>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7. >> a vacant slice of real estate in the heart of a vibrant neighborhood. with the owner being a mystery, residents are taking matters into their own hands to develop it. >> this could best be described as a grassroots effort in san francisco's mission district to build a better bay area. some residents decided to bust into the lot and put in a garden. not everyone is buying into the idea of a do-it-yourself green space. luz pena has the story. >> parcel 36 is what residents called the lot. it is from harrison and 22nd street to 23rd street and wheat

avenue. a big enough space to create controversy. >> what would you see if i told you there is no known owner of this space? >> i would say the city should give it to the mission residents to let us figure out a way to use it. >> it seems kind of silly that it is sitting there with no owner. >> to understand how we got to this dilemma and who put up the fence, we spoke to elizabeth creeley. she's part of the mission greenway to have a mission for the space. >> we would like to see a greenway in common with jury comments. we would like for it to include some aspects of urban agriculture. >> the fence was put up in the 80's. one of the property owners in the area has a key to the lock. she said her group tried for about 10 years to speak to the people involved. this weekend, they got fed up and broke the lock to begin --

>> what we saw was people walking ontas the's om to share. >> what happened this weekend you said that is it? >> after 10 years of trying. >> who owns it? according to the san francisco real estate department, the last owner was a southern pacific railroad, but it went out of business in 1996. so what now? >> all kinds of different things that have happened over the years, people trying to take claims on the land, lawsuits and fake deeds. >> he works for supervisor hillary ronen. the parcel is in her district. >> the railroad had permission to use it. they went to go get rid of the land. and it wasn't theirs is to dispose of. >> who owns it? >> it is unknown to our office. the assessor's office is looking at it. >> the lock is back on, and the

future of parcel 36 is still unknown. kind of like the owner. you could have taken it over and built a house. >> i wish i had. maybe i still can. >> in san francisco, luz pena. >> there are more signs the bay area market is cooling off. luxury home sales in september hit the lowest level for that month since redfin started tracking the statistic in 2012. year-to-year to year, the numbers are really pretty stunning. nearly 64%, san jose was close to 60%, san francisco at 50%. luxury homes are estimated in the top 5% based on market value. >> yesterday's 5.1 earthquake served as a good reminder and perhaps a wake-up call to prepare for the next big one. zach fuentes joins us from san jose, where officials are urging everyone there and throughout

the bay area to have a plan in place. >> that is absolutely right. the office of emergency services says as far as the earthquake we had, everything went as it should have. he did not have injuries or major damage. their hope is it will be a reminder the larger and more devastating earthquake could be on the way & steps could be lifesaving. >> long time bay area residents remember some of the largest earthquakes. places still top of mind. >> we are still top of mind. >> when i looked up, all of these cars were pulled over and the road was like -- >> despite those stories they shared, many still admitted they are not as prepared as they should be. >> i have to go home and reevaluate my water stash. >> i have enough water supply, but that is it.

>> practice dropped cover and hold on. >> she reminds everyone there are easy ways to get your house ready that don't cost a dime. >> moving heavy objects and move them down to the lower shelves. >> other ways to secure your space can be low cost. >> purchasing latches for your cabinet doors so your cups are not out of the cabinets. >> the other key thing to do is have an emergency preparedness kit ready to go. this area we have on our website has all of the information in what officials say should be part of your kit, including one gallon of water per person each day, a three-day supply of canned food, a first aid kit, seven-day supply of medications, pet supplies, and a flashlight with extra batteries. have a phone charger along with

family and emergency contact info. you need to remember to check it twice a year to make sure everything has not expired. one other key thing, it is an important reminder to download the my shea cap that can get you an alert 20 seconds before shaking starts. it can be lifesaving. because it is an apple we don't use every day, you want to make sure your iphone or smartphone did not offload it. make sure it is on the phone. make sure we download it so we have it. zach fuentes, abc7 news. >> uc berkeley seismologists say the earthquake increases the probability for a larger earthquake to have an in the bay area. one alleviated pressure around the epicenter, but increases pressure on other parts of the fault. >> in the surrounding areas, it has led increases, it is loading

up the surrounding patches. how ready are those and how big of an earthquake might we still produce from that? >> the professor says the chances of a bigger quake on the faultlines is greater for the next week or so, but will diminish once we are passed that timeframe. you can learn more about earthquakes in the bay area as well as how to prepare by going to abc7news.com. learn simple steps on how to be ready, including getting a kit, make a plan, and be informed. >> education is a key part of building a better bay area. san francisco public school teachers have been dealing with payroll issues for the past nine months. the district started staffing a helpline to sort out the problems. they have received 67 calls. leanne melendez is taking a look at how day one went. >> the sfusd call center has no

designated room. the superintendent joined staff handling calls from his desk. it is a concerted effort to resolve outstanding payroll issues mode back in july, he told us was his first order of business. >> continuing to work on our payroll system is a priority. >> teachers have protested the system, which led to an array of errors. more than three months after the interview, the challenges remain. she started working in mid-august and has still not been paid. >> you still have not received a penny. >> i have not received a penny at all. >> she was able to reach the call center and her case was given top priority. >> i'm a first year special education teacher. >> a handful of teachers told their stories during a rally in front of the school district. >> i've had a response from the district, all of my communication has been larger emails from the union.

