Bay Curious

Western monarch butterflies migrate to California to overwinter each year, traveling hundreds, even thousands of miles When they arrive, they need nectar flowers and milkweed to survive, but climate change, pesticide use and loss of habitat are threatening these magical creatures. A Bay Curious listener named Ellea wants to know what we can do to help support the Monarchs and other pollinators. One major learning from this episode: It's illegal to rear monarchs without a permit! Additional Reading How You Can Help Save the Monarch Butterfly and Other Pollinators Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious newsletter reader Mike Robbins wrote to us saying he has thousands of dollars in toll violations and penalties. The number seemed so high we were incredulous. But, it turns out if you miss a few toll invoices, or don't pay them quickly enough, it's easy for a $6 or $7 toll fee to escalate into thousands of dollars of debt. We explain how and what's being done about it. Additional Reading Hit With Bridge Toll Debt? We Explain the Change That's Led to Skyrocketing Bills for Drivers 'High Pain, Low Gain': How Bridge Toll Penalties Pile Debt on Lower-Income Drivers Ways to Pay Your Toll, Invoice or Violation Reported by Dan Brekke. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When trying to identify a San Francisco accent, sometimes people point to the "Mission Brogue." But San Franciscans have always had many ways of speaking. Naming just one the San Francisco accent says more about who has political power than how people speak. Additional Reading: Why the Myth of the 'San Francisco Accent' Persists Uncovering the Real Story Behind the 'East Bay Mystery Walls' Tunnels Under San Francisco? Inside the Dark, Dangerous World of the Sewers Reported by Chloe Veltman. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area is full of World War II history, even if it isn't always obvious. Listener Lise Ciolino stumbled on some in her Sausalito neighborhood when she learned that during the war there was a huge shipyard there. She wants to know "how the Liberty Ships produced in Sausalito affected the outcome of World War II." Additional Reading How Black Shipyard Workers in Marin Helped Win World War II Rapping About the WWII Black Shipyard Workers in Marin "A Way Out of No Way" on Spotify Reported by Pendarvis Harshaw and Marisol Medina-Cadena. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Ceil Muller, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lenore Kenny has noticed an uptick in autonomous vehicles on the streets of San Francisco in recent months. Specifically, she's seen a lot of white Jaguar SUVs with "Waymo" stamped on the sides. We dig into why there are more driverless cars on the road now and what they're doing. Additional Reading: You're Not Imagining It: There Are More Driverless Cars in SF Now Come play trivia with us on December 8, 2021. Reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kindergartner Caleb Whan is fascinated by whales. He wants to know all about what they eat and where they live. We've got answers for him and for another Bay Curious question asker, Ellea, who wonders why more whales have been washing up dead on Bay Area beaches in recent years. Additional Reading: More Whales Are Washing Up Dead on Bay Area Beaches. Why? The Biggest Whales Can Eat the Equivalent of 80,000 Big Macs in One Day Sign up for Bay Curious Trivia December 8, 2021! Reported by Amy Mayer. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Christopher Cox, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Ron Hewlett heard a rumor that several alleys in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood are named for Gold Rush era sex workers. He wondered if it was true. Plus, why does San Francisco stamp the names of streets into the sidewalks? There's a lot in a name, folks! Additional Reading: Were S.F. Streets Really Named After Gold Rush Era Sex Workers? Why Are Street Names Stamped Into S.F Sidewalks? Come play trivia with the Bay Curious team on Dec 8th, 2021! Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve grown up with the legend of La Llorona, you might be surprised to see how she’s depicted in a two-story mural at 24th and York Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. Instead of the ghost of a wailing woman, crying out for the very children she murdered, in this mural La Llorona is a protector of children, and she reflects the environmental struggles of women around the world. In today’s episode we delve into modern interpretations of La Llorona, and how she has revealed herself as a feminist icon. Additional Reading: Learn more about Juana Alicia's "La Llorona's Sacred Waters" on her website Reported by Sebastian Miño-Bucheli. Edited by Carly Severn and Olivia Allen-Price. Special thanks to Lina Blanco, Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Erika Aguilar and Gabriella Frenes. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recommend you listen to this episode on headphones. Join us around the campfire to hear three ghost stories, some of them decades old, and all of from right here in the Bay Area. Featuring Wes Leslie of The Haunt Ghost Tours, Tommy Netzband of Haunted Haight Walking Tour and the San Francisco Ghost Society and storyteller JP Frary. Additional Reading Ghost Stories and Macabre Tales to Binge This Halloween Chilling Histories of California Event at KQED Bay Curious Newsletter Sign-Up Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Toven-Lindsey, Vinnee Tong, Don Clyde and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listener Clayton Schloss sent Bay Curious this question: "Why do so many people have bumper stickers on their cars from the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz? What is that place?" Reporter Amanda Font takes us on a journey to "the Spot," where perception appears to bend reality. Additional Reading/Listening: What's Behind One of California's Most Ubiquitous Bumper Stickers? The California Report Magazine Podcast Reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Help on this episode from Suzie Racho, Victoria Mauleon, Sasha Khokha. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the show, we hear the tale of the Bay Bridge Trolls, who have been keeping the Bay Bridge safe since 1989. Plus, we get to know more about an oft-overlooked but very cool dragon sculpture on the Broadway Tunnel in San Francisco. It's a transit sculpture special! Photos and Additional Reading: The Tale of the Bay Bridge Troll Hiding In Plain Sight: The Dragon Sitting on Top of S.F's Broadway Tunnel Reported by Christopher Beale and Rae Alexandra. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You'll find millions of graves in Colma, but hardly any in San Francisco. This week on Bay Curious we dig into the history on how that came to be. Plus, we'll get to know more about some of the famous people buried in Colma. Additional Reading: Why Are There So Many Graves in Colma? And So Few in San Francisco? MAP: Where to Find Some of the Most Famous People Buried in Colma Reported by Jon Brooks and Sebastian Miño-Bucheli. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drive around downtown Redwood City and you're sure to see the city slogan on a big arching signs: "Climate Best by Government Test." The slogan caught the attention of Lauren Tankeh of San Carlos, who wanted to know if it's true. “Does Redwood City actually have the best weather?” Today on the show we look at the history of the town slogan. Plus: We answer a question from another listener about the origins of Los Gatos. It's a Peninsula special! Additional Reading: Can Redwood City Really Boast "Climate Best By Government Test”? Yes and No... Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Christopher Cox, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Krisi Riccardi was a girl, her father used to take her on leisurely Sunday drives down Highway 1. She'd enjoy the beautiful scenery until they hit Pacifica, where something odd always caught young Krisi’s attention — a stone castle perched high on the hill. Not exactly what you'd expect to find in a laid-back beach town. “As I got older we would walk up to this castle and walk around it. I’ve never been inside, but I looked over the wall. I’m now 68 and I always wondered what the history was of this castle,” Krisi said. She isn’t the only one curious about this place. Her question won a Bay Curious voting round. Today, Katrina Schwartz takes us inside the castle to explore why it was built, and the many lives this place has lived. Additional Reading: Rum Running, Ghosts and Speakeasies: The Many Lives of Pacifica’s Castle Sam Mazza Foundation website Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terese O'Malley commuted across the Richmond-San Rafael bridge for years, and always wondered about a landmark visible from the bridge: San Quentin State Prison. The maximum-security prison sits on a primo piece of waterfront property in Marin County that would likely sell for an unfathomable sum in today's market. "How did Marin end up with San Quentin prison?" she asked Bay Curious. And why hasn't it moved? Editor's Note: We finished production on this week’s story about San Quentin prison in February 2020, just before Coronavirus took hold. In the months that followed, a few cases at the prison grew to more than 2,200. Ultimately two-thirds of people at San Quentin got infected, and 29 people died. It was one of the deadliest outbreaks in the nation’s prison system. Things have mostly turned the corner now that the majority inside are vaccinated, but questions remain about how things were handled. Long term effects from the outbreak are still being felt. In addition to our episode, we encourage you to listen to The Bay's episode from April about life at San Quentin today. Additional Resources: The Lasting Impact of COVID-19 in San Quentin State Prison (The Bay podcast episode) Court Hearing Examines Whether San Quentin’s Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak Could Have Been Prevented Reported by Kelly O'Mara. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Christopher Cox, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re looking at four big solutions California could tackle that would help us survive a megadrought. We're talking stuff like changes to our infrastructure and reprioritizing how we use water throughout the state. Additional Reading: 12 Important Things to Know About California's Drought One of the Most Important New Water Laws in 50 Years Explained Will California Drought Force Changes in Historic Water Rights? Reported by Ezra David Romero. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Buchelli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of listeners, including Steve Held, want to know why Bay Area cities aren't investing more in desalination plants as a long term fix to our water problems. We’re a state with 840 miles of coastline. Most of our big population areas are near the ocean. Why don’t we have more desalination plants? In this episode, we'll also talk about wastewater recycling and water budgeting. Additional Reading: What Can Local Water Agencies Do to Boost Water Supply? (Transcript) Desalination's Future in California Is Clouded by Cost and Controversy KQED's Desalination archive Water Recycling Comes of Age in Silicon Valley Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Bianca Taylor, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even though California’s population has grown since 2017, we’re using 16% less water. Good job everyone! We’ve already made some big strides in water conservation that are paying off. Today, we’re going to look at more ways individuals can conserve water at home. Additional Reading: Three Big Ways to Save Water at Home 12 Simple Ways to Conserve Water at Home During a California Drought Reported by Nina Sparling. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Kevin Stark, Katie McMurran and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've been flirting with exceptional drought on and off in California for many years now. Bay Curious listener Nicholas Hardy is wondering if it's time to call it a megadrought. That got us wondering: what is a megadrought and are we in one? Additional Reading: Is California In A Megadrought? (Transcript) Megadrought Conditions Not Seen For 400+ Years Have Returned to the West, Scientists Say Reported by Amy Mayer. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Kevin Stark, Katie McMurran and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of us in the Bay Area, the journey our water takes to reach us is hidden from view. It travels long distances, sometimes more than a hundred miles! That can leave us disconnected from the source. We go about our days oblivious to how precarious our water resources might be. Today we’re going to answer what seems like a really simple question: where does our water come from? Because where your city gets its water has a lot to do with how you’re experiencing the drought right now. Additional Reading Bay Area: Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From? Russian River Drought: Sonoma and Mendocino Residents Save the Little Water They Have San Jose Relies On Water From the Sierra Nevada. Climate Change Is Challenging That System Gripped By Drought, Marin Considers Desalination, Water Pipeline Over the Richmond Bridge Reported by Ezra David Romero. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Buchelli, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Prichett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is in drought. Again. And the infrastructure used to sustain the state's 40 million residents — and $50 billion agriculture industry — hasn't kept up with new climate patterns. In Episode 1 of our State of Drought series we explore why some experts say changing our mindset about drought may be the hardest, and best, thing we can do to survive a hotter, drier future. Additional Reading: How Should We Be Thinking About A Hotter, Drier Future? (Transcript) A Delta In Distress Will California Drought Force Change to Historic Water Rights? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dutch Crunch is a common find at Bay Area sandwich shops, but get 10 miles outside of the Bay and that option disappears. Jonathan Hillis and Lauren Alexander sent this question to the Bay Curious team: “Where does Dutch Crunch bread come from? How does everyone know about San Francisco sourdough, but not about the Bay Area’s best bread?” Reporter Amanda Font took on the task to bring us the goods. Additional Reading: Dutch Crunch: A Bay Area Favorite, But Not a Bay Area Original Reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, and Vinnee Tong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may have thought we were done with elections for a little while, but there's another big one coming up. On September 14th, Californians will vote on whether or not to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. Here's a primer with nitty-gritty voting details, some context for the campaign, and what you'll find on your ballot. Additional Reading: Your Guide to the Gavin Newsom Recall Election How to Make Sure Your Mail-In Ballot Isn't Rejected Please take the Bay Curious survey! Reported by Guy Marzorati. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Ricky Tjandra used to work helping international students find families to stay with in the Bay Area. In Daly City, he worked with many Filipino families, which got him wondering how the city became such a hub for Filipino Americans. Additional Reading In Daly City, the Bayanihan Spirit Is Alive and Well Little Manila: Filipinos in California's Heartland Little Manila Perseveres: How FilipinX Leaders in Stockton Are Organizing For the Next Generation Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Chris Hoff. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daly City is only eight square miles, but it's one of the densest cities in the US. There are a few factors behind this, but one of the most interesting is the design of the houses. But it's not all building hacks in this episode, there's a darker past to some of Daly City's housing too. Additional Reading: How Daly City Became One of the Most Densely Populated Cities in the Country Richard Rothstein on KQED's Forum discussing his book The Color of Law Little Boxes: The Legacy of Henry Doelger by Robert Keil Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Brendan Willard, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Chris Hoff. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lena Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to cultural exports of the Bay Area, Hyphy is in a league of its own. The subgenre of hip hop has an up-tempo, hyperactive beat that makes you want to dance. In the early 2000s, artists like E-40 and Too $hort had audiences around the world loving this distinctly Bay Area sound. But where did that sound come from? And what was Hyphy culture like more broadly? Today we bring you an episode from KQED's Rightnowish, hosted by Pendarvis Harshaw. He speaks with music producer Trackademicks. Subscribe to Rightnowish for more on Bay Area arts and culture. Reported by Pendarvis Harshaw. Produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena. Edited by Jessica Placzek and Vanessa Rancano. Engineering by Ceil Muller and Brendan Willard. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Sebastian Miño-Bucheli. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Héctor Pérez has long wondered about the first people to call the Bay Area home. He wants to know what life was like for them and what happened to them. Additional Reading: Who Were the First People to Live in the Bay Area? The Bay Area During the Ice Age (Think Saber-Tooth Cats and Mammoths) Reported by Daniel Potter. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This summer is shaping up to be really dry. Water officials around the Bay Area are asking people to conserve and wildfires are already burning throughout the state. The Bay Curious team is cooking up some episodes about the situation and we want to hear from you. Enter your question in the blue box at the top of baycurious.org or leave us a voicemail at 415-553-3334. Thanks! The Bay Curious Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we take on a question from the sixth graders at East Oakland's Life Academy of Health and Bioscience. Many of them live near Interstate 880. They've seen lots of big rigs on I-880 but none on nearby I-580, which runs parallel but closer to the hills. They want to know why. Additional Reading: Trucks are Banned on Oakland’s I-580. These Sixth Graders Wondered Why Asthma Rates Higher in California's Historically Redlined Communities, New Study Finds Reported by Laura Klivans. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isa Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s arts appreciation week on Bay Curious! We take on questions about the tension between the creative freedom in the Bay vs commercial acclaim in the theater world, dig into the musical legacy of Mills College and find out what happened to Beach Blanket Babylon's outarageous costumes since the musical closed. Additional Reading: Is the Bay Area Known For Its Theater Scene? Depends on Who You Ask You've Heard Experimental Sounds From Mills College (Even If You Don't Realize It) Preserving the Legacy of 'Beach Blanket Babylon' One Hat at a Time Here's Why the Bay Area's Theater Scene is Amazing Right Now (Bold Italic) Reported by Katrina Schwartz and Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Olivia Allen-Price, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isa Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Bay Area residents know about the long established Chinatowns in San Francisco and Oakland, but did you know that San Jose used to have a Chinatown? In fact, it’s had FIVE throughout its history. Why isn’t there a Chinatown in San Jose today? Additional Reading: San Jose Had 5 Chinatowns. Why Did They Vanish The Fairmont Hotel Was Built on the Arson-Ravaged Ruins of San Jose's Chinatown Reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isa Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As soon as the Bay Bridge was completed in 1936, people wanted a second bridge. Even back then, traffic was terrible. Did you know the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed a bridge to cross the San Francisco Bay? This week, why Wright's vision for that second bridge never materialized. Additional Reading: The Beautiful Bay Bridge Frank Lloyd Wright Never Got to Build Another Bay Bridge? 