless wingspan and coordination have turned him into basketball’s best defender, one whose mere presence deters drives.
But on Wednesday night, Steph Curry showed no fear en route to 46 points. The Warriors star made five shots in the paint, often driving right at Wembanyama and drawing fouls if he did not finish the layup.
The Warriors (7-6) know what it takes to deal with Wembanyama. Now they’ll get to put that method to the test again on Friday, when Golden State finishes the baseball-style series in San Antonio for an NBA Cup group-stage game.
“You don’t fight it, because you know that there might be some other options on the other side,” Curry said. “His presence is crazy, but there’s other ways and other outlets to create offense if you can get into the paint.”
A two-sport student-athlete encountered antisemitism at University High School in San Francisco and, upon transferring to another school in Marin County, was wrongly denied a hardship exemption that cost her critical time in tennis and track and field, a lawsuit filed last month in Marin Superior Court alleges.
In the case set to be heard Dec. 1, the athlete’s father, Bart Schachter, is seeking a temporary injunction that would reverse North Coast Section commissioner Pat Cruickshank’s decision to deny the waiver and allow his daughter, a 15-year-old sophomore at The Branson School in Ross, to compete without restrictions in the spring track season, which begins in February. She was already required to sit out half of the fall tennis season.
“What we thought would be a fairly routine transfer turned out not to be so,” said Bart Schachter, who filed the suit anonymously through his attorney and requested that his daughter’s name not be used. “That is the greatest hardship endured in this whole thing.”
Schachter’s daughter, who competes at the varsity level in both sports, enrolled at the private college preparatory academy in the Presidio Heights neighborhood as a freshman for the 2024-25 school year and, he said, “pretty quickly” began to experience a string of antisemitic incidents.
Schachter brought the issues to administrators at UHS and later provided the documentation to the NCS in the hardship application. When the section contacted the school to verify the information, however, administrators disputed the characterization of the allegations, and the application was denied.
In a correspondence to the family provided to this news organization, Cruickshank wrote that the girl was denied the “student safety hardship waiver based upon no documentation from UHS of any student safety incidents while enrolled there.” Cruickshank declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
UHS Head of School Nasif Iskander denied the allegations of antisemitism at the school to this news organization but added: “We’ve never objected to the CIF granting this student a waiver to play sports at a new school. … We explicitly supported her desire to play sports.”
Regardless of the court’s decision, Schachter’s daughter will have two years of eligibility remaining in both sports, but the father said, “It’s emotionally challenging to show up at a new school as a transfer. You make friends through sports. It’s hard to sit on the sidelines when you’re a star player.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Schachters and other Jewish families submitted “dozens” of documented safety incidents to UHS over the course of the 2024-25 school year and prior. Iskander said, “We strongly disagree with the allegations … and we have robust and effective programs and policies to provide students an uplifting learning environment that is free of antisemitism and other discrimination.”
Schachter disagreed, telling this news organization that “the fact pattern would indicate” systemic issues with antisemitism at UHS, “(and) if you’re asking about the root cause, that certainly plays a role. Normally we would move on and find a better pasture, but we hit this sports issue and it’s not over.”
In one instance described in the lawsuit, Schachter’s daughter was in the same class as two boys who repeatedly practiced the Nazi salute and “mock(ed) the physical characteristics of Jews.” A few months later, she was “pressured” to attend a meeting on the Israel-Palestine conflict “where Jewish students were mocked for their perspectives … with no meaningful response from UHS administration despite complaints.”
According to the lawsuit, that led Jewish parents to formally submit a complaint regarding “bullying and harassing environment for Jewish students” at the school. The CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council also weighed in, informing UHS that it faced “some of the most serious antisemitism issues reported among independent schools in the Bay Area.”
Iskander said the school was never informed of the first incident and disputed the characterization of the public meeting.
“We said we had no objection to her playing sports,” Iskander reiterated, “but we really disagreed with the characterization of her experience at the school.”
