SANTA CLARA (CBS/AP) — Authorities in Santa Clara County have identified a third suspect accused of beating a Morgan Hill repairman who was allegedly forced to repair a dishwasher and other appliances at risk to his life.

Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza said Wednesday that 49-year-old Richard Rodriguez Jr. is wanted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment for beating the 50-year-old handyman, holding him hostage and forcing him to make various household repairs a home in Morgan Hill on Dec. 3.

Jason DeJesus, 36, and Chanelle Troedson, 33, are accused of holding a handyman hostage in their Morgan Hill home on Dec. 3, 2012. (Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office)

The repairman escaped and notified police after being driven to a supermarket in San Jose.

Police later arrested 36-year-old Jason DeJesus and 33-year-old Chanelle Troedson, both of Morgan Hill, on similar criminal charges as well as kidnapping.

“The victim was pretty scared. He was pretty shaken up and scared by the whole incident,” Cardoza said after the incident. “What he told investigators is that he was just trying to do what he was told, which was to wait for the opportunity to escape.”

The attack followed a months-long dispute between the handyman and a relative of DeJesus over payment for previous work.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

More from CBS News

The post third Suspect Wished In Morgan Hill Handyman Hostage Case appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

MORGAN HILL (CBS 5) – Two people who live in a large home in Morgan Hill were arrested on suspicion of taking a handyman hostage and forcing him to make repairs to the home.

Investigators said the 50-year-old victim was lured to a home in the 200 block of Caldwell Court Monday morning. The sprawling 4,600-square-foot home has five bedrooms and is equipped with a pool, beach volleyball court and tennis court.

“He was assaulted, his life was threatened and he was forced to do work in the house,” Sgt. Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office told CBS 5.

Investigators said 36-year-old Jason DeJesus and 33-year-old Chanelle Troedson beat the repairman, threatened to kill him and forced him to repair several items in the home over a six-hour period. Repairs included a dishwasher and a broken door.

“The victim was pretty scared. He was pretty shaken up and scared by this whole incident,” Cardoza said. “What he told investigators is that he was just trying to do what he was told, which was to wait for the opportunity to escape.”

On Monday evening, authorities said the suspects forced the repairman into his truck. While one of the suspects was driving, the victim was told they were going to the home of a suspect's relative in Santa Clara to make further repairs.

They stopped at a gas station on Santa Teresa Blvd. and Cottle Road in South San Jose. The repairman escaped as the suspects left to pay for gas and snacks. DeJesus and Troedson were arrested by police shortly afterwards.

Other residents of the home declined an interview with CBS 5.

Investigators said the repairman had done work for De Jesus' mother two months ago.

“The work was not carried out at that time to relatives of the suspect and, moreover, there was a dispute about the services provided, the victim was not paid in full. “That kind of impacted what happened last night,” Cardoza said.

DeJesus and Troedson are charged with multiple crimes, including false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and conspiracy.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Sgt. Julian Quinonez or Detective Sgt. Dave Roberts at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office at (408) 808-4500. Tips can also be left anonymously at (408) 808-4431.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

More from CBS News

The post Handyman Held Hostage In Morgan Hill, Compelled To Repair Dwelling appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

MORGAN HILL (CBS SF) — A man was arrested Wednesday evening in connection with the kidnapping and assault of a handyman in unincorporated Santa Clara County more than two weeks ago, a Santa Clara County sheriff's sergeant said.

Richard Rodriguez Jr., 49, whose last known address was in Alameda, turned himself in to Alameda police on Wednesday around 5 p.m., Sgt. Jose Cardoza said.

Alameda police will take Rodriguez to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office within the next week, Cardoza said.

Rodriguez had an outstanding arrest warrant on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and a prison sentence for his alleged involvement in a Dec. 3 incident in which a handyman was forced to do home repair work against his will, Cardoza said.

Cardoza said Rodriguez helped two Morgan Hill residents, Jason DeJesus, 36, and Chanelle Troedson, 33, force the 50-year-old handyman to work on the Morgan Hill suspect's home in the 200 block of Caldwell Way.

