Women on the Water

Take a cruise with a real Rosie

Comments (0) Wednesday, Jul 13 2005

SUN 7/17

Steve Zeltzer

A cruise into history.

Kevin Giguere

Walk among us.

Aaron Farmer

The "Streetball Face-off."

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Labor on the bay has a nasty history -- one of the more notorious offenses was the practice of "shanghaiing" defenseless sots from saloons and conscripting them to ship duty. The "Labor Maritime History Boat Tour," however, picks up in the 1940s and tells the more honorable stories of women workers on the waterfront, as part of the monthlong LaborFest. Powering to Richmond, the boat will stop at the old Kaiser shipyard, built during World War II and staffed by tens of thousands of Rosie the Riveters who took up the call and worked day and night while the men went off to battle. Donna Graves, who helped establish the nearby Rosie the Riveter Memorial, will talk about the site, along with women who worked the shipyards in the '40s, including welder Phyllis Gould, draftswoman Marian Sousa, and Betty Ried Soskin, who was employed in a segregated Jim Crow shipyard. Next comes an unexpected perk: Passengers will motor to the Bay Bridge to give the new construction a close look -- and perhaps offer a few pointers.

The tour boards at 10:15 a.m. at Terminal E, Ferry Building, Market & Embarcadero, S.F. Admission is $25; call 642-8066 or visit www.laborfest.net.
-- Michael Leaverton

The Bio Sphere
Clean-air vehicles

SAT 7/16

Here's an oil company executive's nightmare: the Berkeley Biodiesel Collective's Biodiesel Car Show. Featuring dozens of vehicles that burn alternative fuel, including garbage trucks and school buses, the event will also offer up helpful mechanics who can explain the basic ideas behind the science; you can probably count on plenty of schwag with cheeky slogans like "Fuel for the Revolution," too. This is not where any self-respecting fossil-fuel burner wants to be, but for the rest of us, it's a great opportunity to get all of our questions answered. So whether your image of altfuel drivers includes begging fast-food joints for their used french fry grease, or if you're just curious to know if your diesel engine needs to be modified to use biodiesel (it doesn't), get the facts at 10 a.m. at the Presidio's Crissy Field, Halleck & Mason, S.F. Admission is free; visit www.berkeleybiodiesel.org.
-- Hiya Swanhuyser

Walk It Off
AIDS aid

SUN 7/17

We know more about HIV/AIDS than ever before. But with growing numbers of new infections, particularly in California, which is already home to more than 57,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, we aren't doing enough. Since President Bush has been slow in delivering funds to fight the pandemic, citizens take up the call yet again at AIDS Walk San Francisco -- 25,000 people marching 10K to benefit 46 organizations.

Sign-in and celebrity speeches begin at 9:15 a.m., the walk at 10:30, and the post-walk concert at 12:35 p.m., all at Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park, Kennedy & Kezar, S.F. Registration is free; call 615-9255 or visit www.aidswalk.net.
-- Josh Rotter

Got Serious Game

SUN 7/17

If you're a fan of streetball, the following names should make you sweat: Hook Mitchell, Exile, Reemix, King Handles, and D-Train. Catch these stars of the blacktop in the "Streetball Face-off,"as the Native American Youth Empowerment Foundation All-Stars take on the Young Players Association at 7 p.m. in the USF Campus War Memorial Gymnasium, 2335 Golden Gate (at Parker), S.F. Admission is $10-15; call (510) 579-6445 or visit www.nayefoundation.com.
-- Michael Leaverton