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From New York City to the Middle East: Taylor Ross’s Journey as a Custom Furniture Designer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

In the realm of furniture design, where artistry and craftsmanship merge, there is a quiet visionary who not only brings forth exquisite pieces, but also bridges cultures and continents. Meet Taylor Ross, the maestro behind Chronicle Home, a furniture haven using both bespoke and production methods to blend artisanal craft with modern design sensibilities.In this piece, we delve into the fascinating world of a man who thrives on the delicate dance between cultures, languages, and craft.Creating Furniture with Heart and SoulAt the heart of Chronicle Home lies a passion for the design of furniture that transcends mere utility. Ross, the founder and creative force behind the brand, brings a unique blend of artistry and technical prowess to every project. His designs aren’t just his designs; different artisans on different continents originate each piece. Each one participates in the design process and reaps financial rewards from sales as well. Only a few of the main designs of C...

The iPhone 15 and five other takeaways from Apple’s big event

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

(CNN) — Apple unveiled its iPhone 15 lineup along with other major updates during its September keynote event on Tuesday. The company announced it will switch to USB-C charging from its proprietary Lightning charging cable with the iPhone 15, marking a milestone for the company by adopting universal charging. The change aims to ultimately streamline the charging process across various devices — and brands.The company also showed off its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, with new colors and features including gesture control, and a new iteration of its AirPods Pro wireless earbuds, also with USB-C charging. The iPhone charger update, along with changes to its design and camera system, comes as Apple looks to give consumers more reasons to upgrade their iPhones. Last month, Apple’s sales fell for the third consecutive quarter. iPhone revenue came in at $39.7 billion for the quarter, marking an approximately 2% year-over-year decline, as people update the...

Kim, Putin to meet as both are locked in standoffs with West

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

By Kim Tong-Hyung | Associated PressSEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s Kim Jong Un rolled through Russia on an armored train Tuesday toward a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, a rare encounter between isolated leaders driven together by their need for support in escalating standoffs with the West.Kim is expected to seek economic aid and military technology for his impoverished country, and, in a twist, appears to have something Putin desperately needs: munitions for Russia’s grueling war in Ukraine.It’s a chance for the North Korean leader to get around crippling U.N. sanctions and years of diplomatic isolation. For Putin, it’s an opportunity to refill ammunition stores that the war has drained.Any arms deal with North Korea would violate the sanctions, which Russia supported in the past.Kim’s personal train stopped in Khasan, a station on the Russia-North Korea border, early Tuesday where it was met by a military honor guard and a brass band. He w...

Castro Valley High School music teacher charged with molesting student for years, including on campus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

CASTRO VALLEY — A former Castro Valley High School music teacher has been charged with sexually abusing a student, alleged crimes that police say were discovered by students at the school before his arrest.Keita Hasegawa, who taught band at Creekside Middle School before moving to the high school in 2021, was charged with seven felonies, including multiple child molestation charges, a count of meeting a minor for lewd purposes and enhancements alleging he targeted a “vulnerable” victim and abused a “position of trust.”Jail records indicate Hasegawa is not yet in custody and an Alameda County Sheriff’s spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry about whether he’s been arrested.Hasegawa met the alleged victim when she was an 11-year-old middle school student, according to police, who say the girl told police that he had kissed her when she was just 13. Police allege that the sexual abuse progressed from there after the girl ent...

Sale closed in Oakland: $2.5 million for a four-bedroom home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

782 Rosemount Road – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the 700 block of Rosemount Road in Oakland was sold on Aug. 4, 2023. The $2,450,000 purchase price works out to $832 per square foot. The house, built in 1937, has an interior space of 2,946 square feet. This two-story home offers a capacious living environment with its four bedrooms and four baths. In addition, the home includes a two-car garage, offering generous space for vehicles and storage requirements.Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include:A 1,555-square-foot home on the 600 block of Mandana Boulevard in Oakland sold in July 2023, for $1,300,000, a price per square foot of $836. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Longridge Road, Oakland, in June 2022, a 2,166-square-foot home was sold for $1,910,000, a price per square foot of $882. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In April 2023, a 2,287-square-foot home on Mandana Boulevard in Oakland sold for $1,953,000, a price p...

