Mission Mission

Crystal at Dolores Park Works hopes to set the record straight on the rumors flying about the proposed Dolores Park renovations in 2011. Particularly of interest to the folks who are losing their shit on facebook, is this:

The renovations will be done in phases. The whole park will not be closed or fenced off for the duration of the renovations.

Phase 1: The playground remodel, which has been in development by Friends of Dolores Park Playground, Supervisory Bevan Dufty’s office and SF Rec & Parks since 2006. It is scheduled to start in October 2010 and end in April 2011. Please note that this work will be done in the “off season.” The rest of the park will be available during this time if safe access can be provided.  YAY!

Phase 2: Initial estimates, and I do mean initial, put the park’s renovation at about 16-17 months.  This is a liberal estimate. You know the mantra – under promise and over deliver.  From what we’ve heard so far, it doesn’t look like the park will be closed for the entire time. The goal is to limit the impact on the community while ensuring that the work is done efficiently and safely.

Get the full scoop here and find out how you can get involved with the planning in a way that doesn’t involve, you know, sitting in front of your computer. No word on what they hope to do about the ever-rising perv activity in the park.

Details are constantly emerging regarding new legislation the city is considering that would expand the current ban on indoor smoking to include anywhere within 15 feet of entrances and exits to ALL buildings in San Francisco.  This verdict would ostensibly include enclosed smoking patios, such as that within everyone’s favorite place to get yelled at by barbacks (although a final decision on this specific point has been stalled and will be revisited in 2 weeks). 

Assuming that this zany legislation somehow passes despite its detrimental impact on businesses already weakened by the recession, what will this mean for Zeitgeist?  Do people just go there because they can smoke in the backyard?  Or is it all about the mass appeal of a sunny outdoor space for drinkers (especially since lately this seems to be an endangered species)? 

Furthermore, what will this mean for non-tobacco-smokers who exploit the freedoms of Democracy by blending in with smokers (and carrying identical implements) only as a guise to stealthily engage in, um, other activities?

UPDATE!  Commenter dave has the answer:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the only thing that can save that place is a highly publicized stabbing.

[photo (and somehow not getting kicked out of the place) by gweedo]

Says Jeff.

Uptown Almanac reports:

Nicolas King, an aide to Supervisor Dufty, has confirmed that Dolores Park will be “entirely closed during its renovation.”

This renovation is expected to begin some time between August and December of 2011 and last for most of a year and a half. Link.

Biking to work down Market today, I noticed the Muni buses begin to pile up.  It was rather narrow to squeeze through but fairly safe since traffic was stagnant.  The drivers all had their doors open and were casually chatting with one another, and some were even hanging outside their buses.  Looks like this was a good day to take the Letters, unlike yesterday.

I finally approached the scene, but only emergency vehicles and the offending taxi remained.  However, my friend Aiko-Sophie witnessed the ordeal and provides the following account:

I was on the 21 and saw a pedestrian that had just been hit by a taxi.  His head was resting on the curb with his body still in the street.  Blood was coming from the back of his head.  His eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving.

Doesn’t sound very good.  Let’s hope this turns out ok.  Please be careful when crossing the street, pedestrians!  Those taxis can be maniacs, but you would not believe how many pedestrians just blindly cross Market street right in front of my bike (without looking) every week!

The taxi in question can be seen being inspected here.  MORE PHOTOS of the scene of the crime after the jump (always wanted to say that):

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In this week’s Mission Station Newsletter, incoming Captain Greg Corrales introduces us to the eight incoming detectives he seems to be pretty pumped about:

The eight sterling super sleuths serving citizens of the district are:
· Inspector John Miller is a 17-year veteran. He has worked in SWAT and
has previously served in the Mission District. He has spent the last five
years investigating crimes while assigned to the Bureau of Inspectors.
· Sergeant Thomas Johnson is a 12-year veteran. He too, has previously
served in the Mission District. He has spent the last three years
investigating crimes while assigned to the Bureau of Inspectors
· Sergeant William Conley is a 14-year veteran. He has previously
served at Northern Station and the Vice Detail. He most recently served as
a patrol supervisor in the Bayview District.
· Sergeant Scott Gaines is a 14-year veteran. He has served in the
Central and Northern Districts, as well as the Vice Detail. He was
previously working as a patrol supervisor in the Mission District before I
asked him to move to Investigations.
· Sergeant Arline Gilmore is a 15-year veteran. She previously served
in the Taraval District where for many years she was part of the elite TNT
unit (Taraval Neighborhood Task Force). She was also a patrol supervisor in
the Mission District before I asked her to move to Investigations.
· Sergeant Kevin Healy is a 14-year veteran. He has previously served
in the Tenderloin District, where while working as a decoy he was robbed
hundreds of times. He most recently served in the Narcotics Division.
· Sergeant Kevin McPherson is a 10-year veteran. He previously worked
in the Bayview District.
· Sergeant Christopher Woon is a 14-year veteran. He has previously
served in the Ingleside, Taraval, and Northern Districts.

Captain Corrales has also taken to prefacing his newsletters with a thought-provoking quote or poem. Here is this week’s:

“’Tis easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows along like a song;
But the man worth while is the one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.”
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

To receive the newsletter for yourself, email Mirna.Melendez@sfgov.org and ask to be added to the list.

For real. The Tens has the scoop.

Dunno how I missed this one 6 months ago.  Fuck ya You Tube comments:

I’ve been out of town and away from blogging for the better part of three months, so when my little cousins burst through the door earlier shouting, “Dude, there’s a gnarly fire out there!” I didn’t think twice about responding, “Give me my burrito,” and proceeding to sit down and eat my burrito. My blogging instincts have vanished, y’all.

Luckily, local photographer Raun H.’s instincts are fully intact. (Unfortunately, a perfunctory glance at SFGate yields no further info at this time. Maybe in the morning?)

More pics after the jump. Thanks, Raun!

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Jackson, via email, hits us with this craptastic news:

A power outage has hit Thrift Town and a couple of other shops near Mission and 17th, impacting Halloween costume shopping plans until at least tomorrow.