No Alliance
Last month the San Francisco Chronicle revealed that the San Francisco Parks Alliance diverted at least $3.8 million earmarked for specific projects to cover its operating expenses as it spiraled into insolvency. The misdirected funds included two to three million dollars donated by the Baker Street Foundation, a family charity run by Mary Miner, widow of Oracle co-founder Bob Miner, to support improvements at Crane Cove Park. “I think law enforcement should be involved,” said Nicola Miner, the family’s eldest daughter. “I think we’re past the point of this was some kind of mismanagement; $2 million that was supposed to go to the people of San Francisco is $2 million. That’s a lot of money.” It is unclear how diversion of the funds will impact additional Crane Cove Park improvements.
Crime
In the first third of 2024, the number of reported crimes in San Francisco fell by 30 percent compared with the same time period in 2023. The most notable declines were in property-related wrongdoings, such as larceny theft. The trend is consistent with a national decrease in reported violent and property crimes through the end of 2023. Changes varied by neighborhood, with some areas experiencing elevated incidences for specific crimes. For example, January through April robberies in part of Mission Bay declined from 16 in 2022 to 12 in 2023, followed by 14 in 2024.
President
Michael Berkowitz was elected president of the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association. Berkowitz also serves as a leader for San Francisco City Guides, which is offering two new Dogpatch tours: Dogpatch East – Past, Present, and Future Industries and Dogpatch West – Dutchman’s Flat to Dogpatch. With development of Pier 70 and Crane Cove, the original Dogpatch and Potrero Point excursion became quite lengthy. Dividing the tour in half allows for new or a reprisal of old stops that’ve been skipped over the past few years.
School Settlement
Last month, the San Francisco Unified School District settled a sexual abuse lawsuit for $1.5 million. The plaintiff, “John Doe,” claimed that the District failed to supervise former Lowell High School teacher and counselor Harlan Edelman, who sexually abused him when he was a student during the 2004-2005 academic year. The complaint alleged that Edelman started “grooming” the former student to gain his trust, posturing that his attentions were focused on grade improvements. The grievance asserted that school officials ignored Edelman’s conduct, and that the abuse occurred on the Lowell High School campus, including in Edelman’s office and classroom. During litigation it came to light that another student had reported that she’d been sexually assaulted during the same school year by a different counselor and that Edelman had helped cover it up. Despite the student and parents reporting the assault, school officials didn’t take appropriate action. That failure, according to attorney Lauren Cerri, gave Edelman carte blanche to continue abusing the plaintiff. “School officials admitted that they felt there was no reason to supervise any of the counselors more closely,” Cerri said. “Had they done so, most likely Edelman’s abuse of my client would have been detected and stopped.”
View Getting Better
The Potrero View is steadily gaining subscribers, along with generous donations, including from Michael Mugmon. The paper still needs a couple hundred more supporters to survive. Those who want to keep their View are invited throughout the publication to advertise, subscribe or donate, with limited edition anniversary T-shirts and hats available in gratitude. The View also welcomes assistance with marketing and ad sales and is open to new ownership as a means to energize the paper, which publisher Steven Moss has shepherded for 18 years: editor@potreroview.net.