The Schachters filed their petition under bylaw 207.B.(5)c of the California Interscholastic Federation constitution, which waives the mandatory sit-out period for transfers “when a student is transferring as a result of a specific, documented safety incident in which the student was involved.” It requires “sufficient documentation to satisfy that CIF Section Commissioner that the circumstances meet this criteria … including but not limited to administrative records and documentation from the former school about the specific safety incident that occurred at the former school and/or police records (if any).”
The lawsuit alleges that Cruickshank validated the petition’s status under the safety-incident exception by not rejecting it outright and remarking on the “sensitive” nature of the situation upon receiving the initial application. The Schachters submitted to CIF a 72-page report documenting the harassment, correspondence with school officials and the concern from the Jewish Community Relations Council. Regardless of the school’s interpretation, the Schachters believe they met the requirements under the bylaw.
“That’s what every school would say,” Schachter said. “There’s no one who admits these kinds of issues.”
REDWOOD CITY – Officers fatally shot a man holding a gun Tuesday afternoon in Redwood City, police said.
In a statement, the Redwood City Police Department said officers were called to the 200 block of Hazel Avenue just after 2:30 p.m. for a report of a man who had fired a gun into the sidewalk.
Officers formed a perimeter and used a drone to find the man. A team of officers equipped with both “lethal and less-lethal options” then tried to make contact with him, police said.
“As officers attempted to communicate with the suspect, he retrieved a firearm from his person and pointed it toward the officers,” police said. “Less lethal and lethal munitions were fired.”
The man was struck by the gunfire, police said, adding that he received medical aid at the scene and was then taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Police identified the man as Jose Reynaldo Lombera, 48, of Redwood City. No other injuries were reported.
The officers directly involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, as is customary in such cases, police said.
The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, San Mateo County Coroner’s Office and Redwood City Police Department are conducting a joint investigation into the shooting.
Their latest report covered layoffs announcements by big companies through October in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This study tracks the layoff location based on either the corporate headquarters or the actual sites of the cuts, if mentioned in the layoff news release.
California-related layoff plans in the first 10 months of 2025 account for 14% of the 1.1 million layoffs announced across the U.S. Challenger expects this year to be the nation’s worst for this layoff yardstick since the Great Recession era, minus 2020’s pandemic-scarred economy.
Let’s put that 14% share in context. California is the nation’s largest economy. It has 18 million workers, more than any other state, and 11% of the nation’s 159 million jobs.
Additionally, Golden State businesses comprise 11% of the 500 companies that comprise the high-profile S&P 500 stock index. And 13% of the INC. 5000 ranking of America’s fastest-growing companies hail from California.
The national layoff hotspot was Washington, D.C., with 303,800. After California came New York, with 81,701, followed by Georgia with 78,049, and Washington state with 77,700.
As for California’s economic rivals, Texas ranked seventh with 46,400 planned cuts, and Florida ranked ninth with 22,800 planned cuts.
Who’s cutting
A handful of industries dominate the list of layoff plans.
Start with massive government job cuts, primarily in the District of Columbia, as the Trump administration aggressively shrinks the federal payroll.
Nationwide, Challenger reported that announced layoff plans for all government workers totaled 307,600 in the first 10 months of 2025 – the largest cut in any industry and up 269,900, or 715%, in the past year.
The next three shrinking industries have deep ties to California.
Technology had 141,200 cuts announced nationwide, up 20,700 or 17%. Warehousing had 90,400, up 71,500 or 378%. And retail had 88,700 cuts, up 52,500 or 145%.
Growing cuts
California-centric layoffs rose by 22,100 in a year from the first 10 months of 2024. That’s the fifth biggest jump and 5% of the nationwide increase of 665,000.
The largest increase was in D.C., at 269,000, followed by Georgia, with an increase of 60,200, and New Jersey, at 52,700. Florida was No. 8, up 9,800.
Texas had the largest decline, down 20,600, followed by Rhode Island, down 10,600, and Nevada, down 8,400.
The California bump looks less egregious on a percentage-point basis, ranking No. 20 with a 16% increase. Nationwide, these cuts grew by 65%.
