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06 Jul Artist Fusion 1st Friday 2012, Oakland Events, Live Music Your positive energy is requested @ Artist Fusion 1st Friday. Enjoy Art, Professional Networking, Live Music, Spoken Word and…

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01 Jun Artist Fusion 1st Friday 2012, Oakland Events, Live Music Your positive energy is requested @ Artist Fusion 1st Friday. Enjoy Art, Professional Networking, Live Music, Spoken Word and…

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08 Jun Evolve 2nd Fridays All that is important is this one moment in movement. Make the moment important, vital, and worth living. Do not let it slip …

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San Ramon Area News

Bicyclist acquitted in hit and run, defense attorneys argue wrong man arrested

A bicyclist was acquitted of hit and run charges this week in connection with an incident last year in which an elderly pedestrian was run down, the San Francisco Public Defender's Office said Friday.

Matthew Grillone, 35, was charged with misdemeanor hit and run in connection with a Sept. 14, 2011 incident in which an elderly woman with a cane was run down by a bicyclist, Deputy Public Defender Abigail Rivamonte said in a statement. He was acquitted, however, after defense attorneys persuaded jurors that police might have arrested the wrong man.

"This was a classic case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time," Rivamonte said. "The only reason that Mr. Grillone was arrested was because he was wearing an orange Giants jersey and riding his bicycle close to where the incident happened."

The cyclist, who allegedly ran a red light at Fourth and Market streets, was described as wearing an orange San Francisco Giants jersey, a bicycle helmet and sunglasses. A good Samaritan attempted to chase him down, but he escaped.

The woman was not seriously injured.

Grillone was arrested at Fifth and Market streets a short time later while waiting for a light, after police determined that he matched the description of the cyclist. He was wearing an orange jersey at the time.

However, during his four-day trial, Rivamonte argued that the jerseys are common, especially on a game day, and noted that Grillone was not wearing a helmet or sunglasses, as described by witnesses. In addition, he was wearing a large backpack, which no witnesses could confirm seeing on the cyclist involved in the incident.

Neither the witnesses nor the victim identified Grillone as the perpetrator, said Rivamonte.

Jurors deliberated for less than a day before reaching a not guilty verdict Thursday afternoon.

The verdict comes as San Francisco prosecutors continue to weigh charges against cyclist Chris Bucchere in connection with a March 29 fatal collision. Witnesses told police that Bucchere ran a red light at Market and Castro streets and struck 71-year-old Sutchi Hui, who was walking east in a crosswalk.

Hui died at the hospital days later. District Attorney George Gascon said at the end of April that his office plans to file charges, but has not indicated whether the case will be prosecuted as a felony or a misdemeanor.

_{Fri, 25 May 2012 18:51:07 -0700}

Brown: Golden Gate Bridge a model for thinking big

A 75th anniversary celebration for the Golden Gate Bridge began Friday with California Gov. Jerry Brown comparing the landmark span to his own big dreams for the Golden State.

During a commemoration ceremony, Brown championed two proposals now facing criticism -- a $68 billion high-speed rail system and a $13 billion tunnel system to route fresh water under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Brown said there is huge potential in the 520-mile rail system that would stretch from San Francisco to Anaheim, and the giant tunnels that would boost water deliveries to farms and cities and improve habitat for fish.

The governor also told the audience that Californians should not shrink in the face of state budget cuts or higher taxes.

"Suck it in!" Brown said "We got to build, we got to do it right. And this bridge I think really expresses that sense."

The governor lightheartedly mentioned his family ties to the bridge, saying his father was once a member of the Bridge Authority and his older sister walked across it on the day it opened.

Brown also said that at 74, he is younger than the iconic bridge.

He said the bridge was built in the 1930s during a time of high unemployment and in the face of much skepticism. But it proved to be an important asset to future generations, much as the proposed rail and water systems could be, he said.

"So don't tell me about how much it's going to cost this year, think about how much will it give us over the next 100 years," Brown said.

He said time also should not be a factor, noting the Golden Gate took less than five years to build and many cathedrals took centuries. The high-speed rail system might take up to 10 years to finish, he said.

"We've got to get off this, `If it isn't built tomorrow or it isn't built now, I'm not going to do it,"' Brown said. "We are the result of those who came before us and we're connected to those who come after us."

That's also the lesson of the Golden Gate, he said.

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

U.S. House Minority Leader and San Franciscan Nancy Pelosi also attended the ceremony.

_{Fri, 25 May 2012 18:05:31 -0700}

Soldier finally buried after dying 62 years ago in Cold War mission

 Staff Sgt. Elbert Pollard was finally buried Friday at the National Cemetery in the Presidio with full military honors after he died while on a military mission more than 60 years ago.

Pollard died when his plane crashed while on a secret mission during the Cold War 62 years ago.

Pollard's daughter Betty Wheeler was only 2 years old at the time of his death and called his funeral a celebration.

"To be able to honor my father in this way and have so many people honoring him, it's a tremendous gift," Wheeler said.

Pollard was last seen on Valentine's Day in 1950 as he parachuted out of a B-36 bomber. He was just 28 years old.

The military said Pollard and his crew were on a secret training exercise, flying from Alaska to San Francisco, and practicing in case of war with the Soviet Union.

The plane was carrying a Mark 4 atomic bomb, but the air force has said the bomb lacked the plutonium core necessary for a nuclear blast. To this day, some question that.

A fisherman found remains, but it took years of DNA testing to determine it was Pollard.

"I started crying (when I found out), I couldn't believe it," Wheeler said.

Betty Wheeler showed KTVU a scrapbook she started of her dad, but her memories are understandably vague, except one.

"I know my father taught me to swim," Wheeler said. "A lot of people think I am crazy to say that, but I am positive he did."

She wanted her father buried over Memorial Day weekend.

Pollard had also served during World War II and was a prisoner of war in Germany.

Wheeler called her father a hero Friday.

"He's my father, of course he is hero to me," Wheeler said. "But I have been astounded by how so many people have come forth and acknowledged my dad is a hero."

_{Fri, 25 May 2012 17:58:01 -0700}

News Source: MedleyStory More Local News Stories