Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news:
The High School Inside a Jail // Mission Local
"Mission resident Annelise Wunderlich and San Francisco filmmaker Richard O’Connell have finished principal photography on their documentary “The Corridor,” a film about Five Keys, the first-ever high school within an adult jail – the San Francisco County Jail. To raise finishing funds, they’ve launched a kickstarter campaign.
"'Our goal is not to make the case for a restorative approach to criminal justice, nor is the film a promotion of any particular strategy,' said co-producer Annelise Wunderlich. 'But we do hope that it will provide insight into the potential for jail-based education to reduce recidivism, while allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions about some of the larger issues like mass incarceration, the ‘School to Jail’ pipeline, and the legacy of the ‘War on Drugs’.'"
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Big lineup for 58th S.F. International Film Fest // SF Examiner
"… Now the longest-running film festival in the Americas, the SFIFF launches its 58th edition this week. More than 180 films from 46 countries screen in 15 days at the Castro Theatre, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, Clay Theatre and other venues. “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine,” Alex Gibney’s new documentary, will get things rolling at 7 p.m. April 23 at the Castro.
"The lineup includes high-profile upcoming theatrical releases and under-the-radar fare. “Mr. Holmes,” Bill Condon’s drama about a retired Sherlock, played by Ian McKellen, is on the bill (12:30 p.m. April 25 at the Kabuki) as are selections from countries ranging from Argentina to Zimbabwe that may never see U.S. distribution. Short films, classics, experimental fare, awards presentations and special events also are featured."
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New California proposal: Use less electricity, pay more // SF Chronicle
"In the next four years, Californians who use the least electricity may see their utility bills go up — while those who use the most get a break. State energy regulators on Tuesday proposed major changes to the way residents pay for electricity in the biggest overhaul of utility rates since California’s energy crisis more than a decade ago.
"The state’s big, investor-owned utility companies currently charge different prices for electricity based on four “tiers” of usage as a way to encourage conservation. The proposal issued Tuesday by two administrative law judges at the California Public Utilities Commission would cut that number to two tiers by 2019, with only a 20 percent difference between the prices charged for each. Right now, PG&E’s top residential tier charges twice as much for electricity as the bottom tier."
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Public toilets expanding to SoMa // SF Examiner
"San Francisco’s celebrated program to reduce human feces and urine on Tenderloin streets is expanding to South of Market. Today, Supervisor Jane Kim, whose district includes both neighborhoods, and Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru are expected to be on hand for the grand opening of the supervised toilets in SoMa.
"The new location is Sixth and Jessie streets. The operation includes two toilets and sinks, along with a receptacle for used needles. Pit-Stop, which is run by DPW, previously only operated in three locations in the Tenderloin."
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New Charging Stations Let Electric Cars Run on Sunshine // Hoodline
"Just in time for Earth Day, a solar-powered charging station for electric and hybrid vehicles has been installed on the Embarcadero at Green Street—handily and not coincidentally, right across from the Exploratorium, that bastion of fascinating science fun that also happens to have a solar-paneled roof.
"While the museum had nothing to do with it, the people in charge did choose the spot intentionally, "We’re trying to find places that are diverse, that are highly visible, where people either walk by or drive by,” said Maureen Blanc, director of Charge Across Town, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting electric transportation in the Bay Area. It landed grants to buy the stations from San Diego-based Envision Solar and worked with the city to place them."
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Rotting whale gets graffitied in Pacifica // SF Gate
"There appears to be no end to what people will graffiti, and a massive mound of rotting whale flesh in Pacifica hit by taggers proves it.
"Whether one can “deface” a festering heap of blubber is debatable. But beach-goers who set out to catch a glimpse and whiff of the whale that washed up last week seem ticked off at the group — ostensibly the East Bay Rats Motorcycle Club — whose name was emblazoned in paint."