Lee looking into ways that sheriff can be removed

MATIER & ROSS

As San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi heads to court today to end to his legal troubles, hes facing another potential challenge. For the past week, Mayor Ed Lee has been in consultation with City Attorney Dennis Herrera on what would be needed to make the case that Mirkarimi should be removed from office. Basically it comes down to the question of whether someone convicted of unlawfully imprisoning his wife should be identified because of the sensitivity of issue. Lee had been prepared to suspend Mirkarimi on the spot if the sheriff had been found guilty of domestic violence for a New Years Eve incident involving his wife, and thus been barred from carrying a gun. But last weeks plea bargain, in which Mirkarimi admitted to the hazier charge of misdemeanor false imprisonment, threw the mayor for a loop. One problem is that for whatever reason, the district attorney has refused to hand over the tape, the source said, referring to the 55-second video of Mirkarimis wife, Eliana Lopez, tearfully showing a bruise on her arm that she says her husband inflicted. The video was obtained by search warrant, but the mayor has other ways to obtain it, said D.A. spokeswoman Stephanie Ong Stillman. The

Ed Lee

Dennis Herrera

Bay Area
TRANSIT

the sheriff of San Francisco, said one source close to the talks, who asked not to be

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Wet weather: Rainfall puts dent into states water deficit more on the way C2

Inside

San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Monday, March 19, 2012 | Section C Gxxxxx

Riders, BART gauge rain delays differently

Passengers say wet weather slows down trains not so, says official
By Michael Cabanatuan Many regular BART riders consider it one of the tenets of commuting: Rainy day? Expect delays. And while that certainly seemed to be the case this week when persistent rains coincided with frequent bursts of brief delays and slow-moving trains, BART officials say theres no cause and effect between rain and slow trains. No, thats not the case, said Jim Allison, a BART spokesman. Not from what Ive seen in the seven years Ive been here.
Michael Macor / The Chronicle

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BART riders stand in the rain at the West Oakland Station. Many riders believe that rains inevitably cause delays.

EDUCATION

CITY INSIDER

Brown can still bust a move in City Hall

Given that this is City Hall, where people love to talk and everything is political, theres been no shortage of theories about the recent appearance of a bust of former Mayor Willie Brown in the foyer in front of the mayors office. One staffer joked it must have a camera inside it so Brown, now a Chronicle columnist, can keep tabs on whos coming and going from his old office. Another quipped that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose bust is in the foyer along with that of her predecessor, former Mayor George Moscone, might have been tweaking Brown over dinner one night about his bust being on the first floor of City Hall near the lightly used Van Ness Avenue entrance. It turns out the explanation is much more mundane, said City Hall building manager Rob Reiter. Reiter said the pedestal under Browns bust needed to be repaired and the floor under it cleaned after an interior piece of plywood broke off. To move the bust and pedestal, Reiter had to crate the entire thing up.

Photos by Michael Macor / The Chronicle

Teacher Angela Grimes helps Tasi Lama during a ninth grade seminar, a unique program at Gateway High School in S.F.

AT&Ts big offer to curb dropouts

Julia Retzlaff asks a question during a ninth grade seminar at Gateway High. The program helps students adjust to high school.

By Jill Tucker Telecommunications giant AT&T said it will contribute $225 million to help reverse what many see as a nationwide student dropout crisis. The initiative, AT&T Aspire, is the companys response to calls for more corporate philanthropy directed at fixing the nations ills, said company officials. Ken McNeely, president of AT&T California, said the company chose to target

1 AT&T Aspire program: links.sfgate.com/ZLHZ

student dropouts, because the problem has become a national crisis. What this is and what we hope it to be is a real wakeup call, he said. AT&Ts investment is one of the largest corporate investments in education in history and expands on a smaller program the compaDropouts continues on C2

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C2 | Monday, March 19, 2012 | San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com