The biggest percentage jumps were in Alaska, at 2,346% – yes, it grew almost 25-fold – followed by Maine, up 1,446%, and D.C., up 773%. Florida was No. 12 at 76%.
The largest dips were in Wyoming, down 99%, followed by Rhode Island, down 90%, and Nevada, down 76%. Texas was No. 34, off 31%.
Job chill
The layoffs are further proof of a cooling economy.
Through July, the latest numbers available, the BLS reported that 1.3 million Californians had been laid off or discharged, representing a 69,000 increase – a 6% jump – compared with the first seven months of 2024.
Nationwide, these job cuts totaled 11.4 million in the same timeframe, a 4% increase of 445,000 in a year.
Challenger also tracks hiring announcements on a national basis. It’s not pretty.
So far in 2025, big companies have announced plans to hire 488,100, which is 35% lower than 2024 and down 53% from the median hires of the previous nine years.
And seasonal hiring plans have been modest at many companies that supply the holiday spirit, from retailers to shippers. Expected year-end staffing increases are down 59% in a year.
Merchants are seeing this wobbly job market help to depress consumer confidence. The Conference Board’s optimism indicators have decreased by 18% statewide and by 8% nationwide over the past year.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
“I voted for it today. I didn’t love voting for it, but I felt it was necessary,” Kerr said.
Kerr, now in his 11th season coaching the team, added that he hoped Prop 50 is not a permanent measure.
“Hopefully, we can get back to a point where our democracy feels strong and healthy,” Kerr said. “It’s not right now. But I like the way the law was phrased that, if the other states decide to go back to what’s fair, then we will too. That’s why I voted for it.”
Prop 50 was crafted in response to efforts made by conservative-led states to redraw their own districts ahead of the midterms as a way to gain more Republican seats in the legislature.
California’s ballot measure is expected to add as many as five democratic seats to the national House of Representatives.
“Beautiful people out there, and it was a love fest,” Kerr said of the “No Kings” protest. “Music playing, everybody marching peacefully. Everyone I saw 100% loves our country. And as is our country’s custom, if you don’t agree with what your government is doing, then you peacefully protest, and that’s how it should be. We are the democracy, we the people.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Just playing fast is no longer enough in today’s NBA. Now, playing at a frenetic pace is now the default.
With players skewing more and more athletic, and as long-distance shooting stretches defenses to their limit, offenses are pushing the limit on how fast they can play.
“What I’m seeing is that teams are spreading you out, playing as fast as possible and making it difficult to get to your coverages defensively,” Kerr said. “The faster the actions, the more difficult it is for the defense to respond.”
Golden State entered its home matchup with the Phoenix Suns as losers of two consecutive games in the Midwest. Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers were missing stars against the Warriors, but they made up for it by pushing the ball up and down the court.
“I thought the pace of the Milwaukee and Indiana games exposed what we were doing defensively, and we’ve got to improve those things,” Kerr said.
With his roster headlined by four players aged 35 and older, Kerr and the organization have made it a public priority to keep his stars fresh for the postseason. That involves playing at a slower pace, something the team has somewhat succeeded in, and something the Warriors’ intricate halfcourt offense lends itself to.
“We found the balance once we got Jimmy (Butler) … playing with a little more deliberatness and spacing once Jimmy got the ball,” Kerr said. “He’s one of the best iso players in the league.”
The other method involves resting players – much to Michael Jordan’s chagrin – to keep minutes down.
The Warriors have already sat Al Horford in three games, counting Tuesday’s predetermined load management to avoid having him play in any back-to-backs. But the other three vets – Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Butler – have played in all seven of the team’s games. Both Curry and Butler are averaging north of 30 minutes a night, and Green comes in at a shade under at 29 a game.
Golden State listed Butler as questionable with low back soreness but he started against the Suns.
Kerr had hinted at starting to rest his stars during Monday’s practice.