>> their hours of operation are not practical because she's teaching and supporting students after school. the hope is speaking to a live person will help accelerate the backlog of complaints. >> talk to a live person to share their concerns, and have us document it for follow-up. >> parents at some schools are organizing support for those teachers who have experienced problems with their paychecks. in san francisco, leanne melendez. >> trying to time your covid booster shot around the holidays? experts tell us when is the best time to get it. >> i wish i would be the lucky one. >> she has a lot of company. do you feel lucky? the big powerball jackpot happening in a few hours. happening in a few hours. abc7 don't mind me. i'm just the flu. i'm quite harmless, really. and when people ask, “but aren't you linked to dangerous flu complications,

like pneumonia, heart attack, and hospitalizations?” i just say, “but, i'm just the flu.” it's him! who? i'm just the flu! fight the flu with sanofi flu vaccines. they not only help prevent flu in older adults, they've even been shown to provide better protection from flu-related complications compared to standard dose flu shots. don't get fluzone high-dose quadrivalent if you've had a severe allergic reaction to its components, including egg products, or after previous dose of flu vaccine. don't get flublok quadrivalent if you've had a severe allergic reaction to its components. tell your healthcare professional if you've had severe muscle weakness after a flu shot. people with weakened immune systems may have a lower vaccine response. this flu season, you do have a choice. choose the protection of a sanofi flu vaccine. ask your doctor or pharmacist which sanofi flu vaccine is right for you.

which sanofi flu vaccine in a recent clinical study, patients using salonpas patch reported reductions in pain severity, using less or a lot less oral pain medicines. and improved quality of life. that's why we recommend salonpas. it's good medicine. >> there's a new way of getting vaccinated against covid being used in shanghai. for those afraid of needles, it might be very appealing. they started using an inhalable vaccine believed to be the first time it has been administered this way. it is being given out as a booster and suck in through the mouth. not clear how effective of an inhalable vaccine it is compared to one injected. >> with thanksgiving for weeks away, experts are warning of a low percentage of people getting

the booster shot, including seniors. tara campbell has that story. >> the time to boost is now, before the winter holidays are upon us. >> she says the get boosted message must be aimed directly at people over the age of 65. she heads up the covid emergency response team. >> boosting will keep the medically fragile, the oldest of the old in our population, out of the hospital. >> booster numbers are lagging big time. in san francisco, 17% of those eligible have got the latest booster. >> we have a lot of immunity among our younger people and people who are not as threatened by covid. those are not the people i'm worried about. it is the people in nursing homes who are older, severely immunocompromised. >> more than 70% of people over

65 across the nation got the first booster. infectious diseases expert dr. monica gandhi has a warning. >> when did they receive the first booster or third shot? probably around january 2021. so it has been a full 10 months. and absolutely, you should get your booster. >> there is an exception. if you have gotten covid recently, you should hold off. she says the ideal time to get the new booster is four months after getting infected, or four months after getting your last shot. >> if you got infected in august, i would calculate those four months and get the booster in september, because that is where you maximize your immune slots. >> if you are older and get covid, she has a clear message. >> someone who is 65 and older, especially with comorbidities,

if you get covid during the holidays, i would ask for paxlovid. it is an antiviral that brings down the risk even more. >> in the east bay, oakland students participated in duaia e los muertos festivities. students carried ofrendes to the library, they are traditionally put on display this time of year in mexican households with pictures, food, and other goods in honor of loved ones who passed away. students and staff also made catrina masks. >> there were biographies about them, they interviewed parents, reached out about ancestors they have never met, now they get to know them through this project. >> the projects are on display at the library. the holiday is observed november 1 and second. >> fighting climate change takes all kinds of forms, even nasa is getting in on the effort. how it is trying to make a difference

vo: climate change is fueling a wildfire crisis. destroying our forests. threatening our communities. polluting our air. prop 30 taxes those making over $2 million a year. no one else pays a penny. 30 will reduce the tailpipe emissions that drive climate change. and prevent wildfires and toxic smoke. so we have clean air to breathe. this is about our kids' future. omar: prop 30 helps contain fires and combat tailpipe emissions. vote yes on 30.

