What if an earthquake’s time, location, and magnitude could be known days before it struck? That’s the promise of precursor SPC, a Washington-based company which, according to its chief executive officer, Clive Cook, is “on-track to deploy earthquake forecasting technology both in California and internationally” and is “in the process of closing multiple initiatives.” According… Keep Reading
In mid-April the City and County of San Francisco ordered its residents to wear face coverings when waiting in line, shopping, riding public transportation, and engaging in other social activities. Although the evidence is inconclusive, masks may prevent the spread of viruses from the wearer; multiple layers of fine woven fabric covering the nose and… Keep Reading
On the day before Mayor London Breed announced a shelter in place order for the City and County of San Francisco, my daughter, Sara, and I hit the road to Tacoma. We were on a sad mission: to empty her dorm. Her college, like most others throughout the country, had shifted to online learning for… Keep Reading
Over the years I’ve periodically encountered cheek kissers; people whose preferred greeting consists of a series of puckered lipped head maneuvers. When I was younger the kissers were usually someone’s girlfriend, a “glamourous” White girl from Seattle or Los Angeles who pronounced “Nicaragua” as if ordering a fancy cocktail and blurted out “Guatemala” so that… Keep Reading
Coronavirus COVID-19 triggered a run on grocery stores, and a collapse of other economic activity. Early in the shelter-in-place period, Good Life Grocery’s co-owner, Kayren Hudiburgh, said the store’s Bernal Heights outlet has been swamped with shoppers. “They are buying the usual…lots of toilet paper, water, disinfectant, juices, chips and tons of canned food. Lots… Keep Reading
The March 16, 2020 San Francisco Department of Public Health order for people to shelter in place until April 7 triggered a fundamental change in life on the Southside. Individuals were told not to leave their homes except for “essential” functions, including to purchase groceries, gasoline and medical services. People are allowed outside to exercise,… Keep Reading
During World War I shipbuilding by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation was in such high demand that on July 4, 1918 four destroyers were launched from Pier 70. But there were reports of the spread of an influenza-like illness throughout the United States. By the beginning of October 1918, there were 169 cases of flu in San… Keep Reading
Colleges have shifted to distance learning for the rest of the academic year. San Francisco Unified School District campuses are closed at least until May 1, with private sector gatherings similarly cancelled. What’s a community calendar to do in the face of a partial pandemic lockdown on communal activities? The View suggests that time can… Keep Reading
One of 826 Valencia Mission Bay’s first year goals was to work with third-grade classrooms at schools in Bayview and Potrero Hill, providing weekly writing support. Since last August, 826 staff and volunteers have worked with Herman Shepard, Starr King Elementary School teacher, to design whimsical and weird, Common Core-aligned writing lessons. From personal narratives… Keep Reading
Picture yourself on a transcontinental flight, economy class, sitting in a middle seat with a weary mom trying to console her crying baby on one side of you, and a large man who is intently staring at his blank video screen on the other. A bit of turbulence starts, then intensifies, the plane bouncing up… Keep Reading
Like many other nations, Rwanda enforced a shelter-in-place order from mid-March to the end of April. Half-way through the social shutdown, as increasing numbers of people lost their livelihoods, a communique was issued: “In the context of the fight against COVID-19, and in solidarity with the most affected Rwandans, the Government of Rwanda has decided,… Keep Reading
Colleges have shifted to distance learning for the rest of the academic year. San Francisco Unified School District campuses are closed at least until May 1, with private sector gatherings similarly cancelled. What’s a community calendar to do in the face of a partial pandemic lockdown on communal activities? The View suggests that time can… Keep Reading
HELPFUL LINKS AT THE END OF THIS STORY. Starting Tuesday, March 17, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) will provide free breakfast, lunch, fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, and shelf-stable meals to all children ages 18 and younger. A child needs to be present to pick-up food; no registration, identification, nor proof of school… Keep Reading
Public schools in California have boosted their counseling staffs by 30 percent over the past five years, a trend that’s likely to continue due to a rise in mental health issues, and associated pressures from teachers’ unions. The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is ahead of the curve, boasting a 110-to-one ratio of counselors… Keep Reading
The Potrero View, San Francisco’s longest-running neighborhood newspaper, was added to the City’s Legacy Business Registry earlier this year. The Registry recognizes venerable community-serving enterprises as valuable cultural assets, with educational and promotional assistance provided to support their continued viability. To date 239 companies have been listed on the Registry. Administered by the San Francisco… Keep Reading
Flower Moola Last month Kilroy Realty Corporation, the company developing a large mixed-used complex on top of the current home of the San Francisco Flower Mart at Sixth and Brannon streets, bought 901 16th and 1200 17th Street for $99 million. Kilroy has launched a “community process,” with an eye towards siting the Mart at… Keep Reading
Editor, I’ve been a San Franiscan for more than 20 years and a Potrero Hill resident for most of those years. I’m saddened by the news that a proposed housing development at 16th and Mississippi was shutdown and instead there are plans to move the San Francisco Flower Mart to a thriving residential community, especially… Keep Reading
A handful of civic organizations track land use changes in Dogpatch and Potrero Hill, and advocate on behalf of residents at City Hall. Among the most prominent of these are the Potrero Boosters, Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association (PDMA), and Dogpatch Neighborhood Association (DNA). The Boosters focus on issues that impact Hill residents. “What makes the… Keep Reading
The possible opening of a cannabis dispensary at 667 Mississippi Street has been delayed after the San Francisco Planning Commission voted to continue consideration of the project at a March 19 hearing. The matter came before the Commission after Friends of Mississippi Street, a neighborhood group that opposes the dispensary, raised concerns about it operating… Keep Reading
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando: A Biography, tells the story of a poet born in Elizabethan England who lives for three centuries. Along the way the main character, Orlando, meets several key figures in English literature and mysteriously changes sex from male to female, making the novel both a history of English letters and an… Keep Reading
Southside San Francisco has long hosted cutting-edge clothing companies. Almost a half-century ago Esprit de Corps transformed a former wine warehouse into its corporate headquarters, ultimately leaving behind Esprit Park in Dogpatch. The first generation of self-heating jackets were created at the American Industrial Center, on Third Street, by a former The North Face executive.… Keep Reading