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BAY AREA

BART, riders gauge delays differently

BART from page C1

WEATHER

BARTs system performance statistics back him up. During the past two rainy seasons, 92 to 93 percent of trains were on time, and passengers arrived at their destinations on schedule about 95 percent of the time. BARTs standards call for passengers to arrive ontime 96 percent of the time and to have 94 percent of trains on schedule. Allison said this weeks delays were caused by equipment failures, tied in part to the systems aging infrastructure. They included trains with brakes that wouldnt release, a malfunctioning switch that allows trains to switch tracks and a piece of protective covering that shields the electric third rail falling onto the rails in a subway section. But BART can, and does, have some problems when it rains, Allison acknowledged. The entire system is dependent on electricity, he said, and the equipment is 40 years old, including much of the cabling. On occasion, water makes contact with

the electrical equipment and can short it out. Downpours have shorted out electrical substations and cables in the past, he said, causing delays. When it rains, BART also alters its computer programs to slow the acceleration of trains in certain areas to prevent them from spinning their wheels. But those delays, he said, are typically less than 30 seconds. Its nothing that would be noticed by passengers, he said. Yet many passengers seem convinced that the rain slows trains. It seems like whenever there are extremes, BART has trouble, said Paul, a daily commuter from the East Bay, who did not want to give his last name. It happens when it rains, but when its really hot, it breaks down, too. Maybe it has to do with all the electrical stuff. Others say BART is a reliable way to travel in the rain. I dont really notice any problems when it rains, said Auwaza Imara, 61, a registered nurse from Castro Valley. What I like about BART

Rain alleviates water deficit more on the way

By Erin Allday Californias not going to hit its normal rainfall totals this year, but last weeks storms made a good dent in the water deficit and more rain is expected over the next several days, forecasters said Sunday. Tahoe-area ski resorts got another 15 inches of snow overnight Saturday, making a weekend total of 55 inches in some parts of the Sierra, and it was still snowing Sunday afternoon. Both the mountains and the Bay Area should get a day or two of reprieve before the next storm drifts in on Tuesday. The recent rains moved us a little further up the deficit ladder, said Diana Henderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Monterey. Were halfway there in some places, but were nowhere near being normal, Henderson said. If we did get enough rain to be normal, wed be floating. The latest storm was a little more aggressive than usual for this late in the season, Henderson said, noting that there were reports of hail in some areas, and snow in some of the lower elevations. This week, the Bay Area should expect a similar pattern of off-andon rain at least until the weekend. Temperatures in San Francisco will sit in the low to mid-40s overnight and upper 50s during the day, Henderson said. The weekend is still up in the air, though, said Tom Dang, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. One weather model shows another storm similar to last weekend, while another shows no storm at all. At the very least, it looks like the un-winterlike weather the states experienced so far is over, Dang said. The important thing is that the mega ridge of high pressure from December, January, February theres no sign of that returning in the next week or two, Dang said. At least well have these weak storm systems moving through, and thats really good for water situation. Anythings good at this point. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. eallday@ sfchronicle.com any change that cuts down on that delay can speed up travel times significantly, officials said. Plans to implement back-door boarding have been discussed for years, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has already made changes, such as installing Clipper card readers on back doors in preparation, said agency spokesman Paul Rose. But before all-door boarding can begin, the agency will have to hire more fare inspectors and launch a public outreach campaign to inform readers of the change, Rose said. Currently, fare evasion is high on Munis bus routes because ticket inspectors are not common sights, as they are on the light-rail lines, Boden said. Right now, frankly, everyone knows you can get away with it on the bus, but not so much on the LRV, Boden said.
Ellen Huet

Michael Macor / The Chronicle

A train leaves the Rockridge Station. Riders and BART officials dont see eye to eye on rain delays.

is that its usually on time. While the rains impact on trains may be debatable, some stormy day problems are undeniable. High winds sometimes blow debris including large trees onto the tracks, temporarily halting service, Allison said. Leaks at some stations, such as Powell Street, cause puddles at entryways and inside the station, and force station agents to put out buckets to collect dripping water and barricades to steer passengers around the slippery spots. At Orinda

station Thursday, water pouring from a leaky roof forced the closure of some of the fare gates. BART puts extra maintenance workers on duty during storms, and in preparation for the rainy season, trims trees bordering its tracks and stations. But BART officials also urge passengers to be cautious and aware of slick surfaces and puddles in stations. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Twitter: @ctuan. mcabanatuan@ sfchronicle.com

AT&T to offer big grants

Dropouts from page C1

ny launched in 2008. Grant applicants will find few strings attached: only that they have a dropout-prevention program with a successful track record and, for nonprofits, that they have strong ties to school districts. Applications that include efforts connected to science, technology, math or engineering will be rated higher, company officials said. Grants will range from $100,000 to $300,000. Were not pretending to know better than anyone else whos been studying these issues, McNeely said. We believe there are wonderful programs that need to be scaled up. The dropout problem Overall, the dropout rate in California is about 18 percent. The rate is 22 percent for Latino students and 29 percent for African American students. Effective strategies for combatting the problem include tutoring and mentoring, after-school programs, safe schools, career training and early literacy, according to the National Dropout Prevention Center. AT&T officials were expected to announce the grant program today at several locations around the country, including San Francisco. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said he would love to see other businesses do what AT&T is doing. As businesses grow, I want them to feel they can invest in the city for good reasons, Lee said. McNeely said he was optimistic that efforts like AT&Ts will help keep more students in school, but it

Michael Macor / The Chronicle

CITY INSIDER
From page C1

Gateway High in San Francisco received a $100,000 grant from AT&Ts initial dropout program in 2008.

will take hard work. We have wonderful schools. We have wonderful teachers. Its a daunting task we are asking of them, McNeely said. Working together the public sector, the private sector we can make a difference. The new grant money expands on the companys $100 million investment in 2008 to reduce dropouts. Gateway High School in San Francisco was among the first recipients, receiving $100,000 to put on a ninth grade seminar to help students adjust to high school and learn organizational skills, note taking, drug and alcohol awareness, among other topics. I think it just teaches you stuff you dont learn in other classes how to act in society and stuff, said freshman Cara Lobue, 15. Those skills can be key to keeping students on track to graduate, educators said. We have found over the years that one of the biggest struggles that we have is when our students arrive in ninth grade, theyre all over the map in core academic skills, study skills, homework, organization, said Sharon Olken, the charter schools executive director.

The numbers arent final, but Gateways class of 2012, the first to take the ninth grade seminar, has had the greatest retention rate, with 116 students scheduled to graduate, Olken said. AT&T points to the Gateway seminar as the kind of program with a proven track record that should be expanded through the corporate grant. Cynics Yet cynics might question the influx of any corporate funding in public schools. Few such donations come without self-interest. Cash, technology or classroom materials donated by companies can buy a positive public image and a future customer base. AT&T officials said they are hoping they are buying a future workforce that comes with the science and technology skills companies will need. Theres no quid pro quo here, said Anne Wintroub, AT&T director of citizenship and sustainability. We are a huge company. We need an excellent workforce here. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. jtucker@ sfchronicle.com

Browns bust was sitting across from that of former city engineer Michael OShaughnessy, who developed the Hetch-Hetchy water system. OShaughnessys bust is set to be moved this summer to the new Public Utilities Commission building, which would have left Browns bust a bit isolated, Reiter said. Since he had it crated, Reiter said he figured, why not just move it? There was no politics involved, he said. After all, Brown had actually asked in 2005 for his bust to be moved, saying at the time the Van Ness entrance location is a much better spot, better lighting, more prominent.
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Faster boarding: Transit riders face only a few more months of inching through a long line to board at the front of a Muni bus while the back door stands closed and unused. Muni buses are set to start all-door boarding in July, following the success of all-door boarding on light-rail Muni lines, officials said. Its really a win-winwin, said Robert Boden, a board member of the San Francisco Transit Riders Union. It improves reliability, makes trips quicker and saves money. Under the new boarding system, riders paying cash would still board at the front, but riders with a transfer or a Clipper card could board through any door. Muni buses spend an estimated 15 to 20 percent of their time waiting for passengers to board, so

Now peeking: The San Francisco Zoos newest red-necked wallaby was born in September, but the young joey only peeked its head out of the pouch a few weeks ago, zoo officials said. Visitors can spot the joey poking its head out at the zoos Australian Walkabout exhibit. The joey crawled into the pouch of his mother, Sydney, right after birth and just emerged, said Jim Nappi, the zoos curator of hoofstock and marsupials. Because the joey hasnt left the pouch completely yet, its gender is not yet known. The joey is the zoos third red-necked wallaby. The Australian marsupials can grow to 3 feet tall and weigh up to 60 pounds. The joey should venture out of the pouch soon, but Nappi couldnt predict when that might happen.
Ellen Huet

Twitter: @sfinsider. E-mail: cityinsider@ sfchronicle.com