Canadian Forces Snowbirds to headline air show
Whether you love the Blue Angels’ daring maneuvers or hate the roar of their Super Hornet jets flying right over your rooftop, it’s looking like you won’t see or hear them next weekend.
[1]Thanks to the federal government shutdown, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1, the Blue Angels air shows scheduled for Fleet Week in San Francisco next weekend are now canceled. Nor will any U.S. Navy ships be docking at the Embarcadero, Navy spokesperson Brian O’Rourke told the Mercury News [3].
Thanks to the Royal Canadian Air Force, however, Fleet Week air shows will go on. Spokesperson David Cruise confirmed that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds [4] will return to San Francisco for the first time since 2017 to headline the air shows on Saturday and Sunday, October 11-12.
“Our international partners remain confirmed,” Cruise said, noting that visiting ships from Canada and Colombia will arrive as planned for Fleet Week. Local events, like high school band competitions, are also expected to continue as scheduled, SF Gate [5] reported.
What else may be affected?
The government shutdown also may put a damper on other activities here in the Bay Area, some recreational and some very serious.
Parks: Some parks and facilities will be closed, according to a National Park Service (NPS) update [6]. Some parks were closed as of Wednesday, including Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County and Alcatraz Island. The Stinson Beach parking lot was closed as well. Fort Mason park headquarters in San Francisco was closed, but other facilities there were open. In San Mateo County, the Mori Point access road was closed. Other sites there were closed, including Milagra Ridge, Rancho Corral de Tierra and Phleger Estate.
Airports: All Bay Area airports are expected to remain open. A TSA spokesperson told KQED [7] on Wednesday that TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5 million passengers a day, but “an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports.”
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) spokesperson Doug Yakel told KQED that federal workers within the airport, like air traffic controllers and customs agents, would be considered “essential” and would have to continue working without pay. “This does raise the possibility that these staff may call in sick, potentially causing delays,” KQED warned.
Court dates: Judge Robert Conrad, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, issued a memo [8] last week stating that in a government shutdown the Judiciary could only sustain operations through Friday, October 3. Anyone with a hearing scheduled should check with local lawyers and legal groups, particularly regarding ICE enforcement, hearings, and removal operations. Because of court backlogs, rescheduling such hearings could impact an immigrant’s ability to mount a successful defense against deportation.
Social services: The shutdown should not affect health care coverage through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness [9]. Social Security payments will continue to be issued as usual. Homeless assistance grants through the Department of Housing and Urban Development will continue as well. Food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called Food Stamps, will not be interrupted, though “a longer-term shutdown could cause challenges for people needing to apply for assistance for the first time and/or delays in renewing benefits,” the Alliance stated.