Archive for November, 2009

On Sunday, the Chronicle offered an in-depth look at Board of Supes’ President David Chiu.

The San Francisco Unified School District prepares to implement an environmental master plan, which will help reduce the carbon footprint of our public schools.

A backlog of SFPD disciplinary cases has taken a number of officers off the street and left the Department in the hole while covering their $5M in salaries and benefits each year.

The Guardian reports that SFPD is raiding house parties and seizing DJs’ laptops.  Talk about a party foul.

The Golden Gate Bridge District is exploring various “experimental tourism” features and attractions for the bridge, in hopes of driving up revenue.  Question:  I am a third generation San Franciscan and in No Way a tourist.  Does that mean I get a comped climb up the towers?

Since it’s the new year and everyone enjoys a pretty picture (or 37), we’re including celebratory images of how people rang in the new decade all around the world, compliments of the Chron.

The SFPD reports that eighteen SEIU employees were arrested after a protest at Market and Hayes.

Ten days ago, Suspects shared that several Muni lines will be eliminated while others will be reduced starting December 5.  For those of you who take the 7 Haight or 20 Columbus or the N Judah on the weekends (in some portions), you now have two days and two days only to say your good-byes.  Giddyup!

Did you know that the Public Utilities Commission has declared a state of emergency to make sure that San Franciscans continue to get their water?  While that declaration wasn’t widely covered on October 23, it’s been in place for a while, and contractors are hard at work repairing a gigantic pipe that brings half of our town our water.

On December 3, Good Morning America will broadcast from San Francisco, and pre-dawn Union Square activity will be at a fever pitch.  Coffee and many layers of sweaters are highly advisable, if you’re making the trek…

Dave Eggers and company put together a one-time newspaper, covering pretty much everything that’s going on.  Yes, it’s an experiment, no, it does not have a cozy relationship with a 24-hour news cycle (or the immediacy of the internet), and who knows whether it’ll be received well enough for there to be a second, or third, or hundredth issue.  I’ll be buying one, however - and a tip to the wise: pre-orders are $16, but same-day sales in the Bay Area are $5, so hold your fire…

The City will recoup $1.26M of the $7.5M in cost overruns it encountered for the San Francisco Juvenile Hall facility constructed in 2006.

The City may soon face more competition for the provision of emergency medical services.

The Examiner counts the number of vacant storefronts between Embarcadero and Fifth Street and considers what type of tenants, if any, we might see there in the future.

The Department of Building Inspection begins enforcement of a new law that requires owners of vacant properties to register their buildings, or face financial and legal penalties.

Former San Francisco Fire Commissioner Jim Jefferson died of a heart attack on Monday while en route to meet with Oakland decision-makers about the Oakland Airport Connector.  Our deepest condolences to his family, and we thank him for his service to the Bay Area community.

To see if they’re calm.

…as Newsom Crime Czar Kevin Ryan hands in his resignation, right on the heels of spokesperson Nate Ballard’s “hasta la vista” of yesterday.  So, City Hall insiders: who’s next?

(Editor’s Note: Suspects posted this item yesterday afternoon, but it is simply too delicious to take down just yet.  Enjoy!  And, for some of you, enjoy again!)  You watched The Wire.  You loved The Wire.  You thought The Wire was great TV.  And you miss it.  (Even though you get to watch 30 Rock and Modern Family and Mad Men and Your Favorite Show, you miss it.)  So a tip of the hat to former Suspects Editor in Chief Burnell Holland, who found this tidbit and shared it with us.  Enjoy the 100 best quotes from The Wire, in ten minutes.

The Examiner reports on Mayor Gavin Newsom’s latest negotiations with local labor leaders representing the 17,000 City employees to be fired and rehired, and when an agreement may be struck.

Nathan Ballard, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson and shadow since early 2007, has scheduled his departure from City Hall for February 2010.  Everyone has an idea about What This Means.  Everyone, as usual, is probably partially right and partially wrong - but BOY do we love our speculation…

Trying to find cigarettes at your local grocery?  That may become a thing of the past after Supervisor Eric Mar introduced legislation to extend the tobacco ban and move San Francisco along the path to a smoke free city.

The Department of Public Health wants to request over $36M from the feds.  On Tuesday, the Board of Supes will vote to give them that authority.

Apparently, our city streets aren’t in great shape. And for just $249M, we can keep them that way.