joe rosato, jr.: welcome to nbc bay area's "fog city stories." today, we ride along with one of san francisco's veterans of the cable cars as he rumbles through the city and his path to the grip. valentine lupiz: i wanted to do this from the time i was

about 10 years old. joe: then it's off to marin where we meet up with a man who uncovered a forgotten cemetery filled with stories and bay area history. charlie kelly: we know very little about the people whose markers are here. joe: and an oakland musician talks about his journey to music and how the pandemic helped him to find his groove. javier navarrette: we have a--almost a second chance to not waste time. joe: hello, i'm joe rosato, jr., and welcome to another installment of "fog city stories." we're shining a light on some of the people and issues that make the bay area such a unique place, and you might want to hold on tight for this first story because we're riding along with one of san francisco's most beloved cable car operators. joe: you hear them, feel them rumbling up and down the streets, san francisco's wooden ambassadors from another time. valentine: heard of a living history? this is living history.

joe: veteran cable car gripman valentine lupiz could also be from another time. valentine: i think they just like the way i dress. joe: he's been at the grip of history for over 2 decades. valentine: i can look at a photograph of one of these things from 1930 and, "oh, i was driving that last week." joe: lupiz has something in common with the cable cars. he was born and raised in san francisco. valentine: i'm half japanese and half filipino. mom was born in tokyo, and dad was born in mindanao. my mom, she had friends down in chinatown and the grown-ups would go and play cards and mahjong and-- you know, "go play." so i wandered up the hill and i saw the cable cars rolling past. like, "oh, that's cool." joe: he was 8 years old when he heard his calling. valentine: little kids, you know, they-- you want to be an astronaut or a police officer. i always wanted to do this. on a nice, quiet, sunny day when there's not too much going on, i think back, "well, maybe this is what it was like in 1890." joe: growing up in the city's mission district,

lupiz's mother gave him a piece of advice. valentine: she always said being asian that i would have to work harder in order to prove myself. joe: and so he has. muni often calls lupiz for special events or the launch of a special car. valentine: i'm very proud of what i do. fred butler: everyone knows you-- to do this special job it's-- it gives a good feeling. valentine: so this is cart number three. joe: just don't ask lupiz-- valentine: this is cart number eight. joe: --which car is his favorite. valentine: it's like, "do you have a favorite child?" they're very much like people. they're individuals. joe: and so when the pandemic shut down the cable cars for nearly a year and a half lupiz missed those individuals, the human and the wooden kind. valentine: it was pretty depressing, i won't lie. the actual work, being on the road, ringing the bell, working the brakes, the smell, the sounds. joe: by the time he got his hands back on the grip, lupiz had rediscovered that same feeling as a kid watching the cable cars climb.

valentine: it's really made me appreciate even more what i have. joe: if there's a highlight for lupiz, it was a few years back when muni re-launched historic car big 19 after 70 years in storage. they chose lupiz to grip for its inaugural run. valentine: just happened to be my birthday. so that was one of the greatest birthday presents i have ever gotten. joe: now, every day behind the stick feels like a gift. valentine: i don't bother playing the lotto. i don't do any of that. i've used up all my luck. joe: it may have less to do with luck than a work ethic and the joy of a childhood dream come to life on the hills of san francisco. joe: let's talk about another iconic san francisco staple. that's, of course, sourdough bread. it was first created by gold miners around 1850. but could climate change actually have an impact on our famous bread?

let's hear what some experts have to say. joe: venture down to san francisco's fisherman's wharf, you'll find local specialties: dungeness crab, clam chowder, and of course the famed staple sourdough bread. dan giraudo: sourdough originated in san francisco during the gold rush, and it's been part of the fabric of san francisco since its beginning. joe: since 1849, san francisco's boudin bakery has been turning out the delicacy. dan: i would say about 100,000 pounds a week. this is the mother dough that dates back to 1849, which goes into every loaf of bread we make. joe: dan giraudo's grandfather bought the bakery in the '40s. he's the third generation to run it. dan: it's extremely, extremely sour. clears your sinuses. joe: giraudo will tell you flour, water, and tradition make this bread unique, but there's another key ingredient: climate. dan: san francisco has a unique microclimate. we're right on the bay, right in the water.

