Homeless Sheltered
According to the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the Central Waterfront Navigation Center has housed 147 guests since it opened last spring, 28 of whom have been placed in permanent housing. Currently, the facility has 52 guests and 10 vacant beds. DHSH’s Randy Quesada said that complete “dashboards” on Navigation Centers, originally promised to be delivered by the Department by the end of last year, will be published regularly starting in May.
Sign of the Times
A recent Nextdoor post: “My name is Uzuri Pease-Greene and I am running for supervisor of District 10. I wanted to let you know that starting next week I will be walking around and knocking on doors. I wanted to put this out there because people have been nervous with just random people coming to their door and trying to run scams. I would ask that if anyone comes to your door asking for money for my campaign, that you do not give it to them especially if they insist on cash.” It’s generally good advice not to give politicians cash, though the notion that a stranger’s knock on the door is cause for alarm is unfortunate…Speaking of signs, the 18th and Pennsylvania intersection is now a four-way stop.
Annoying Dancing Street Lights
According to Southern Heights resident Edward Miller, two light-emitting diode streetlamps located at the intersection of De Haro and Southern Heights are blinking rapidly at night, disturbing neighbors’ ability to catch some winks. Miller surmises that the light disco is due to asynchronous interaction between the two lamps’ daylight sensors: each lantern, when lighting up at night, turns the other lamp off; when it goes off, thinking it’s daytime, the first one goes on. They dance like that forever; it’s not pretty. Bright lights flashing rapidly have been known to trigger epileptic shocks and disrupt sleep for anyone subjected to the irritating phenomenon.
Pig in the Dog
Wooly Pig Café is opening at the Dogpatch Café’s former location, 2295 Third Street. According to owner Lieng Souryavong, the move from his current Inner Sunset spot “was a very difficult decision that we had to make.” State records indicate that the Third and 20th streets space has a Type 41 liquor license, which permits beer and wine sales.
Robot Taxis
Last month, Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, which was previously scattered around San Francisco, moved into a newly renovated 130,000-square-foot space at Pier 70, featuring exposed brick walls and huge windows. Other Pier 70 tenants include Restoration Hardware; Tea Collection, a children’s clothing maker; Obscura Digital, a visual and film studio; and Gusto, which handles employees benefits for small businesses.
Powerhouse Repurposed
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced last month groundbreaking of the $14 million Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse renovation. The edifice consists of two adjoining structures: a two-story office building with approximately 13,000 square feet of space, “Car Barn;” and a single-story, roughly 3,000 square feet, “Powerhouse”. The facelift will focus on the Powerhouse, with seismic upgrades, modern utility systems installation, historic restoration, hazardous materials remediation, increased American Disability Act access, streetscape improvements, new roof and restored windows, as well as a floor with radiant heating. Once the revamp is completed early next year, the Powerhouse will host youth arts classes in dance, theater, music, and spoken word, with programming provided by Performing Arts Workshop, an arts education nonprofit that’s been serving San Francisco’s children and teenagers for more than 52 years. The Powerhouse will also be available for rental for meetings, events, rehearsals, performances, adult arts classes, and exhibitions.
No More Toys
Let’s have a moment of silence for Toys R Us. Many of our lives have been bookended by childhood experiences walking saucer-eyed past toy-laden shelves there, years later to accompany our own offspring through that same thrill. Yes, there’s still Target, and the always ready to please Amazon, but a physical emporium dedicated to the single purpose of vending joy to kids is something special, in a similar manner as thankfully saved from extinction bookstores, and dearly departing video outlets. Thank you, Toys R Us. A part of us departs with you.
Schools Suffer Under Social
Evidence is mounting that schools are being overwhelmed by social media, with matters made worse by legal weed. After all, what better way to spend the day than stoned, binging on Friends reruns? According to one educational expert, who works mostly in San Francisco’s independent schools, “…the Netflix, phone and social media addiction is rampant. In school, I observe students in the library watching Netflix during study halls…they are using personal hotspots so they don’t get caught streaming. I’ve heard they are sneaking it in class as well.” According to a high school junior, “weed is everywhere; lots of kids are using it to quell their anxiety, but then they just act stupid, and can’t focus in class…” Is it time to unilaterally shut the Internet down, across all public and private school campuses? But then, how would students communicate about the latest school shootings…?