On December 3, around 7 p.m., San Jose police received a report of a kidnapping and assault by the victim, who had managed to escape his captors at a San Jose gas station.

Police turned the investigation over to the sheriff's office because the kidnapping occurred outside police jurisdiction, Cardoza said.

The victim told officers that he initially performed handyman services for a relative of one of the suspects about two months ago, but was not paid in full for his work, which led to a dispute over the services provided, Cardoza said.

The victim said the suspects lured him to their apartment just before 11 a.m. to do repair work, the sergeant said.

Upon arriving at the residence, the victim was attacked, held against his will and threatened with his life for several hours, Cardoza said.

The victim was still inside the Caldwell Way apartment at 5:30 p.m. when the suspects forced him into a truck.

The victim was told he needed to complete repair work he began two months ago on the suspect's relative's home in Santa Clara.

On the way to the house, the suspects stopped at the Chevron gas station at the intersection of Santa Teresa Boulevard and Cottle Road in San Jose to purchase gas.

As the suspects exited the vehicle to purchase gas and groceries, the victim fled on foot, ignoring a warning from the suspects to stay put, Cardoza said.

The victim ran to a nearby residence to report the incident, he said.

San Jose police responded to the scene, located DeJesus and Troedson near the gas station and arrested them on suspicion of false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and conspiracy.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

More from CBS News

The post third Suspect Arrested In Morgan Hill Handyman Kidnapping Case appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Clients needing air conditioning repair, installation, replacement, tune-up, or maintenance services can contact The HVAC Service. This licensed HVAC contractor offers clients free service calls with repairs, a complete warranty, 24-hour phone support, same price, and is available 24/7.

The HVAC Service remains active in providing clients with heating systems to improve their homes. The company is dedicated to helping clients buy, rent, repair, and maintain furnaces and boilers. The company experts are committed to assisting clients in determining the faults and issues with their AC units. The company’s certified technician will do a complete examination and carry out a 21-point annual check-up to ensure the safety and the excellent condition of the AC unit. The company offers emergency furnace and boiler repair for any type, size, or brand. Plus, the company only uses OEM* certified parts.

Air conditioning repair is critical in increasing the efficiency of the AC unit and reducing energy bills. Clients who need highly efficient AC units that save on energy bills should try The HVAC Service air conditioning repair. The HVAC Service air conditioning repair employs an easy process, ensuring clients will get premier air conditioning repair services. First, the client will book an appointment, informing the agent about the brand, model, year, and the reason for the malfunction. The specialists here will later call the clients to reconfirm the best time before the visit. Upon arrival, the specialist will diagnose, examine the problems, offer repair options, and work out the cost of repairs according to the client’s needs.

The HVAC Service offers professional ac installation helping clients save money. Besides AC installation, the company offers high-quality HVAC products, including furnaces, boilers, air handlers, ductless air conditioners, heat pumps, water heater tanks, tankless water tanks, home water filters, and water softeners, HEPA filtration, etc company is active in providing clients with only top-tier products, ensuring efficiency. The company also offers regular tune-up and maintenance services, maximizing efficiency and saving the cost of AC unit breakdown.

The HVAC Service is proactive in providing clients with water heating, water treatment, and air infiltration services. This air conditioning repair company is equipped with technicians who have the training and experience to provide clients with top-notch air conditioning services. The technicians can repair any air conditioners, including ductless air conditioners. The company technicians are available 24/7 and are committed to providing clients with emergency repairs tailored to their needs. Clients with air conditioner problems can rest assured that The HVAC Service has got them covered.

Reach out to The HVAC Service at 330 Hwy 7, Unit 305, Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 3P8, Canada, for air conditioning services. For more information and inquiries, call them at 905-780-8026, or visit their website.

Media Contact

company name
The HVAC Service
Contact name
Ali
phones
905-780-8026
Address
330 Hwy 7, Unit 305
City
Richmond Hill
State
ON
post code
L4B 3P8
Country
Canada
site
https://thehvacservice.ca/richmond-hill/

The post The HVAC Service is a HVAC Contractor Providing High-Notch Air Conditioning Restore Companies in Richmond Hill, ON appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Story at a glance

• A decaying home in San Francisco marketed as the “worst house on the best block” has sold for nearly $2 million — almost $1 million above asking.
• One of the realtors representing the seller said the property “should have been condemned.”
• The home was sold to a developer who is likely to resell it.

The sale of a decaying San Francisco home was finalized this week, selling for nearly $2 million in an extraordinary testament to the nation’s white-hot housing market.

AP

Marketed as the “worst house on the best block,” the 122-year-old Victorian home nestled between in-demand San Francisco neighborhoods Noe Valley and Glen Park was originally listed for just less than $1 million before selling at auction for $1.97 million, according to Zillow.

“Someone had to really want this property to want to take it where they took it,” Todd Wiley, one of the agents who represented the seller, told KRON TV, which broadcasts to the Bay Area. “There wasn’t a whole lot of data that suggested it would sell that high.”

The home, at 320 Day Street, sold to a developer, Wiley said, and is likely to be resold in the near future.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

Wiley added that the home was “structurally unsound” and virtually unlivable, and “could have fallen in on itself if there was an earthquake.”

“The property should have been condemned,” he said.

While the final sale price of the home is eye-catching, the story behind it is not.

The US housing market had been booming even before the start of the pandemic, and prices have surged due to material and labor shortages, as well as inflation. The consumer price index, which measures the cost of goods and services, in December showed shelter prices up 0.4 percent month over month and 4.1 percent year over year, the highest since 2007, according to the St.Louis Fed.

Meanwhile, the median national price of an existing home in November, the most recent month for which data is available, hit $353,900, up 13.9 percent from a year earlier, though still falling short of earlier year-over-year price gains close to 20 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors.

According to Wiley, the home is surrounded by multimillion-dollar residences worth up to $3.4 million. A new construction nearby recently sold for $9 million, he said.

Still, the sale of the dilapidated home is several hundred thousand dollars above other comparable properties in the area as a result of a conservatorship sale, The Associated Press (AP) reportedciting Wiley.

Wiley told the AP the sale was approved by a judge after the property’s elderly owner was placed in a conservatorship by family members, who were reportedly worried about the conditions in which he was living.

Proceeds from the sale will pay for the former owner’s continuing care, Wiley said.

READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA

NEW STUDY SAYS AIR KNOCKS DOWN COVID-19 INFECTION RATE BY 90 PERCENT

ROBIN WILLIAMS’ DAUGHTER HAS WARNING FOR FANS MOURNING BOB SAGET

YALE, GEORGETOWN, 14 OTHER TOP COLLEGES SOUTH FOR ALLEGED COLLUSION

34 RESCUED FROM FLOATING CHUNK OF ICE OFF GREEN BAY SHORE

SOUTH AFRICAN SCIENTIST THINKS SHE MAY HAVE SOLVED THE MYSTERY OF LONG COVID-19

Published on Jan. 18, 2022

The post Dilapidated San Francisco residence sells for $2M – The Hill appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

April 28, 2022

After being fenced off for 80 years, the site of the former Francisco Reservoir on San Francisco’s Russian Hill is now open to the public as the city’s newest park.

Francisco Park, which is on Bay Street between Larkin and Hyde, sits upon the original site of the Francisco Reservoir, the city’s first reservoir. Considering its history, it was only fitting that city leaders celebrated the park’s opening on Wednesday with a watering ceremony.

The reservoir was constructed in the 1800s and served the city until it ceased operations in 1940. It completely shut down in 1966, and had been fenced off for decades.

CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.

The post Former Reservoir On San Francisco’s Russian Hill Remodeled Into New Metropolis Park appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

PLEASANT HILL (CBS SF/BCN) — A woman wanted on kidnapping charges in Solano County was arrested Wednesday after an armed standoff with Pleasant Hill police, authorities said.

Frances Clausell, 31, was being held on the kidnapping warrant and the knife attack in the Martinez Detention Facility on Thursday.

READ MORE: Historic Vote: Senate Confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court; 1st Black Female Justice

Officers responded about 5:13 pm Wednesday to reports of a domestic dispute in a home in the 1800 block of Oak Park Boulevard. Upon arrival, the officers discovered a woman bleeding from a knife wound to the hand and Clausell armed with the knife and barricaded in the home with a 2-year-old child.

A member of the police department’s Crisis Intervention Team arrived at the scene and established a line of communication with Clausell, who refused to exit the home and to release the child.

READ MORE: HP Shares Soar As Warren Buffett Snaps Up 121 Million Shares In Buying Spree

At the same time, officers discovered Clausell was wanted on kidnapping charges involving the same child. Police have not released information on the relationship between the child and woman or a motive.

In the Solano County incident, police said, Clausell had threatened to end his own life and the child’s.

As SWAT teams were assembling in response, the police officer in communication with Clausell talked her into surrendering and she was taken into custody without incident.

MORE NEWS: Person Fatally Shot At Lake Merritt in Oakland

The child was unharmed and placed in the care of child services. The stabbing victim was treated at a local hospital for her wounds and expected to recover.

The post Little one Kidnapping Suspect Arrested After Nice Hill Standoff – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

San Francisco leaders have delayed the potential opening of a new 250-bed homeless shelter in Lower Nob Hill after local residents and businesses objected to the plans.

City officials had proposed entering into a two-year, $18.7 million contract with the nonprofit Urban Alchemy to rent and operate the shelter at 711 Post St., a currently vacant hostel building just north of the Tenderloin and a few blocks west of Union Square.

The shelter would have opened in early February if the Board of Supervisors approved the contract next week. But a board committee voted unanimously Wednesday to have the city spend another month vetting the issue amid outcry from residents near the building who said they were not adequately consulted and had serious reservations about how the project would impact their neighborhood.

The Post Street site has yet become another flash point in San Francisco’s fraught debate over how to make meaningful improvements to its homeless crisis with more than 8,000 people lacking permanent housing. The delay Wednesday comes on the heels of the collapse of a city plan to turn 131-room hotel in Japantown into permanent housing for homeless people after months of community backlash.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents the area, asked the board’s budget and finance committee to revisit the proposal on Feb. 2. Peskin said that the city’s community engagement efforts had been so far “abysmal” and that he wants the neighborhood to have more time to evaluate the plans.

“Meaningful and real involvement with the community has been all but absent,” Peskin said, who doesn’t sit on the budget committee. “It has been box-checking government at its worst.”

Supervisors have in recent weeks decried the insufficient shelter, housing and treatment options to get people off the streets in the wake of Mayor London Breed declaring a state of emergency in the Tenderloin. Supervisor Hillary Ronen criticized her colleagues for delaying the shelter in the wake of the emergency declaration.

“I do not understand how the members of the Budget Committee voted to declare a state of emergency in the Tenderloin & then a day later delayed the leasing of a 250 bed non-congregate shelter to serve that neighborhood. Is this a crisis or not? It is & we need to act accordingly,” she wrote on Twitter.

With the state of emergency, Breed hopes to address street conditions, overdoses and crime in the hard-hit neighborhood. The declaration has been controversial because Breed has signaled an intent to expand policing, but her administration is also trying to connect more homeless tenderloin residents with shelter and other services.

Breed’s office views the Post Street shelter as a crucial step in the city’s plans to address homelessness this year. Her administration wants the shelter system’s capacity to reach 2,100 beds by the end of June through a mix of adding new beds and reopening beds closed due to the pandemic. The city is about halfway toward meeting the goal. Breed is also working to create 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing for the homeless.

“Every day we delay this shelter is one where 250 people sleep on the street,” Breed tweeted after the committee delayed the Post Street contract. “We can’t let obstruction and process arguments stop us from helping people in need.”

Breed said city leaders and the public “all agree that the conditions in the tenderloin are an emergency” and “we need to act like it.”

Formerly operated as a youth hostel called the Ansonia Hotel, the Post Street building includes 123 rooms that range from singles to quads. Each floor has bathrooms and showers, and the building also includes community lounges, a commercial kitchen and a dining space.

City officials were drawn to the building’s configuration, which, if used to serve homeless people, would place it somewhere between a single-room occupancy hotel and a traditional congregate shelter.

“This is not a building type or opportunity that we often have,” said Emily Cohen, a deputy director at the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.

But a vocal group of people who live or work near the site have said San Francisco leaders did not provide enough notice about the building’s potential transformation. At the committee meeting, several residents also said they thought the area had already shouldered its fair share of facilities that serve San Francisco’s unhoused population.

Still, some spoke strongly in favor of the potential shelter, viewing it as an urgently needed facility to quickly get 250 people off the streets in the middle of winter.

Supervisor Matt Haney, who chairs the committee, said he understood the range of viewpoints expressed by the community.

“I do believe that these type of facilities are ones that we absolutely need,” he said. “I also understand the need to effectively consult with the neighborhood and the absolute need to consider geographic equity as well.”

Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, another committee member, supported spending more time discussing the project with the community.

Though he said he’d heard from numerous people opposed to the shelter, Safaí didn’t think the city would repeat the scenario that unfolded in Japantown last year.

Safaí also questioned why the city hadn’t moved to buy the site instead of contracting with Urban Alchemy to rent the facility from its owner. He said he’d been in contact with the owner, who he said is willing to sell.

“It seems to me like there’s room here to purchase the building,” Safaí said.

It’s not clear how exactly the city will proceed with the potential Post Street shelter. Cohen urged supervisors to make the delay as short as possible, warning them that a month was “a really long time” to postpone advancing the contract. But Safaí, Haney and Supervisor Gordon Mar voted in favor of Peskin’s proposal to continue the item to Feb. 2.

Peskin said he would work with city staff over the next month and “see what we can come up with.”

JD Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris

The post San Francisco delays 250-bed homeless shelter in Decrease Nob Hill amid neighborhood backlash appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

At the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance meeting, the supervisors on the committee voted in favor of moving forward with the shelter at 711 Polk Street. The proposal will now go to the full Board of Supervisors for a final vote.

Several members of the Lower Nob Hill Neighborhood Alliance — a group that formed to push back against the proposal — called in to the meeting to voice their opposition to the shelter.

“We are worried it’s going to fail, and it’s going to fail all over our streets,” Susan Walsh, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2014, told ABC7 News.

RELATED: ‘Look around’: Advocates for South Bay’s unhoused residents concerned about delay of homeless count

Walsh said there are already several other homeless shelters in their district, including many in the vicinity around 711 Polk Street, and that the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood is unfairly impacted.

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

“At some point we have to say, wait a minute, there’s a whole big city here,” Walsh explained. “And we don’t see these kinds of facilities popping up like in lower Nob Hill.”

If approved, the homeless shelter would have a maximum capacity of roughly 250 people and would be run by the nonprofit, Urban Alchemy. Supporters say a former youth hostel is an ideal space for a shelter since it’s already set up for communal living.

“I would urge us not to lose sight of the scale of this homeless population,” said one neighbor who called in support of the proposal. “We need shelter and support for people in this community who we’re currently failing. And delaying is a pretty shameful failing.”

RELATED: Has SF hit rock bottom? Former mayor says city’s ‘humanitarian’ ethic is to blame for recent issues

District 6 supervisor Matt Haney is among those in favor of the proposal.

“Shelter and transitional housing are solutions to homelessness and right now we don’t have enough spots for people,” he said at the meeting.

District 3 supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents the Lower Nob Hill area, joined the meeting on Wednesday even though he is not on the Budget and Finance Committee. He asked his fellow supervisors to delay a vote until some of the concerns can be further investigated and addressed.

“I think it’s critical if we are going to succeed in this case to address the crisis of homelessness on our streets, that the city has to perform superlatively,” Peskin said. “And if we don’t, it is going to make location of these types of facilities in other parts of the city much more difficult.”

The committee chose not to delay and voted to move forward with the plan. A city spokesperson for the proposal said Urban Alchemy will ensure there is an onsite case manager 24 hours a day. The shelter will also start at 150 people and scale up slowly over time.

RELATED: Oakland opens new tiny home village near Lake Merritt for the city’s unhoused

Walsh said she feels her neighborhood is becoming an extension of the Tenderloin. Despite some of their concerns being addressed, she’s concerned another shelter of any kind could make it worse.

“The other day there was a woman walking outside our apartment naked, just naked,” Walsh described. “There were people across the street having sex in the middle of the day and openly selling drugs.”

“That’s how our neighborhood is changing,” she continued. “That didn’t happen. This is all new.”

Copyright © 2022 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco’s Decrease Nob Hill residents voice issues over proposal to show youth hostel into homeless shelter appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

This issue of the San Francisco Bay Times introduces two legends of women’s music: Melanie DeMore (see pages 10–11) and Barbara Higbie. Women’s music – which emerged during the second wave of the feminist movement and the workers’, civil rights and peace movements – is music by, for and about women. DeMore and Higbie shine in this and other genres and work skillfully with many artists. The San Francisco Chronicle even referred to Higbie as the “High Priestess of Collaboration” as she worked with Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, jazz greats, classical stars and many others, to name them here. The Grammy-nominated, Bammy-award-winning productive pianist, composer, violinist, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has played on well over 100 CDs!

Born in Michigan and raised in Indiana, Higbie spent several years with her family in Ghana as a teenager. She worked one summer in Honduras as a medical volunteer with the non-profit organization Amigos de Las Americas, completed Phi Beta Kappa at Mills College here in the Bay Area, attended the Sorbonne in Paris and received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for collecting traditional music in West africa.

In Paris she met the jazz artist Darol Anger and began a fruitful musical collaboration. In 1984 she was co-director of a group live album recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival, which then became the successful group “Montreux” with Anger, Mike Marshall, Todd Phillips, Andy Narrell and Michael Manring.

She was the first female instrumentalist to sign with Windham Hill Records and also recorded solo and duo projects for Olivia / Second Wave Records and Slowbaby Records. As a folk, jazz, pop and fusion composer and singer-songwriter known for her highly melodic jazz / folk performances, she has toured nationally and internationally since the early 1980s. While the pandemic stopped such trips for her and other artists, she will soon celebrate her return to live performances with the 35th anniversary of Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice album series. The wonderful song collections are so timeless that, like Vince Guaraldi’s work for the Peanuts Christmas specials, they never seem to lose their impact and relevance.

Higbie spoke to the San Francisco Bay Times ahead of her national anniversary tour. There will be a stop at Freight & Salvage in Berkeley on Friday, December 17th. Todd Boston, Mia Pixley, and other artists will also appear on the shows.

San Francisco Bay Times: How was it for you to get out of the COVID-19 shutdowns and not only prepare for a national tour but also go to shows by other artists?

Barbara Higbie: It’s great to be back on stage and share our love for music with the audience. This will be a cross-generational, multicultural festival. These venues (on the new tour) all respect secure protocols. Everyone is pissed off and the HVAC filter systems keep fresh air circulating on a regular basis.

COVID has hit musicians hard. Our livelihoods went “Phew!” Making online shows was fine, if far from reality. It was relaxing being away from the street, but it was long enough. I am so ready to get out again! This tour begins in the Midwest, then goes to the Northwest, the Southwest, and then to California. I can barely wait for it!

The concerts at Windham Hill are perfect for getting back into the swimming pool. Since we are all locked in our homes it is a treat to see live shows. It’s emotional. Get ready – put on real pants! Standing in line, then being part of a spontaneous, non-choreographed and interactive event as an audience. It’s exciting and emotional.

San Francisco Bay Times: Who are you working with now on the new tour?

Barbara Higbie: I’m so looking forward to this tour! First of all, it will be the first live concerts in almost two years! Second, Mia Pixley (cello / vocals) and Todd Boston (guitar) together with our special guests Jasper Manning and VOENA (multicultural youth choir) are simply phenomenal young talents. I am totally overwhelmed with her talent.

Third, we’ve been rehearsing for months, first through Zoom and now in person. Mia, Todd and I each released brand new studio albums. With all of the new material and preparation, I can’t wait to get out the starting gate and hit the streets. It feels like spring is awakening after a harsh winter – there is a lot of new, exuberant energy in the air!

San Francisco Bay Times: Please let us know about the upcoming Windham Hill Winter Solstice Shows.

Barbara Higbie: The Winter Solstice show is inspired by the 8 million sold Windham Hill Winter Solstice album series that began in 1985. The concept of celebrating all seasonal holidays by recording acoustic music with high fidelity was groundbreaking. The albums have been the backdrop for millions of folk festivals for 35 years. We flew in entire families from Australia to see our shows. It is truly an intergenerational, multicultural, longstanding phenomenon that we are honored to be a part of.

Todd Boston plays acoustic guitar, inspired by Michael Hedges, Will Ackerman, Alex DeGrassi and all the great guitarists who recorded for the label (Windham Hill). In addition, he has a strong kirtan and Indian music background. Mia is a beautiful singer-songwriter-cellist, comparable to Zoe Keating, whose career is just exploding. I am a pianist, composer, singer-songwriter and championship violinist and the first female instrumentalist to sign with the Windham Hill label in 1981 at the age of 23. At the time, Windham Hill was a startup in a garage in Palo Alto, like some other companies that took off. Steve Jobs was a huge Windham Hill fan. The great success of George Winston made Windham Hill a household name.

San Francisco Bay Times: You are also known for your involvement in women’s music. Please give us some thoughts on this, both in relation to your past and current work.

Barbara Higbie: In 1983, at the height of the Windham Hill craze, I was fortunate enough to make music with Teresa Trull, Cris Williamson, Linda Tillery, Meg Christian and Holly Near. Teresa and I recorded for Olivia Records in 1983 and became a national sensation. We were, so to speak, the pre-“Indigo Girls”. We toured with the great Cris Williamson, who is giving two album release concerts at Freight in Berkeley on January 14th and 15th. She calls these shows “the big reunion” because they feature Vicki Randle, Skip the Needle, Julie Wolf and many more. Cris and Teresa are two of my very best friends. They are both geniuses. Teresa is now a horse trainer in New Zealand. She and her kiwi lover Michaela recently got married.

We will all be on the Olivia 50th Anniversary cruises in January 2023, and many of us will be at the Olivia 50th Anniversary event at the Academy in Castro on January 13th.

Women’s music saved my life, like so many women. In the early 1980s, I experienced stalking, bullying, and severe harassment in the very male-dominated music industry. Without the support of the women’s community, I would probably have resigned. It’s easy to take for granted what the pioneers of women’s music did. I can attest that you have moved mountains and deserve our deepest respect. So the Smithsonian is now documenting the whole movement. It’s a strong, loving community that is still thriving.

San Francisco Bay Times: The Freight and Salvage has always been important to you beyond your work as an artist. What do you have in common with the venue now?

Barbara Higbie: Speaking of community, the Freight is the center of a huge community of musicians. It’s a phenomenal place: a 53-year-old non-profit that owns its own building and raises funds to continue to showcase various music artists from around the world. If you’ve never been there do yourself a favor and go to Freight! I am currently the co-chair of the board, along with the conductor and community activist Elizabeth Seja Min.

I believe in the importance of cargo to my core. Thanks to loyal donors and government grants, it survived COVID. Visiting shows is the best way to ensure that places like the Freight stay in business. It is a real cultural treasure that has exceeded all expectations. I want people to know that they can be sure that all of these venues are compliant with COVID protocols. We’re getting back to live music in a safe way.

For tickets and more information on the 35th anniversary of the Winter Solstice in Windham Hill with Freight and Recovery on December 17th, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/4ax5uhu2

To learn more about Barbara Higbie and to purchase her recordings, visit https://barbarahigbie.com/

Published on December 2, 2021

The post Legendary Artist Barbara Higbie Returns to Dwell Performing for thirty fifth Anniversary of Windham Hill Winter Solstice – San Francisco Bay Occasions appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.