“I sat down with Mike (Dunleavy) and Rick Celebrini, Dray, Steph and Jimmy, the three main guys who are going to play heavy minutes,” Kerr said, later adding, “The rules the NBA gives us in terms of which games guys can rest, which games they can’t. That’s something we are really having to dive into now that the seasons going and rolling. It’s not easy, but we’ll do it collaboratively.”
Finding a way to do that while accruing wins will be far easier this week than the next.
The Warriors play three of four games at home this week, facing bottom-feeders Phoenix and Sacramento before going on the road to Denver, then returning to Chase Center for a rematch with Indiana.
Then the Warriors hit the road, where they start at defending champion Oklahoma City before two games in emerging power San Antonio as part of a six-game road trip.
Kuminga’s agent
Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, made his first appearance at a Warriors game this season. The man who went on a summer media blitz while he negotiated with the Warriors was seen talking with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. courtside before the game.
Sources close to Nancy Pelosi expect the 85-year-old Democratic party stalwart to retire from politics next year.
Pelosi will make a speech addressing her future after Californians vote on whether to redraw the state’s electoral map to create more Democrat-held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to NBC News.
The state’s ballot measure Proposition 50 seeks to offset mid-decade redistricting efforts in red states including Texas intended to maintain a Republican majority in Congress.
Pelosi has represented the majority of San Francisco since 1987. Multiple Democratic insiders reportedly said they don’t expect her to seek reelection in 2026.
President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on May 3, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) holds the gavel she used in the House of Representatives 14 years earlier when the Affordable Care Act was passed during a news conference to mark the anniversary at the U.S. Capitol on March 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Congressional candidate Nancy Pelosi is pictured at her headquarters in San Francisco, April 7, 1987. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., middle, speaks to reporters after a campaign event on Proposition 50 in San Francisco, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on May 3, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“She’s going to go out with Prop 50 overwhelmingly passing, and what a crowning achievement for her to do that,” one of those sources told NBC News.
Pelosi hasn’t addressed primary challenges from younger Democrats bidding for her seat in the midterm election, though she appears to have the resources to go on the offensive. Her team hasn’t addressed speculation about her plans for 2026 and beyond. She filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission in November 2024.
The former Speaker of the House has long been among the most powerful figures in Democratic politics. Pressure from Pelosi is believed to have led to former President Joe Biden abandoning his 2024 reelection bid.
Months earlier, Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
She’s also been an effective antagonist against President Trump, who won that election to serve a second term in office.
Trump has also had tough words for his Democratic rival whom he called “crazy” during a 2023 speech. In the same speech, Trump made fun of her husband, Paul Pelosi, who’d recently been attacked and seriously wounded by a hammer-wielding man who broke into the couple’s San Francisco home.
Logan Webb arguably turned in the best season of his career. His 207 innings led the majors, and his career-high 224 strikeouts led the National League. He earned his second All-Star selection, and on Sunday, Webb took home his first Gold Glove Award.
For all Webb accomplished, he was not named a finalist for the 2025 NL Cy Young Award when the finalists were revealed on Monday evening.
The three finalists for the award are the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez; the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who also won 2025 World Series MVP; and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes, who is considered the favorite.
Webb will likely finish in the top five after becoming the first Giant to lead the National League in both innings and strikeouts since Bill Voiselle did so for the 1944 New York Giants. Regardless of where he finishes, it will mark his fourth consecutive year he has received votes.
The right-hander finished with a career-best 2.60 FIP (fielding independent pitching), which ranked fourth among all pitchers in the majors behind only Skenes (2.36), Tarrik Skubal (2.45) and Sánchez (2.55). Webb’s 3.22 ERA, though, was significantly higher than that of Skenes (1.97), Yamamoto (2.49) and Sánchez (2.50). Webb also allowed 210 hits, the most in the majors.
Giants decline Murphy’s club option
The Giants also announced on Monday evening that they have declined catcher Tom Murphy’s $4 million club option for 2026, making Murphy a free agent.
The team will pay Murphy a $250,000 buyout.