70 Years of Absurd, Crazy and Downright Dumb Span Plans Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Isa Mendoza, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you head to Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve above Oakland, you might wonder the same thing as Bay Curious listener Bourke MacDonald: How did a volcano form here and why did it go extinct?Today on the show, we’re going hiking to learn more about this Bay Area geological wonder. Additional Reading: What! There Was A Volcano in the East Bay Hills? Video: Geology Tour with Steve Edwards at Sibley Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener David Mattea grew up in foggy Daly City. He remembers his family driving down the Peninsula to get some sun at a man-made beach on the Stanford campus. He wants to know what happened to it? Well, Searsville Lake is no longer open to the public, but rumors about the place are plentiful, including one about Leland Stanford flooding a town to create it, Additional Reading: The Real History Behind The Myths and Mysteries of Stanford's Searsville Lake Why Can't You Swim In Most Bay Area Lakes? Vote for what we should cover next! Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the Gold Rush, people flocked to the San Francisco Bay Area to make their fortunes. A few entrepreneurial folks realized seabird eggs could provide protein to the hungry miners. Matthew Tuckner heard there was even a war fought over eggs on the Farallon Islands and wanted to know more. Additional Reading: The Gold Rush Delicacy That Started A War: Eggs The Kitchen Sisters Present podcast When California Went to War Over Eggs (Smithsonian Magazine) Originally reported by Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson for The Kitchen Sisters Present. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Jaimie Cohen wants to know: "Why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts and burgers all in one location? And why are there so many of them in the Bay Area?" We found that it's a uniquely Californian combination with an unexpected history. Additional Reading: Why Donuts + Chinese Food = A Very Californian Combination 'The Donut King' official trailer (Premiering on KQED May 24th) Reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Brendan Willard, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Marnette Federis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Chris Johanson wants to know whether the Nike Missile site in the Marin Headlands ever housed nuclear weapons. It's true. Veterans say the Cold War missile batteries that ringed the Bay Area housed warheads that more than equaled the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined. Additional Reading: Marin Was Once Armed With Nuclear Missiles, Luckily They Were Never Deployed Reported by Craig Miller. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people in our community are experiencing homelessness -- about 35,000 throughout the Bay Area at last count. Matthew Schmitz was shocked by how wealth and poverty exist side by side when he moved to the Mission District of San Francisco. He wanted to know how homelessness here compares to other places around the world. *This audio has been updated to correct an error. A previous version misstated the number of NYC public school children experiencing homelessness. We regret the error. Additional Reading From New York to Helsinki: What the Bay Area Can Learn When Addressing Homelessness Sold Out podcast: Rethinking Housing in America One Way to Get People Off the Streets: Buy Hotels Reported by Erin Baldassari and Molly Solomon. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Katie McMurran and Erika Kelly. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did a cutting edge railroad become crumbling tunnels to nowhere? This week, the story of the Mountain Route, a long lost rail line that once cut through the Santa Cruz Mountains. In it's heyday, the line provided an easy way for Bay Area residents to get to the beaches of Santa Cruz. Additional Reading: The Story Behind Those Old Train Tunnels in the Santa Cruz Mountains The Island Ghost Town in the Middle of San Francisco Bay Help us decide what to cover next by casting your vote! Reported by Peter Arcuni. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re answering your questions in a Bay Curious lightning round. We tackle changes you’ve noticed this past year on our bridges, on the water, and in how we consume. Additional Reading: End of an Era: No More Toll Takers on Bay Area Bridges It's Not Just You, There Are More Cargo Ships in the Bay Than Usual How the Bay Area Is Using Water, Power and Landfill Space During the Pandemic San Francisco Bay Is Filled With Boats, But What Do They Do? Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, Bay Curious listeners Julia Thollaug and Phil Montalvo have wondered the same thing: "What's the deal with the cross on Mount Davidson?" This week, how a 103-foot tall concrete cross ended up on the city's highest peak. It's a story that goes back almost 100 years. Additional Reading: Why There's A Cross on San Francisco's Highest Peak Sign up for our newsletter where we answer even more of our questions. Reported by Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Brian Watt, Nina Thorsen, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listeners Peter Caravalho and Sarah Caravalho Khan live in Cupertino. While wandering around their neighborhood they wondered where the street name "Hoo Hoo Way" came from. Turns out, it's a long story. Additional Reading: This Lumberjack Frat Once Had the Coolest Clubhouse in S.F. Sign up for the Bay Curious newsletter! Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked you to send us reflections on how your life has changed in the year since Bay Area leaders first issued a shelter-in-place order —the emotional beginning of the pandemic year for many of us. Amidst the hard stuff, you're finding bright spots and hope moving forward. Additional Reading: The Year of COVID: Your Stories of the Pandemic 'In the Heart of the Pandemic': COVID-19 Deaths Loom Large in East San Jose Get more answers to your question in our monthly newsletter. Sign up here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we answer your questions about Bay Area highways. Herb Masters has noticed what looks like a ghost freeway where 280 and 380 intersect on the Penninsula. He wants to know what's going on there. And Daniel Huertas has noticed more garbage on Bay Area roads recently. He's wondering, why? Additional Reading: Is That a Ghost Freeway on the Peninsula? And Are Our Highways Filthier Than Ever? Why Aren't Any Billboards on 280? Sign up for our newsletter where we answer even more of our questions. Reported by Dan Brekke. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area is known for great oysters, but the ones grown locally are mostly from up in Marin County. San Francisco Bay used to have a thriving population of native oysters and Bay Curious listener Joseph Fletcher wants to know if they'll ever make a comeback. Additional Reading: The Bay Waters Once Teemed With Oysters. What Happened? The Wild Oyster Project Reported by Chloe Veltman. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question is a simple but alarming one: If the Lake Chabot dam cracked open in a big earthquake, what kind of flooding should the communities below expect? This week's question asker, Hollyann Vickers Keng, has a vested interest in the answer -- she lives there! Additional Reading: A Potential Flood Threat Is Hidden in the East Bay Hills — Chabot Dam Oroville Crisis: Sheriff Called Emergency 'Ugly, Sh**ty Mess' Send us your COVID story by recording yourself on your smartphone and emailing [email protected] or leave us a voice message at 415-553-3334. Reported by Dan Brekke. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our question-asker, Sara Russell, grew up hearing stories from her mother about how Irish Coffee was invented in San Francisco. Now, she wants to know if that story is totally accurate. Additional Reading: The True History of Irish Coffee and Its San Francisco Origins Send us your COVID stories! Record yourself on your smartphone and email: [email protected] Or, leave us a voicemail: 415-553-3334 Reported by Oliva Allen-Price and Kelly O'Mara. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, and Vinnee Tong. Special thanks this week to voice actors Brian Watt, Paul Lancour and John Dunleavy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year into the coronavirus pandemic there's hope on the horizon. It's too soon to know the lasting impacts on the Bay Area, but we asked experts in mental health, transportation and education to try and predict what we might expect in our day-to-day lives as we slowly emerge from this crisis. Additional Reading: How Will A Year of Pandemic Learning Impact Bay Area Schools Long Term? As Battle Over Reopening San Francisco Schools Turns Ugly, Equity Emerges as Fault Line It Was Hard Already, Then It Got Worse: Resources For Coping Right Now We want to hear YOUR story for an upcoming episode: How has your life changed under COVID-19? Record yourself on your phone and send it to us: [email protected] Or leave us a voicemail at 415-553-3334 Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong, and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is the most expensive state to build affordable housing in part because the costs to build are high. Some builders are turning to modular, prefabricated housing as a way to speed up production and rethink the way we've traditionally built in the Bay Area. Additional Reading: The Bay Area Has a Housing Crisis (Obviously.) Could Prefab Be the Answer? 5 Reasons It's So Expensive To Build Housing In California Take KQED's podcast survey! Reported by Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari. Edited by Erika Kelly. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Rob Speight and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The coronavirus vaccine rollout in California has felt chaotic, in part because the state has changed course several times. Many Bay Area residents are wondering when and how they can get vaccinated. And what do all the changes mean for getting the most vulnerable people vaccinated? Additional Reading: California Debates Speed Versus Equity in Vaccine Distribution Plan Where Can I Get A COVID-19 Vaccine In The Bay Area? Your Questions Answered KQED.org/podcastsurvey Reported by April Dembosky. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices