Anniversary of 1906 Earthquake

A survivor of San Francisco's 1906 earthquake and fire attended the pre-dawn ceremony commemorating the 102nd anniversary of the cataclysmic event.

Police, fire fighters and the volunteer who has led the annual tribute for 32 years made sure that Herbert Hamrol, age 105, arrived in a stylish and comfortable ride at Lotta's Fountain Friday morning.

Hamrol arrived in an immaculate vintage car, sat in the back seat and spun stories of the time when the earthquake struck and his family took him away to safety. He's the only survivor of the earthquake that attended the ceremony.

Bay Area Travel East For Pope's Visit

Pope Benedict XVI will visit Washington D.C. on April 15-17, 2008, and New York on April 18-20, 2008.

Benedict will make a brief stop April 18 at Park Street Synagogue, which is led by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, who lived under Nazi occupation in Budapest and emigrated in 1947 to the United States.

PLANNED EVENTS IN POPE BENEDICT XVI'S VISIT
- Tuesday, April 15 - Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
- Wednesday, April 16, 10:30 a.m. ET - Meeting with President Bush and the First Lady at the White House.
- Thursday, April 17, 10:00 a.m. ET - Mass at the new Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
- Thursday, April 17, 5 p.m. ET - Meetings at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
- Friday, April 18, 10:45 a.m. ET - Address to the United Nations in New York.
- Friday, April 18, 6 p.m. ET - Prayer service with at St. Joseph's Church, founded by German Catholics, in Manhattan.
- Saturday, April 19, 9:15 a.m. ET - Mass for priests, deacons and members of religious orders at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
- Saturday, April 19, 4:30 p.m. ET - Meeting young Catholics at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y.
- Sunday, April 20, 9:30 a.m. ET - Visit to Ground Zero, site of the disaster at the World Trade Center in New York.
- Sunday, April 20, 2:30 p.m. ET - Mass at Yankee Stadium in New York.

For more information, visit www.uspapalvisit.org.

Kung-Fu Star Might Chop Down Olympic Protestors

A 54-year-old man, speaking at the launch of latest movie Forbidden Kingdom, claimed many of the protestors are simply publicity seekers.

From Metro:

The Torch Relay's journey through Europe and North America has seen it become a magnet for protestors angry at China's human rights record and the clampdown in Tibet.

Kung-fu action hero Jackie Chan has warned anyone planning to stop him carrying the Olympic Torch he will come out fighting.

The Hong Kong hardman, whose films include Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon, is due to carry the torch when it nears Beijing, the venue for this summer's Olympic Games.

However, Chan insists anyone trying to protest on his watch can expect short shrift, warning: 'Demonstrators better not get anywhere near me.'

Student Suspended In Class Answering Phone Call

Brandon Hill has returned to school, but he still has the black mark on his record. His mother said she wants it removed and for the school to recognize the special needs of military children.

From KXAN:

A call from a parent stationed in a war zone has landed a Texas high school student in hot water, and his mother is asking the school to ease up on the punishment. The Copperas Cove High School sophomore received an urgent call from his father and was suspended after taking the call during class.

Master Sgt. Morris Hill is a world away in Iraq, so he had no idea that a simple call from the battlefield to his son, Brandon, would land the 16-year-old in a heap of trouble.

"He called me during class, because that's the only time that he could," said Brandon Hill, suspended for using a cell phone. "I answered the call as I was walking out of class. The teacher followed me out and said, 'Oh what are you doing?' I said my dad was calling from Iraq, and I know he needs to talk to me."

At the high school, which is 85 miles from Austin, students are not allowed to carry cell phones. Yet Pat Hill said before her husband left for Iraq, he made a special arrangement with the assistant principal.

An Angry China Vs. Pelosi

Protests plaguing the global Olympic torch relay, along with mounting criticism of China's handling of domestic unrest by Tibetans, have embittered many Chinese. Bristling at criticism in the run-up to the Summer Olympics, China is lashing back at its foreign critics by name.

From McClatchy:

Earlier this week, the state Xinhua news agency called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "disgusting." And on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu lambasted a CNN commentator, Jack Cafferty, for his "vicious" commentary on China.

Several foreign journalists, including correspondents for USA Today and The Times of London, say they've received death threats.

China went through similar periods of surging nationalism in April 2005 when anti-Japanese riots erupted in several cities and in 1999 when gangs attacked U.S. diplomatic installations in China after a U.S. bomb hit the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, killing three people.

As foreign leaders discuss whether to boycott the Olympics' opening ceremonies on Aug. 8, Chinese Internet sites are replete with their own mounting calls for boycotts of foreign goods, souring the mood as the nation prepares to host its biggest international event ever.

SF Supervisors Opposed Moth Spraying

Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution, introduced by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, which opposes the aerial chemical spraying by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

From KPIX:

San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to oppose aerial spraying to eradicate the invasive light brown apple moth, joining a growing number of Bay Area cities that oppose the state plan.

A second resolution, proposed by Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Tom Ammiano, also unanimously adopted by the board, urges the state to make maximum use of safe and tested ground-based methods to control the moth, complete an environmental impact report before any aerial spray program and ensure the state Environmental Protection Agency assesses the human health risk of the spraying.

Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval also spoke against the aerial spraying and cited University of California, Davis entomologist James Carey, who said that the program would not work to eradicate the invasive moth. Sandoval also said that the state had not provided a time cap for how often and for how long the spraying would last.

Opponents of the program claim that spraying may cause respiratory problems, skin rashes, headaches and other health issues and that the eradication program has not been proven to be safe, effective or necessary.

San Francisco Giants Mark 50th Anniversary

Tuesday marked the 50th anniversary of the first game played by the Giants at Seals Stadium, where they played the Dodgers on April 15, 1958.

From KPIX:

It's been 50 years since the San Francisco Giants brought major league baseball to the West Coast along with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The team formally recognized and celebrated the club's move West before the first pitch with Arizona at the Giants' new waterfront home at AT&T Park.

There also was an earlier ceremony held at the exact location of where Seals Stadium used to stand and a commemorative plaque was laid in the ground.