Letters: Political will | Frustrating economy | Aging politicians | Phony domino

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Criminal justice reformrequires political willRe: “Supervisors warily embrace reform plan for criminal justice” (Page A1, Sept. 8).I continue to be baffled, discouraged and disappointed in the words and actions of Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Nate Miley.Earlier this year, the East Bay Times reported that Miley applauded the progress of the reparations task force. Nevertheless, when asked if he had taken the time to read a report that recommended solutions to racial disparities within the county’s criminal justice system, Miley responded that he had not read the report. I wasn’t surprised.Decarceration strategies will always seem hard when there is no political will to support them. Miley supported an ordinance that locks up sideshow spectators, and he continues to promote an ever-increasing, unpopular expansion project to Santa Rita Jail. Hypocrisy has become his modus operan...

California legislature passes bills removing roadblocks for new housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

The California State Legislature on Monday passed two bills intended to streamline housing permitting, despite opposition from some communities arguing the bills will strip them of local control.The first, Senate Bill 423, would extend a 2017 state housing law set to expire in 2026 that allows developers to bypass certain parts of the permitting process in cities that are behind on meeting state-mandated housing goals. While the existing law only applies to subsidized affordable housing, SB 423 allows developers of mixed-income multifamily housing to take advantage of the streamlined process, too. A second bill, Senate Bill 4, would allow religious institutions and nonprofits to build affordable housing on their land, even if local zoning prevents it.“Enacting SB 4 and 423 will add powerful tools to our arsenal in combating the housing crisis,” said Sen. Scott Wiener, the bills’ sponsor, in a statement.Proponents of SB 423 — including the California Housing Consortium and Cali...

San Jose: Want to be among the first to eat at Rollati Ristorante? Reservations are now being accepted

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

At long last, Rollati.The highly anticipated restaurant anchor for downtown San Jose’s highest towers, Miro, will open for business Friday, 19 months after Vine Hospitality leased the 6,800-square-foot space from Bayview Development Group.Reservations have filled up for the inaugural weekend, but are available via Open Table for the coming week and beyond. A limited number of walk-ins will be seated.The restaurant at Fourth and Santa Clara streets — with tableside views of City Hall and its striking dome — is the first all-Italian concept from Vine, which owns and operates the Bay Area’s largest chain of French restaurants, Left Bank, as well as two LB Steak houses, Meso Mediterranean and Camper. The group was founded by noted chef Roland Passot and is led by CEO Obadiah Ostergard.The inaugural menu emphasizes house-made pasta made in an exhibition kitchen, including Orecchiette di Salsiccia, Rigatoni alla Vodka and Spaghetti alla Limon (with crab and lobster...

Cal Fire battling vegetation fire northeast of Napa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

(BCN) -- Cal Fire is battling a vegetation fire northeast of the city of Napa, the agency said at 3:55 p.m. Tuesday. The fire is burning near the 1600 block of Wooden Valley Road and is between 10 and 15 acres, Cal Fire said. Westfield mall operators sued by American Eagle over ‘rampant criminal activity’ Dubbed the "Alta Fire," the blaze is in grass-oak woodlands and has a moderate rate of spread. Cal Fire is employing eight fire engines, four air tankers, two helicopters and bulldozers to put out the fire. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Oriental fruit flies trigger quarantines in Contra Costa, Santa Clara counties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:00 GMT

(BCN) -- Parts of Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties are under quarantine for the oriental fruit fly after the discovery of multiple flies in each county, according to a statement Tuesday from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. In Contra Costa County, detections near Brentwood and Oakley resulted in a quarantine zone covering 99 square miles, bordering the San Joaquin River to the north, Marsh Creek State Park to the south; Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve to the west, and Old River to the east. Detections in Santa Clara County cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale have resulted in a quarantine zone covering 112 square miles, bordering Coyote Creek to the north; Saratoga to the south; Mountain View to the west, and Alum Rock to the east. San Francisco tech company laying off 17% of its staff A link to the quarantine maps can be found at www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/off/regulation.html. "Invasive fruit flies are serious pests for California's orchards an...