Murphy signed a two-year, $8.25 million deal ahead of the 2024 season with a club option for ’26, but he only played 13 total games with the club — all in ’24 — due to injuries. He sustained an injury at the beginning of spring training and didn’t spend a single day with the major-league team.
In Murphy’s absence, Andrew Knizner (29 games), Sam Huff (20 games) and Logan Porter (four games) served as the backup catchers for Patrick Bailey, who is now a two-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Logan Webb didn’t enter this year with the specific goal of winning a Gold Glove Award. But when the Giants ace arrived in Scottsdale for spring training, he prioritized playing better defense, generally, and holding runners on base, specifically.
Now, Webb and catcher Patrick Bailey are adding some hardware to their shelves.
Bailey and Webb were named National League Gold Glove Award winners at their respective positions on Sunday evening, becoming the first battery to win the hardware in the same year since catcher Yadier Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013.
“I just wanted to get better at (playing defense),” Webb said. “I didn’t necessarily think it would result in a Gold Glove, but I always thought maybe I could do it. I feel like I get enough ground balls hit to me and a lot of get overs. I just kind of had to fix some of the other stuff. So, it’s a really cool accomplishment and I’m super excited about it.”
Bailey, who won the award in 2024, becomes the first catcher in franchise history to win the award multiple times, and it’s very possible he becomes the first Giant to win the Platinum Glove as well. Buster Posey won it once, in 2016, when he broke Molina’s string of eight consecutive gold gloves. Bailey also is first Giant to win the honor in back-to-back years since Brandon Crawford won three straight from 2015-17.
Webb, who led the majors in innings and the N.L. in strikeouts, becomes the second Giant pitcher to win the award in franchise history, joining Rick Reuschel (1987). With a Gold Glove now on his résumé, Webb joked that he plans on doing a little bragging with Bailey, Crawford and five-time Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman.
“To be able to say you’re … the best defender at your position in your league is pretty cool,” Webb said. “I always watched Craw and Chappy and Patty’s going to win it many more times. Seeing these guys do it, it’s a huge part of baseball and it’s a huge part of what the Giants try to be. I think that’s why we’ve had so many (Gold Glove Award winners) around here. It’s cool to be a part of that now.
“Now, when people watch the game, I get that little Gold Glove next to my name when they show the defensive positioning.”
Bailey cemented himself as one of the best defenders in the majors, regardless of position, by turning in one of the best statistical defensive seasons in the Statcast era this year.
Over a career-high 132 games, Bailey had a Fielding Run Value of +31, the most in a single season by any defender regardless of position since 2018. Last season, Bailey’s +28 Fielding Run Value also led the majors.
Much of Bailey’s defensive value derived from his elite framing ability. Even with a smaller strike zone, Bailey was worth +25 Catcher Framing Runs, eclipsing the +23 Catcher Framing Runs he was worth last season.
Along with the framing, Bailey continued to boast one of the best arms in baseball. Bailey threw out a career-high 27 runners attempting to steal, his pop time of 1.86 seconds being tied for the best in the majors.
Bailey’s elite framing and throwing was a continuation of what he’s done since making his debut, but he also made a significant leap as a blocker.
As a rookie, Bailey was one of the worst blockers in the league and was worth -9 Blocks Above Average. After making improving in his sophomore season (-1 Blocks Above Average), Bailey transformed himself into an above-average blocker (+5 Blocks Above Average) this season.
“I feel like he just keeps getting better,” Webb said. “It’s fun to watch him do his work every day. He works hard at his craft.”
While Bailey has long been one of baseball’s best defenders, Webb made significant strides this season en route to winning his first Gold Glove.
Webb allowed 41 stolen bases in 2023 and 2024, one of eight pitchers in the majors who allowed at least 40 steals. This season, by contrast, Webb only allowed nine steals and led all National League pitchers with seven defensive runs saved. From 2019-24, Webb was worth -4 defensive runs saved.
The right-hander referred to his start on June 23, 2024 against the St. Louis Cardinals as the low point of his inability to prevent runners from swiping bags. Allowing five steals over six innings to the Cardinals was bad enough, but one of those steals belonged to catcher Pedro Pagés, who only swiped six bags in the minors.
