Mission Mission

[via Bernalwood]

Reader Erin A. saw this scene at 1:30am this morning:

This was going on in front of the Pilates Studio on Valencia, between 25 and 26.  I think a car ran over a fire hydrant, but I’m not exactly sure what really happened??

This is taken from across the street.  You can see the old firehouse (?) in the background, which is next to the Pilates Studio.  Poor studio…their parklet is completely totalled…..

Barbara sends these in:

UPDATE: They may have been in pursuit of a common suspect. In 2002 I saw a cop car speeding up 18th Street so fast it made me jump to the side. Minutes later the car collided with a wall at 17th and Dolores, killing the officer.

Every week (except when he’s on an extended break), photographer Joshua Cobos shoots a roll of film just for us. He picks the best 13 photos and we post them here, and it’s called “Bad Blood with Joshua Cobos.” Here’s what Joshua has to say about this week’s installment:

I’m back from an extended break, i’m finishing up my last couple of weeks in san francisco with medium format cameras. I’ve reserved my 35mm exposures for a different project altogether. I wasn’t sure what the exposures would contain when I loaded the rolls but my inspirations of late have been an oxford compilation of gothic literature I found at Adobe, Jackie Sugarlumps (whom is always looking for escape to warm water), and hitchcock films, especially Vertigo.

Thanks, Joshua! (Btw Joshua is relocating to LA for a spell, and we’ve asked him to keep doing “Bad Blood” while he’s down thataway, so pray he does it because it’ll be a great way to visit SoCal without actually having to visit SoCal!) Ten more shots after the jump (plus a handy guide to previous “Bad Blood” installments):

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Ben Carlson from Friends of the Urban Forest informs us of some extreme pruning on Stevenson Street, near The Armory, that basically leaves the trees for dead. The process, known as topping, is illegal in San Francisco, with fines of $1,754 per tree.

Before

[Google Street View]

After

[San Francisco DPW]

The San Francisco Department of Public Works issued a fine this week of $17,540 to the owner of property in the Mission where trees were “topped” in June. The fine is for $1,754 per tree for 10 topped trees. Topping is an excessive form of pruning that damages and often kills trees, severely diminishes the benefits trees provide, and is illegal in San Francisco (Article 16, Sec. 811 of the Public Works Code).

The DPW and Friends of the Urban Forest were notified by concerned neighbors that the trees, on Stevenson Street adjacent to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, had been “massacred.” One resident observed birds trying to find their nests among the piles of discarded foliage on the ground.

“We’re afraid that incidents of tree topping are likely to rise, because the city is transferring its tree maintenance responsibilities to property owners who don’t know how to care for trees,” said Doug Wildman, program director of Friends of the Urban Forest. “The city’s tree maintenance program is understaffed and underfunded, and consequently our urban forest is in decline. We’re working closely with city officials to identify possible solutions.”

That looks pretty harsh. Why would you want trees that look like that? I happen to really like those trees. Ficus Microcarpa, I believe? They’re what the trees in The Secret Alley are built to resemble. I mean, I’m a plant eater, so obviously I’m not against killing plants, but this just seems lame.

Ben adds:

Anyone who sees a tree being topped, or that has already been topped, should report it to the city, along with the address of the tree, the name of the company or individual responsible for the topping (if known), and a digital photo (if possible). Topping may be reported by calling 311, or by writing to urbanforestry@sfdpw.org.

Property owners can ensure the proper maintenance of their trees by using only ISA-certified arborists. Friends of the Urban Forest maintains a list of such arborists at http://www.fuf.net/resources-reference/arborist-referrals/.

For more information about the fine for the Stevenson Street trees, or about the city’s urban forestry program, contact DPW spokesperson Rachel Gordon at 415-554-6045.

RSVP and invite your friends!

[via Cody]

Not to freak everyone the fuck out or anything, but it’s definitely a possibility:

With little fanfare, the agency best known for airport screenings has vastly expanded its reach to sporting events, MUSIC FESTIVALS, rodeos, highway weigh stations and train terminals. Not everyone is happy.

“The problem with T.S.A. stopping and searching people in public places outside the airport is that there are no real legal standards, or probable cause,” said Khaliah Barnes, administrative law counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington. “It’s something that is easily abused because the reason that they are conducting the stops is shrouded in secrecy.”

T.S.A. officials respond that the random searches are “special needs” or “administrative searches” that are exempt from probable cause because they further the government’s need to prevent terrorist attacks.

So does this mean you should leave all your “accoutrements” behind when you venture out to GG Park this weekend to bask in the delicate crooning of Paul McCartney? More importantly, will you still be able to smuggle a tallboy disguised as a burrito into the festival???

Read on.

[Photo via SF Citizen]

Watch how it moves:

[via Mission Mission on Tumblr]