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>> we are getting images back from what could be a powerful new tool in the fight against climate change. the work of nasa's jet propulsion lab in pasadena mirrors technology used to identify dangerous pollutants in california. >> the difference this time, it is deployed in space. mike nicco explains. >> for decades, the international space station has expanded scientific research beyond the earth's atmosphere.

now a new device placed on the station is zeroing in on a major threat to the planet itself. the release of dangerous greenhouse gases, specifically methane. >> it wasn't designed to look at methane. we knew it could have potential. >> it is powered by a sophisticated spectrometer developed at nasa in pasadena. highlighted here with a red circle, the device was launched and installed on the space station earlier this year. by essentially measuring reflected light, it can identify the fingerprint of substances like methane in the atmosphere. researchers were surprised when he began returning plumes from so-called super emitters like this one in iran. another detected took in the stand. >> when i saw these from turkmenistan, the beauty of being able to retrieve them, it really exceeded all of my expectations.

weak signals, may be at the centers, we are seeing long plumes. >> one reason for the excitement is the core mission is actually to image dust and elements that might influence climate change. over the last decade, researchers in california have helped pioneer the use of airborne spectrometers to monitor methane releases from sites ranging from utilities to landfills, to wastewater treatment plants. last year, abc7 profiled the special aircraft that were being used to identify leaks across the state. dr. green says the technology is many times more sophisticated and could offer the potential of monitoring and pinpointing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale. >> hopefully policymakers can say here is some methane sources we did not know about. are there ways we can mitigate it? >> potentially providing the

international community with a powerful new tool to fight climate change. >> that is pretty remarkable. turning our attention to the weather forecast. >> sandhya patel has the latest. >> absolutely gorgeous outside. this is the start of the indian year. i want to wish everyone a happy new year who celebrates. according to hindu tradition, it is on the lunar new year. we say -- either way, the weather is fabulous. you can see from our camera, plenty of sunshine mixing in with higher clouds. in case you are keeping track, five days from halloween, 11 days away from when standard time in. -- daylight saving time ends, we will go to standard time. in 29 days, thanksgiving will be here. and the time change. you do full view from our tower

camera. mainly sunny skies over the city. 61 in the city, 65 in oakland. high temperatures anywhere from the low 60's at the costar the mid-70's. filtered sunshine for the san jose camera because of clouds. really mild around concord, 70 degrees. we have been talking about these systems pushing into the pacific northwest. the area of high-pressure blocking storms from getting into the west coast has moved out of the picture enough to where the pacific northwest is getting one system after another. here's another one coming in. unfortunately for us, it doesn't look like any sprinkles for the north bay. clouds like we are seeing right now on live doppler 7. the winds certainly breezy. 21 miles an hour. a little bit of haze from our camera. looking back towards san francisco. chilly overnight. warmer for the weekend.

no tricks, all treats for halloween. it will be a cold night. frost advisories for the coastal areas. freeze warnings for the inland areas. anywhere from 30 to the 33 degree mark. take precautions between 1:00 and 10:00. that is when the warning goes up. you could see vegetation or sensitive plants damaged because of the frost and freeze. mid-30's to the upper 40's, not much in the way of cloud cover to insulate you. a couple of high clouds. low 60's to mid 70's. plenty of sunshine thursday. the next system stays to the north, doesn't quite make it to the bay area. the european computer model wants to bring in the chance of showers thursday. gfs bringing shower chances tuesday night and wednesday. chilly morning, mild afternoon, we repeat the theme, cooler for friday. warmer for the weekend.

it is a halloween treat. for the little ones and adults alike, tuesday night into wednesday, much cooler but certainly a possibility of showers. the models keep backing off. we get closer. but we are going drive. >> where is the commitment from the models? thank you. >> how does being a multimillionaire sound? we tell

i see it in my office all the time. kids getting hooked on flavored tobacco, including e-cigarettes. big tobacco lures them in with flavors like lemon drop and bubble gum, candy flavors that get them addicted to tobacco products, and can lead to serious health consequences, even harming their brain development. that's why pediatricians urge you to vote yes on prop 31. it stops the sale of dangerous flavored tobacco and helps protect kids from nicotine addiction. please vote yes on 31. vote yes on prop 31.

>> you can get our live newscasts, breaking news, weather, and more with our new abc7 bay area streaming app on apple tv, google tv, fire tv, and roku. search abc7 bay area and download it.

>> going against the odds. people across the bay area are buying tickets for tonight's powerball drawing. >> i forgot to buy one. a steady stream of people stopped by to buy a shot at the $700 million grand prize. >> i wish i would be the lucky one. a lot of people would have a lot of thanks if i'm the lucky one. i take care of the children, the homeless, everybody, because i would not need them for me. >> how sweet is she? the odds of winning are not great. the big prize, one in 291 million to win. it would be the sixth powerball winner of the year. i was holding out for a hundred million dollars. >> do we have time for a quick trip to san jose? somebody in san jose always wins. >> we should call our south bay bureau. >> world news tonight is next.

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tonight, breaking news. the verdict in the case of the driver plowing his suv into a holiday parade. that terrifying attack in wisconsin, killing six people and injuring dozens more. the youngest victim just 8 years old. now the verdict, and what one family brought to the courtroom. pierre thomas standing by. tonight, the new allegation against senate candidate herschel walker. another woman coming forward, and what she now claims. walker responding tonight. and linsey davis is here. and the other key senate race making news tonight, the debate in pennsylvania. the democrat john fetterman recovering from a stroke, on that stge, what he said about the stroke at the beginning of the debate. and then, how he performed. what his campaign is now saying tonight. and what the voters are saying. and dr. oz and his answer last night on abortion rights.