Webb wanted to curb that trend this season and began that work during spring training. He worked on this area of his game during bullpens and live batting practice, mixing up times and holding for as long as possible after coming set. Webb said there wasn’t one specific conversation that made things click, citing conversations he had with former manager Bob Melvin and other coaches.
The right-hander also spoke with former first-base coach Antoan Richardson when the Giants played the New York Mets in Queens. Webb allowed three steals to the Mets during his start on July 25, and Webb credited Richardson’s ability as a baserunning coach. Richardson, interestingly enough, won’t return to New York in 2026 and could warrant consideration from new manager Tony Vitello as he builds his coaching staff.
“I just felt like there was an extra focus on it, and I just wanted to be better,” Webb said. “At the end of the day, it helps personally. Talking to guys, there’s some stats that if I keep a runner at first base X amount of times and I give up a base hit, that base hit turns into just first and second instead of a guy scoring a run. I think it helped me and helped the team stay in games, and that’s all I really wanted to do.”
A Sonoma County judge allowed Asia Lozano Morton to await trial outside jail under strict supervision and set her next court date for Dec. 4, according to court records.
Morton must wear a GPS ankle monitor, surrender her passport and get permission from the court before leaving California. She’s also barred from owning guns or using drugs and from contacting her boyfriend, Richard Lund.
Tuesday’s hearing was Morton’s first court appearance since her arrest Friday in the Oct. 3 shooting death of Mark Calcagni.
Lund, 43, remains in custody without bail. Police say he’s accused of shooting Calcagni five times near Calcagni’s home on Brookwood Avenue before driving off in a Toyota RAV4.
Investigators believe the killing was planned and may be connected to Calcagni’s decision to fire Lund and Morton from their jobs at the Condor Club, a North Beach landmark known as the nation’s first topless bar.
Police arrested Lund at his home in Dublin. Morton was taken into custody at San Francisco International Airport when she returned from a trip to Spain.
Police said Calcagni had returned home from work around 5 a.m. when he was shot. A passerby found his body on a nearby sidewalk about 90 minutes later.
From classic movies with live music to new tunes from Vampire Weekend and a Grateful Dead Celtic band, there’s a lot to see and hear this weekend in the Bay Area.
Here’s a partial rundown.
Classical picks: Hitchcock + orchestra; New Century
This week’s events light up the classical music scene with an iconic film score, a symphony at the opera, and a tribute to the seasons.
Halloween-appropriate: Scary enough? It has to be, when the San Francisco Symphony’s “Film with Live Orchestra” series presents Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” featuring composer Bernard Herrmann’s brilliantly spooky score. With the film on the big screen, conductor Conner Gray Covington will lead the orchestra in a live performance of the spine-tingling music. Come early to see the Symphony’s latest Art Installation, “Dia de los Muertos,” for a pre-show treat.
Symphony at the Opera: Since the start of fall, San Francisco Opera has brought dazzling productions to the stage; now, with “Parsifal” up and running and “The Monkey King” still to come, the company is presenting a concert conducted by company Music Director Eun Sun Kim. This one-night-only event features mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack singing works by Manuel de Falla; Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony completes the 90-minute program.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1; War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; $29-$250; sfopera.com.
New Century, new “Seasons”: The New Century Chamber Orchestra starts the fall season with Vivaldi’s beloved “Four Seasons,” along with works by Dvorak and Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova; conducted by company music director Daniel Hope, four performances are on the schedule.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at First Church UCC, Berkeley; 7:30 Oct. 31 at Empress Theatre, Vallejo; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; and 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at Osher Marin JCC, San Rafael; tickets $35-up; ncco.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
More movies and music
Fans of classic silent films can catch two of them — “Phantom of the Opera” and “Nosferatu” — at Grace Cathedral this weekend. But the real star of the events won’t be on the screen but seated at Grace Cathedral’s famed 7,500-pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ, which has been a key facet of the church since it was installed in 1934. The organ will be played by musician Dorothy Papadakos, who started out as a jazz pianist in her native Reno and has evolved into a world-renowned organ player, thanks in part to her long stint as organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York as well as her Grammy-winning stint with the Paul Winter Consort (their live album “Silver Solstice” remains a New Age/ambient classic).
