Polling data suggests that the Democratic Party will sweep the election. Joe Biden will become the 46th American president, the U.S. Senate will tilt Blue by a couple of seats, and the U.S. House of Representatives will remain solidly Democratic, though it’ll take time for all votes to be counted and legal skirmishes resolved. … Keep Reading
Slow Streets Phase III of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Slow Streets program launched last month, with the addition of Minnesota Street from Mariposa to 22nd Street, 20th Street from San Bruno to Pennsylvania, Arkansas from 23rd to 17th streets, and an extension of the Mariposa Slow Street from Texas to Mississippi. Enjoy! Food Union… Keep Reading
San Francisco rents have dropped faster than any other major city in the country. According to Zumper’s October rent report, which analyzed data from more than one million listings nationwide, rents in the City have declined by 20 percent since last year. Zumper, which vends apartments and houses online, found that an average South-of-Market studio… Keep Reading
A group of volunteers is cultivating a garden that consists of plants native to the area, adapted to the soil above Serpentinite bedrock that’s prevalent along Vermont and 17th streets. The plot is being nurtured through a collaboration between the Potrero Gateway Project (PGP), California Native Plant Society – Yerba Buena Chapter, landscape architecture firm… Keep Reading
Though I’d lived in the house for several years, I’d never noticed the gate located at the end of a concrete side path that led from my front door to my neighbor’s fence. I’d walked the short trail to within a few feet of the fence, where further passage was blocked by a cluster of… Keep Reading
In-person (by appointment)Now through 11/30/20Art: “What Kind of Cool (Will We Think of Next)”Nancy Toomey Fine Art presents an exhibition of collaborative works by Rodney Ewing and Tahiti Pehrson, “What Kind of Cool (Will We Think of Next).” Visit the gallery by appointment: nancy@nancytoomeyfineart.com, 415.307.9038, or https://bit.ly/2TpxCcM. Minnesota Street Project, 1275 Minnesota Street. In-personNow through… Keep Reading
During normal times Potrero Hill resident, Paul Kleyman, could often be found sipping coffee at Farley’s, contemplating what to post next on his aging-focused blog, Generations Beat Online. A 40-year Hill resident, after Kleyman graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in journalism he was certain of one thing: he wasn’t going… Keep Reading
Robert BechtleMay 14, 1932 – September 24, 2020 Long-time Potrero Hill resident, photorealist painter, and former California College of the Arts faculty member, Robert Bechtle, died on September 24, 2020 from Lewy body dementia. He was 88. Bechtle was known for his extraordinary skill in memorializing the everyday, painting such images as the back of… Keep Reading
Voting is the heart of democracy, an opportunity for citizens to choose their leaders, and adopt or reject new laws and tax measures. According to Thomas Paine, “The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery,… Keep Reading
RescueSF wants to end homelessness in San Francisco, not in the next 10 years, but now. The coalition of neighborhood associations and concerned individuals plans to accomplish that goal by calling for a set of common solutions to be implemented throughout San Francisco, and the Bay Area. “In the past when we talked to district… Keep Reading
Proposition 14: Borrowing for Stem Cell Research Funded by Silicon Valley real estate developer Robert Klein, JDRF International – a nonprofit that funds diabetes research – and Open Philanthropy Project, this measure would authorize the issuance of a $5.5 billion bond to fund stem cell research. In 2004, voters passed Proposition 71 to create the… Keep Reading
The politics of the City College Board mirrors the dysfunction of the institution itself. Virtually the only people who seem to want the trustee job are those looking for a stepping-stone or who can’t find anything better to do with their time. Despite nonstop travails, including nosediving enrollment and continuous near bankruptcy, one trustee, whose… Keep Reading
Measure A, the “2020 Health and Recovery General Obligation Bond”, would dedicate $487.5 million of borrowed money to provide health care services to those without homes, renovate parks, and improve streets. According to the San Francisco Department of Elections, $207 million would be invested “…in facilities that provide treatment and permanent supportive housing for… Keep Reading
Proposition D, Sheriff Department Oversight and Inspector General Proposition D would amend the City Charter to create an independent Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board (SDOB), with an Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG would investigate complaints against the Sheriff’s Department and in-custody deaths and recommend new policies. The SDOB would hire the Inspector General, evaluate… Keep Reading
The Community Living Campaign: Turning Strangers into Neighbors and Neighbors into FriendsCLCs Community Connectors are organized around a group’s needs and interests, offering ways to meet neighbors and link with local resources. The mantra, “turning strangers into neighbors and neighbors into friends,” summarizes the program’s goal. During shelter-in-place CLC offers many activities on Zoom, including… Keep Reading
Under Article 34 of the state Constitution, voters must approve low-income housing developments before they can be built. Proposition K, authored by District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, would authorize “the City and County of San Francisco to own, develop, construct, acquire, or rehabilitate up to 10,000 affordable rental units in the City…” The measure,… Keep Reading
Proposition G Would Grant 16- and 17-Year-Olds Right to Vote Proposition G would allow those aged 16 and 17 to vote on local candidate races and ballot measures, with passage requiring 50 percent plus one. “The amendment could be expected to increase the number of registered voters for municipal elections by up to approximately 1.5… Keep Reading
Ten people are running to fill four seats on the San Francisco Board of Education: Alida Fisher, small business owner; Paul Kangas, private investigator; Jenny Lam, board incumbent elected last year; Matt Alexander, co-founder of the June Jordan School for Equity; Michelle Parker, who has children in public schools; Kevine Boggess, education policy director at… Keep Reading
Proposition L, the “Overpaid Executive Gross Receipts Tax,” would add a duty to companies whose executives earn 100 times or more the median salary of the rest of their San Francisco workforce. District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, the measure’s lead advocate, estimates that the tax would generate between $60 million and $140 million annually for… Keep Reading
Asked how COVID-19 was affecting Potrero Annex-Terrace residents, Bee replied, “Not much, it’s always been hard here…” Life at Annex-Terrace wasn’t getting harder. It’s always been hard. Bee knew someone who had the virus, and worried about how it was transmitted. She planned to get tested at the Potrero Hill Health Center, Wisconsin Street and… Keep Reading
Last month, Mayor London Breed floated a two-year budget in which $120 million would be shifted from the San Francisco Police and Sheriff’s departments to programs intended to benefit African Americans. Under the initiative $40 million a year would be redirected from SFPD, $20 million annually from the Sheriff’s Department. “We are listening to the… Keep Reading
A 1/8 cent sales tax to fund Caltrain will appear on San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara county ballots this November. It took the San Francisco and Santa Clara Boards of Supervisors until just before an early August deadline to be included in the fall vote to reach an agreement to strip the measure… Keep Reading
The Embarcadero Shelter Access for Everyone (SAFE) Navigation Center has operated as a COVID-negative congregate shelter since June. San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) had considered converting it to “post-COVID” accommodation last spring but pivoted to the more urgent need to offer refuge for people experiencing homelessness who tested COVID negative. Last… Keep Reading
Last month kindergarten through twelfth grade students started the academic year online, with San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) campuses off-limits until the Department of Public Health (DPH) deems in-person learning safe. After a summer of near house arrest, students are now entering their sixth month of distance learning, which started last March, when schools… Keep Reading