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.

San Francisco’s housing regulations are always a hot topic, and today we dive into student designated housing and the policies and rules that are in place. With rental prices as high as they are, the City is looking into how we can make sure these kiddos aren’t rationing their Cup of Noodles.

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.

Today, we get all the juicy deets on the festivities for the Golden Gate’s birthday party yesterday, including the fireworks and the fog, as well as who showed and the new paint job She wore. All in all, it was a day none will forget.

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 last time we posted about the San Francisco Juvenile Hall facility constructed in 2006, it was to inform you that the City was recouping $1.26M of the $7.5M in cost overruns it encountered during construction. Today, the New York Times fills us in on the hall’s large outdoor recreation area, built in 2006, that has sat relatively untouched for five years. Hall management claims a lack of necessary staff to oversee detainees; however, the San Francisco Youth Commission drafted a resolution last week calling for detainees to gain regular access to the space. Read up.

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.

…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…

The City’s ban on selling tobacco in stores that operate pharmacies was upheld by a federal judge on Friday when the suit brought against San Francisco by Safeway was dismissed. You will have to go to your local corner store to get your nicotine fix.

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.

Operations for the water system used by the San Francisco Fire Department for fighting fires has become the responsibility of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, saving the SFFD some much needed cash.   While some commissioners were previously opposed to the plan, the money saved and June’s bond measure to fix the water system proved enough to calm their concerns.