Papadakos is, among other things, considered a talented improviser, which will come in hand in these gigs. She’ll accompany the 1925 silent version of “Phantom of the Opera” starring Lon Chaney, at 8 p.m. Oct. 30, and the 1922 version of “Nosferatu” — a film that was once ordered destroyed because it was deemed to be an unauthorized adaptation (read: ripoff) of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” — at 8 p.m. Oct. 31. The church — which is a San Francisco landmark and always worth a visit — is at Taylor and California streets in San Francisco. Tickets are $34.50-$44.50; go to www.sfjazz.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
Cool shows, great album
In late October of last year, Vampire Weekend performed two memorable sold-out shows — an evening gig, followed the very next day by a matinee performance — at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City. The shows included many longtime Vampire Weekend fan favorites, of course, such as “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” “A-Punk” and “Oxford Comma.”
Yet, the NYC-born indie-pop act — led by vocalist-lyricist-guitarist Ezra Koenig — also performed a wonderful assortment of cover songs during those two shows. The list includes a number of Big Apple-appropriate tunes, such as the easily recognizable “Seinfeld Theme,” the Frank Sinatra favorite “Theme From New York, New York,” the Ramones’ blistering “Blitzkrieg Bop” and Billy Joel’s classic “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” the latter of which was reportedly performed with a candlelit table and waiter in a tux on the Garden stage.
Other cuts to make the Vampire Weekend setlist were The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House,” The Surfaris’ “Wipe Out,” Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” and Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town.”
Now all VW fans can experience the shows thanks to “Weekend at the Garden,” a limited edition double-LP recorded during that epic NYC stand. The offering, which includes portions of the two performances rather than the complete shows, is part of the band’s Frog on the Bass Drum vinyl series.
The Shaker Theater is showing the original 1968 “Night of the Living Dead” in a warehouse with a haunted maze in October 2025 in Oakland. (Shaker Theater)
Pop-up theater brings scares to Bay Area
This Halloween, you can see a scary movie in your local AMC theater. Or you can watch one as perhaps it was meant to be watched: In a dark warehouse full of horrific decor, where it feels like zombies could break down the door any minute.
The Shaker Theater is a new underground pop-up cinema in a residential part of northern Oakland. For its inaugural run, it’s been playing George Romero’s 1968 “Night of the Living Dead” during October, with final runs up until Halloween evening. It’s the uncensored, 96-minute original preserved on real celluloid. There will be popcorn and soda and, for more fun, before the movie the theater is playing clips from its “deep archives of rare and bizarre material.” Think Halloween safety films, forgotten trailers and classic monster-movie moments.
To get into the screening, visitors must first navigate a “Corridor of Horror” designed by local artist Rob Vertigo. Picture a classic haunted house, but turned into spooky-maze form. Did your group just lose a member? It’s probably nothing to worry about, they’re no doubt right behind you …. Wait, that’s not Chad! (Screams.)
Details: Preshow begins at 6:30 p.m. and movie starts at 8 p.m.; 950 54th St., Oakland; $18 online or $20 at the door; instagram.com/shakertheater.
— John Metcalfe, Staff
Freebie of the week
We tend to think of great film experiences as those that expose us to brilliant camerawork, incisive dialogue, or a poignant or hilarious reflection on the world at large. But let’s not forget the joys that await us at the other end of the spectrum. There is nothing quite like experiencing a truly terrible film with a room full of gleefully derisive bad-movie fans. There’s a reason why “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” spawned three sequels and too many spoofs and homages to count, and it wasn’t John K. Culley’s nuanced cinematography. Halloween, it seems, is a favorite time to indulge in bad-movie bliss, probably because violent mutant vegetables and irritable aliens fit most comfortably in the horror genre.
