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2 men suspected of repeat abalone poaching

Two Oakland men suspected of abalone poaching in Mendocino County were arrested Thursday, the California Department of Fish and Game announced Friday.

Paul Chak Po Mak, 61, and Samuel Xing Sin, 41, were arrested as part of the "Operation Scoop and Run" investigation by the Department of Fish and Game and are suspected of poaching 84 abalone for commercial purposes between April 23 and May 21.

During the investigation, members of the department's special operations unit allegedly observed the two men taking large overlimits of abalone.

Both men were booked into Mendocino County Jail on suspected charges that include possession of abalone and intention to sell on the black market.

Abalone typically sell for up to $100 each on the black market, with bigger abalone tending to fetch much more.

Mak, who is currently on probation in Sonoma county for abalone-related convictions, is suspected of taking 52 abalone. Sin, who has a currently pending case related to abalone poaching and sales in Mendocino County, is suspected of taking 32 abalone.

"It is clear -- and disappointing -- that penalties from prior convictions failed to deter either of these men," said Department of Fish and Game Capt. Bob Farrell, who oversees the special operations unit.

According to the department, wardens serving search and arrest warrants at the homes of Mak and Sin seized abalone report cards and dive gear

_{Sat, 26 May 2012 20:13:59 -0700}

Golden Gate celebrates 75th with tours, fireworks

Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock to San Francisco's waterfront Sunday to mark the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th anniversary.

Celebrations were already under way during the Memorial Day holiday weekend at one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, including tours of the bridge and a festival featuring art exhibits, film screenings and music commemorating the iconic orange span.

Since it opened in 1937, more than two-billion vehicles have crossed the 1.7-mile-long bridge named after the Golden Gate Strait, the entrance of water to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean, and championed by engineer Joseph Strauss in the 1920s.

The most-anticipated celebrating will take place Sunday -- 75 years after the bridge officially opened --with events at multiple sites along a stretch of waterfront from Fort Point south of the bridge to Pier 39 along The Embarcadero.

The festivities will culminate with a monumental fireworks display Sunday night.

"It's going to be a big, historic day," Mary Currie, a bridge spokeswoman said Saturday. "Everything is going as well as expected."

The California Highway Patrol is urging attendees to use public transportation due to the heavy volume of traffic expected this weekend.

Slightly compounding matters, some ferry service across San Francisco Bay was disrupted Saturday as Golden Gate Ferry workers walked off their jobs as part of a one-day strike.

The strike comes after nearly a year of negotiations between union officials and ferry representatives. The parties are at odds over several matters including workload, said Marina Secchitano, regional director of the Inlandboatmen's Union.

"The timing was not intended to disrupt the bridge celebration," Secchitano said Saturday.

Currie called the one-day walkout unfortunate.

"We're doing everything we can to resolve matters in order to back in service on Sunday," Currie said.

California Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statement Saturday evening, saying that he was appointing a board to investigate the strike, which, he claimed, is creating a disruption to public service.

With the investigation, the Labor Code prohibits any further strike or lockout, according to the governor.

On Friday, Brown, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were among the dignitaries to present bridge officials with proclamations honoring the bridge. Lee and Pelosi later participated in ribbon-cutting ceremonies to usher in new sites on the bridge plaza, including a Pavilion welcome center.

Brown said the bridge continues to bridge generations.

"It connects one side to the other, and we are connected today to our past and to our future," Brown said."

Lee told the hundreds in attendance that the bridge stands for so much more than transportation and the symbol of San Francisco.

"It has become and continues to be the symbol of our international, world class reputation for progress, for growth and for continued innovation," Lee said. "I see this bridge as a symbol stronger than ever."

_{Sat, 26 May 2012 18:00:50 -0700}

USS Iowa on way to new home in Southern California

The USS Iowa has left San Francisco and is on its way to its new home in Southern California.

The historic battleship was surrounded by dozens of pleasure boats and other vessels as it made its way through San Francisco Bay Saturday.

The 887-foot long, 58,000-ton battlewagon is being towed to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, where it will be transformed into an interactive naval museum.

The Iowa as scheduled to leave last Sunday but its departure was delayed because of a storm system approaching California.

The move comes after ownership of the ship was officially transferred earlier this month from the U.S. Navy to the Pacific Battleship Center, the nonprofit organization that has been restoring the boat for its new mission.

_{Sat, 26 May 2012 16:19:47 -0700}

News Source: MedleyStory More Local News Stories