Rob AriasIn this edition of our Semi-Monthly Emeryville Newswire, we share six stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed, including:
- City Surveying Residents on Cycling Wayfinding System
- Target encouraging employees to smile more
- Noise Ordinance Waiver Granted for Evening Hollis Work
- SF Gate profiles AC Transit’s F-Line as “Luxury” Bus Ride
- Ex-Pixar Talent Debut First Feature Length Film on Netflix
- Emeryville Resident charged with stabbing attack looks to avoid jail time
City Surveying Residents on Proposed “Iconography”
The City of Emeryville is asking residents to weigh in on three proposed “wayfinding” components by Los Angeles based artist Sijia Chen. The designs would be incorporated into the public art for the forthcoming, and somewhat contentious, 40th Street Multimodal project.
The theme of the project, “Bringing Nature into the Urban Streetscape,” reflects a vision of integrating organic elements into Emeryville’s urban environment according to Chen.
The choices were universally panned on the Emeryville Reddit page. “They’re too complicated and too crowded and too similar all at once,” was one response. Others questioned their usefulness for navigation.
The survey posted here will close on November 26 at 5:00 p.m.
AC Transit F-Line Profiled as “Luxury Line”
It’s no secret for Emeryville residents. The most enviable commute to SF is via AC Transit’s F-Line. The 65-year-old line begins in downtown Berkeley, passes through Emeryville and terminates at the Salesforce Transit Center in SF.
Stepping aboard the commuter coach* feels clean and spacious with perfectly tempered air. Seating is generally available and riders get to start their mornings with views of the bay from their expansive windows.
On the return trip, The SF Gate story includes a nice write-up of places to go after a day at the office including The Public Market and Bay Street.
Nighttime Construction On Hollis Approved
If Emeryville residents weren’t already sick of daytime construction on Hollis, they’ll have to adjust to nighttime construction as well at least for the next week.
The city approved a noise ordinance waiver for the paving contractor to operate throughout the evening until November 26.
This city is likely pushing to complete this project in time for the holiday season when traffic comes to a crawl throughout the city.
Target’s New ‘10-4’ Policy Encourages More Smiling, Interaction by Employees
If next time you drop by Target to grab a few things and the cashier flashes their pearly whites and maybe even offers a friendly greeting, this might not necessarily be “organic.”
The corporation is implementing a new “10-4’ program that they hope will lead to a boost sales. The ‘10’ refers to smiling at customers when they are within 10 feet of them and engaging with them if they are within 4 feet.
Some employees took to Reddit to anonymously weigh in on the announcement saying many were already following these mandates. Others noted that smiles ‘shouldn’t be forced’ and that if the employees were happy with their employment, this would happen naturally.
Target recently appointed Michael Fiddelke as their new CEO who is expected to take the reigns on February 1, 2026.
Sales have reportedly been sluggish, in part to the organized boycott, with plans to layoff about 1,800 employees.
Ex-Pixar Talent Debut First Feature Film on Netflix
Some scrappy former Pixar employees are receiving praise for their debut feature film. Kuku Studios, located on 10th street in West Berkeley, was founded in 2016 by Pixar alumni Alex Woo, Stanley Moore, and Tim Hahn.
“In Your Dreams” follows 12 year old Stevie and her younger brother Elliot as they journey into a dream world in an attempt to save their parents’ marriage.
The movie, which is available for streaming on Netflix, has been well received with an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Emeryville Resident Looking to Avoid Jail Time in Bizarre “Latex People” Stabbing
Bizarre details of the case of an Emeryville man charged with stabbing his sister’s friend in Mountain View are slowly being revealed.
42-year-old David Ahlport was arrested and jailed on March 18 concocting a bizarre story that he was after “latex people” who can take over the bodies of other people. “I am saving the world by executing modern Hitler,” Ahlport later told police.
Ahlport’s mental health reportedly began to deteriorate in 2024 and was he diagnosed with schizophrenia while incarcerated.
Former Mountain View Police Chief Chris Hsiung wrote a letter vouching for Ahlport saying the attack was “out of character” for him. Ahlport is married to Hsiung’s sister.
The efforts are said to potentially help divert Ahlport into mental health treatment instead of jail.
11/21 Correction: Our initial story referred to the incorrect coach model used on the AC Transit F-Line.
Thanks for the great updates. Just a reminder: there will be Target, Home Depot, and Amazon Black Friday boycotts for supporting a variety of harmful social and environmental trends.
We should start calling it the E’ville Cry for all of its complaints about this paving project. Road work has to happen – would you prefer it be during the day or at night? We should be thankful that we live in a city that can prioritize smooth & safe streets.