joe: there's even a bacteria named for san francisco sourdough. it was first identified in a sourdough starter found in the city. dan: scientists have called the lactobacillus san francisco. so it's a distinct bacteria that's in the air in san francisco, which creates to the history and mystery of san francisco sourdough. joe: but there is no mystery the bay area climate is changing. scientists have measured less fog, warmer temperatures; all silent ingredients in this city's famous bread. dan: if the scientists are saying the fog is going away, we're not going to have the marine layer; yes, then we could have some issues. joe: and that's the question a group of researchers set out to answer in a new study. erin mckinney: we sent out a general survey to-- something like 1,000 people across the world answered questions about their sourdough starters. joe: assistant professor, erin mckinney, of north carolina state university says the group looked at samples of sourdough starter from around the world, including the bacteria first detected

in san francisco's bread. erin: you know, we tend to see lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, you know, associated with lower maximum temperatures, areas that remain cooler throughout the year. joe: but if the city by the bay continues to warm, mckinney says a different bacteria could take over and that could actually change the flavor of the bread. erin: they'll be more active at warmer temperatures, so you'll get a tangier loaf. joe: any bread maker will tell you even slight changes in humidity can affect the flavor of bread, which is why boudins has strict climate control. dan: we control this temperature for 20 hours of the process. joe: but does climate change mean giraudo might soon have tangier sourdough on his hands? he's not so sure. dan: as long as the bay is here, the sea breeze, the fog, you'll have the-- similar humidity that we've had for the last 180 years. joe: and that's the age-old recipe for a san francisco tradition. dan: we make the bread the same way we made it in 1849.

joe: when we come back, we'll meet up with a marin county man and his discovery of a forgotten cemetery. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

joe: you can learn a lot of history in a cemetery. old headstones give us a little insight into the people who were here before. but in marin county one old cemetery kind of fell off the map--that is, until a neighbor did a little digging around. jack thornton: each one of these stones out here has a story. there's a lot of interesting stories here. joe: there's a place in san rafael where every road seems to take you back in time-- jack: this area here is all swedish, danish, and norwegian. joe: --where it helps to have a guide like jack thornton, director of san rafael's mount tamalpais cemetery. jack: so we've had a lot of old markers and stuff up clear up on the hills up here. you're familiar with eddy street in san francisco? well, that's the eddy family right in there. joe: a drive through this cemetery reveals every corner, every stone is a footnote in history. jack: most of the founding fathers of marin county and san rafael are buried here. this was made for horse and buggies.

joe: mount tamalpais officially became a cemetery in 1879. the stones and their stories are here for anyone to see-- jack: well, this is the edge of the cemetery. joe: --at least most of them. jack: this is a real old section. joe: at the cemetery's edge is an old section where shifting land and unchecked nature have reclaimed the graves of some of its oldest residents. beneath thick brush and poison oak, few even realized they were here. jack: but we've got a map that shows exactly who's here and where it is, if somebody wanted to visit them at your own risk. charlie: walter keller. you got a pretty steep hillside. joe: charlie kelly doesn't mind the risk. charlie: there are five in this immediate area here, and actually i see one over here that i hadn't even noticed before. joe: the san anselmo neighbor has become a regular here. charlie: i've explored this hillside pretty carefully and i think i've located most of them.

joe: the graves were so obscured kelly and others using the adjacent trail didn't even notice them. charlie: howdy. anyway, what was the question? joe: the question is then, how did kelly find them? charlie: during the winter when all the undergrowth died back, suddenly these headstones just popped right out of the forest floor. jack: that one down there says 1871 on it. joe: kelly began to photograph the newly discovered graves and post them to a facebook site for marin county history. charlie: and i got hundreds of responses. joe: he cleared away some of the brush, constantly searching-- charlie: i'm seeing something that doesn't look fully natural. oh, no, that's a log. joe: --seeking stories in the stones. charlie: and it is to his beloved bride, 23 years old, who died in 1893. now fallen over and we'll never who's after that. joe: like others, kelly wondered about this part of the cemetery and why it had been allowed to fall into such disrepair. jack: here's the roadway up here.

joe: that area may be off the road, but it's not off the radar. jack: and he was buried here in april 21, 1879. joe: thornton says the area kelly ventured into is old section j, an area used for burials even before the cemetery officially opened. jack: now, here's a map of the cemetery from the 1880s. here we go. j, last name-- joe: as for the upkeep of section j, thornton says the shifting hillside and poison oak have made it too dangerous for his crews to maintain. jack: in the erosion and just trying to get in here. charlie: this inscription here, it's actually in german. [speaking foreign language] joe: kelly is satisfied he and others now at least know the graves are here-- charlie: virginia h. buker. joe: --and maybe that knowledge can help them exist in the thoughts of the living. charlie: i just think that we should remember these people and

say their name 'cause that's why they're engraved on a rock. joe: well, coming up, we'll dine with a group of men who shared a unique childhood in an unusual bay area home. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

joe: once upon a time, there was a home in the east bay that

took in young chinese boys who had no place else to go. it was known as the chung mei home. more than 7 decades later, we join some of those now men as they reunite. joe: there's a building in el cerrito that doesn't look like the others. the ornate asian accents stand out in the neighborhood of simple houses. it's a school now, but in 1935 many knew it as home. male: kids were all over the place. they're in the back, planting flowers, planting tomatoes, and-- joe: the building once housed the chung mei home, a boys' home that took in orphans and children whose parents couldn't care for them. it was founded by dr. charles shepherd, a british baptist minister who was known to the kids as captain. there was one qualification. all the boys were of chinese descent. richard mar: we could not go in any other institution because we were not accepted. joe: in the time of the chinese exclusion act, the home was the only refuge for chinese boys.

shepherd ran a tight ship. there were daily chores, chapel services, and bells that signaled from the start of the day. william lee: when the second bell rings, you have to have your foot on the floor and ready to go. joe: shepherd moved the home from berkeley to el cerrito in 1935 where it operated until 1954. the boys who lived there are now in their 80s and 90s and yet memories of that time still bring them together. female: let me put one more chair in. male: you recognize him? joe: a few times a year-- male: i was there in 1936. joe: --the boys of the chung mei home-- male: couldn't even speak english. joe: --gather with their families to reminisce. male: when did we have to recite this? joe: over hot tea, steaming pork buns, and tales-- male: we had to grab the both sides, you know. joe: --life spins back some 7 decades. richard: and we learned discipline. we learned the value of hard work. joe: richard mar moved to the home in 1948 when his single father could no longer care for him.

richard: as long as we perform and obey the rules and regulation, everything was perfect as far as i was concerned. joe: the school even had its own alphabet, with each letter anchoring an inspirational thought. paul chan jr.: bears burdens cheerfully, can do whatever he makes his--makes up his mind to do. male: he's passed away last month. joe: the men began gathering several years ago when they realized time was marching on. ray tom: i'm happy to be able to meet alumni that went through the same experience i did. joe: for many, breaking bread, swapping stories brings back fond memories. for william lee, who was orphaned and lived in the home for 10 years, the good memories didn't come until later. william: oh, at the time i didn't think it was positive. i just accepted it as what it was. later on you appreciate all those sayings and learning. joe: in recent years, the former students paid homage to the captain and the school by getting it placed on the us national register of historic places.

phillip chan: they will never destroy the building. it will all be a part of the el cerrito history. joe: like the original building, the chung mei survivors are still standing and still filled with memories that need to be shared. joe: well, coming up, we'll get into the groove with an oakland percussionist who's preserving culture with every beat. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

joe: well, the covid pandemic of course hit many people hard, including musicians. the venues closed, the gigs went away, but for one east bay percussionist that rough time helped him to find his groove. javier: i grew up in fresno, california, in the central valley. we were influenced with this music from my uncle, ismael rodriguez. we would listen to the albums and it was like all this music from the caribbean, cuba, brazil. joe: life has a rhythm. it has pulse and syncopation. javier: for me, music is based upon the connection with the spirits that exist around the earth. you know, the ocean, the wind. joe: for almost his entire life, mexican-american percussionist javier navarrette has chased

those rhythms. javier: i just fell deep in love with percussion-- afro-caribbean percussion. joe: his journey into music took him from the central valley to the bay area and then somewhere beyond the notes. javier: i got involved with learning the history of the music, where it comes from, the culture. i was able to take a music course in cuba and study the roots to cuban music. joe: navarrette played in bands all his life, even backing up the legendary aretha franklin at the oakland coliseum. javier: it was so heavy. i was like, "what do you do after that?" male: coronavirus pandemic has-- joe: not long after, life threw a twist answer to that question. female: millions of americans-- the pandemic shut down life as we knew it, and along with it live music. gigs went away, so did musical connections. navarrette felt its loss. javier: after coming through the pandemic and people not having music, i've realized how important music is a vital role

for survival. joe: but just as soon as he could, he started organizing outdoor shows with bandmates performing a safe distance apart. javier: that's where the name came. i have the--my group is javier navarrette & his socially distant friends. joe: his time away from music set him on a new path. javier: getting through the pandemic we could kind of see it as a blessing, that we have a-- almost a second chance to not waste time. joe: when restrictions eased up, navarrette began to make up for that lost time. he started organizing concerts, now serving as the band leader. he staged a musical performance on oakland's waterfront featuring many of his musical heroes, and then navarrette realized musical knowledge is something to be passed along. javier: i've had the opportunity to teach kindergartens through elementary school all of the music that i've learned from my travels from the bay area to cuba, brazil.

anthony blea: tradition can be lost, you know. so it's important for someone like javier to keep educating public and the kids. joe: navarrette is now making the most of his musical life, playing and sharing the music that sustained him through a dark time. javier: it's a whole vital source of life. joe: it's the heartbeat of life conducted through fingertips beating on the great bandstand of life. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ joe: well, thanks so much for joining me for this edition of "fog city stories." i hope you enjoyed meeting some interesting bay area folks. i'm joe rosato, jr. encouraging you to climb a hill and see the world. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ monte poole: welcome again, brothers and sisters, to another episode of "race in america: a candid conversation." i'm your host, monte poole. today's guest is, well, i'll just say this.