Drum Licks
Last month, Arkansas Street resident Dawn Richardson launched a music education platform, Online Drum Lessons, featuring two courses: Drumming Basics and Beginner to Band. The fundamentals class features such tips as what sticks to start with, drum kit parts, grip and positioning, basic strokes and notation. Beginner to Band is a comprehensive guide to mastering drum kit essentials. Each section builds on the last with the goal of creating a strong drumming foundation through effective exercises. Originally from Los Angeles, Richardson has been a Potrero Hill dweller for more than two decades.
Crime
The San Francisco District Attorney has charged Eugenio Perez Corleto, 28, with killing a man in Potrero Hill. Corleto, a San Francisco resident, is in custody without bail. He’s accused of murdering Frank Chavez, 27, of South San Francisco, who was allegedly stabbed January 31 at around 12:22 a.m. on the 500 block of Potrero Avenue. Police found Chavez with a knife wound. He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he died February 2. Corleto was arrested by officers with the department’s homicide detail and community violence reduction team, which used to be called the gang task force until a name change last year.
Recology
San Francisco officials are scrutinizing Recology’s $200 million sale of its Seventh Street property to Amazon to determine whether customers are owed more money from the company.Last year, the waste hauler agreed to reimburse San Franciscans nearly $95 million for overcharges that municipal lawyers identified as part of a corruption investigation linked to former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. City Controller Ben Rosenfield is reviewing financial data provided by Recology related to its 2020 deal with Amazon. The controller’s inquiry comes at a sensitive time for the company, which could be subject to more municipal oversight if the Board of Supervisors places a proposed surveillance measure on the ballot.
Blocked Shot
French sports retailer Decathlon will close its two U.S. stores, including at the Potrero Center, this month. A third location, on Market Street, was shuttered at the beginning of the pandemic. The company plans to focus on online sales and vending its products — which include bikes, dumbbells and skis — at other retailers like Walmart and Target. “We are changing our business model to adapt to current market conditions and to better meet the needs of our customers,” said Christian Ollier, chief executive officer of Decathlon USA, in a statement. “It’s clear that our products are well-received in the U.S. market; and we’ve seen record growth over the last few years. However, in order to grow in the right way, we need to adapt and pave the way for the Decathlon of the future. While we will be closing physical stores at this time, our products are available online at Decathlon.com and at a growing number of retail partners.”
Election Uber Alles
On April 19, District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, and chief of staff to San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, David Campos, will compete in a runoff election for California Legislative District 17, representing the City’s eastern neighborhoods, including Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, and Bayview-Hunters Point. In the February 15 special election to determine the final contenders, Campos received 35 percent of the vote, Haney 37 percent, out of just 65,344 ballots cast. Turnout could be even lower in April since it’ll be the only race on the ballot. “We are running a corporate-free campaign, advocating for Medicare for All, a green new deal, and affordable housing. Our numbers were surging in the last few days before the February election, even as Haney’s campaign made big expenditures on advertising. Our campaign does not have that kind of money, so it’s great that we finished in a strong position,” said Campos. Haney wasn’t available for comment. The D17 seat became open when David Chiu was appointed City Attorney by Mayor London Breed last September. The runoff will determine who finishes Chiu’s term, which ends in December. Both Campos, who served as Supervisor for District 9 from 2008 to 2016, and Haney earned significantly more votes than businessman Bilal Mahmood, who was chosen by 21 percent, and City College Trustee Thea Selby, favored by just six percent of voters.
Brownfields
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has gifted a $200,000 Brownfields job training grant to Hunters Point Family. The nonprofit will recruit 60 Bayview-Hunters Point, Potrero Hill and Visitation Valley residents to be trained and certified in Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, underground storage tanks, solid and hazardous waste management, confined space, and lead, asbestos, and mold remediation.