And so it is that this week delivers the opportunity to view one of the most glorious and beloved bad movies of all time, “Robot Monster.” The film, in case the clever title doesn’t make it obvious, is about an alien robot sent to destroy Earth but who defies its orders when it saves an imperiled woman from certain death. The 1953 film took four days and $20,000 to make, $4,000 of which was spent on incorporating 3D technology. One of the stars was cast because he already owned a gorilla suit and therefore didn’t need to be costumed. So, yeah, this was not an extravagant production. Yet, it grossed $1 million in its first year and has gone on to be a favorite among those who revel in the wonders of wretched filmmaking. If such a buffet of bad moviemaking – in 3D!! – is your thing, “Robot Monster” will screen at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Internet Archive, 300 Funston Ave., San Francisco. The screening is free but if you feel like making a donation to the Internet Archive or co-presenter the Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society — both of which are dedicated to preserving humankind’s digital history — certainly no one would hold it against you.
When you think about it, Wake the Dead would be a tremendous name for a screeching-loud punk band or maybe a Goth band. But the real Wake the Dead is neither of those things. It is a collection of very talented Bay Area musicians merging two of their musical passions – Grateful Dead classics and Irish/Celtic music. The name is certainly appropriate, as it references the Dead as well as Irish wakes, which are known to be deeply heartfelt and celebratory affairs. The moniker also mirrors the title of the Dead’s 1973 album “Wake of the Flood,” the first recording the band released acting as its own label. Adding to the plays on words, the band’s annual gig at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley celebrates the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), the holiday widely observed in Mexico, in which family members and friends gather to honor loved ones who have passed away.
If all this is simply too much to ponder, just know that Wake the Dead will, per tradition, return to the Freight & Salvage on Nov. 1 to perform a Day of the Dead-themed show at which you are likely to hear high-energy Celtic takes on such Dead classics as “China Cat Sunflower” and “Eyes of the World.”
Details: The show begins at 8 p.m.; tickets are $26.50-$44; or you can livestream the show for $25; more information is at thefreight.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
Celebrating Día de los Muertos
The skeletons are dangling from the windows and looming merrily overhead the staircase in the festive lobby of Davies Hall, as the San Francisco Symphony gears up at 3 p.m. Nov. 1 to mount its 18th annual celebration of the Day of the Dead, the joyous Mexican tradition held to pay love and respect to ancestors who have passed on. The centerpiece of the festivities is a symphony concert, but multiple preconcert family-friendly activities are planned in the lobby and upper floors, including marigold flower making, offering-altar installations, a mariachi instrument petting zoo, sugar skull decorating and costumed dancers from Casa Círculo Cultural. The Symphony, conducted by Lina González-Granados, will perform traditional and contemporary Latin American music associated with the holiday, including Gabriela Ortiz’s “Kauyumari,” selections from Arturo Márquez’s “Espejos en la Arena,” the Intermezzo from Ricardo Castro’s “Atzimba” opera, Paul Desenne’s “Hipnosis Mariposa,” Jimmy Lopez’s “Loud,” Márquez’s popular Danzón No. 2 and Gabriela Lena Frank’s “The Mestizo Waltz.”
Details: Tickets, which are 50 percent off for those under 18, range from $27.50-$175; go to www.sfsymphony.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
An orchestral showcase
The San Francisco Opera takes a breather from its usual regimen of presenting full-fledged and lavish operatic productions to let Music Director Eun Sun Kim shine a solo spotlight on her instrumentalists in a single night concert of music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Manuel de Falla at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in War Memorial Opera House. The program opens with “Siete Canciones Populares Españolas,” a set of songs inspired by de Falla’s home country of Spain, sung by mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, and continues with the second orchestral suite from the same composer’s ballet “El Sombrero de Tres Picos” (“The Three-Cornered Hat”). Following the intermission, the concert will conclude with Beethoven’s mighty Fifth Symphony. Tickets, $29-$250, can be purchased through www.sfopera.com.
