Archive for February, 2012

After sitting vacant since 2006, a new life is being offered to the Strand Theatre, a Market Street landmark. The long story of the Mid-Market revival continues…

Once again, San Francisco becomes the first city in the nation to try something new. The Board of Supervisors voted 9-2 in favor of adopting a pilot program that provides legal counsel to defendants in civil cases.

As we learn the results of the City’s report on the economic impact of the entertainment industry, the Chron gives us its two cents on those numbers and provides recommendations on how to address issues like patrols and oversight.

A Chinese film company is considering expanding westward, considering both San Francisco and Los Angeles as potential locations. If this doesn’t get Zhang Ziyi to come here (a dude can hope), then I hope we can at least get a Jet Li sighting out of this.

The San Francisco school board received accolades via an editorial in today’s Chron, the author quite clearly supported the board’s recent vote to protect teachers at 14 schools from possible dismissal.

Downtown San Francisco has just moved one step closer to being renamed Downtown Salesforce. The ever expanding company has just signed yet another lease, meaning it will have approximately 1.8 million square feet in SF by 2016. (Recession? What recession? We’re over it!)

A new poll shows that San Franciscans like tax breaks for job creators. Oh, and the poll also shows that people are optimistic and that homelessness is still a major bummer.

The Chron sheds light on the meeting attendance and stipend collection records of the City College Board.

The Planning Commission will vote Thursday on Supervisor David Chiu’s legislation on POPOS (Privately Owned Public Open Spaces), which will enhance the awareness of these little urban oases through better signage.

The Warriors will get a celebration at San Francisco City Hall this Tuesday as Stephen Curry receives a ceremonial key to the city.

Okay, so she’s certainly no “kid,” but Commissioner Cindy Wu IS new to the Planning Commission, where she’s already settling in quite nicely - she’s just been elected to serve as vice president. But it appears not everyone is on board with her quick ascension - it’s never easy being the “new kid.”

The Gray Lady profiles Ron Conway and the mark he’s made on San Francisco (spoiler alert, he’s kinda a big deal).

The Bay Guardian calls out SF District Attorney George Gascón for not aggressively pursuing indictments against independent expenditure groups that supported Mayor Ed Lee as well as the official mayoral campaign itself. The accusations are certainly flying in this editorial!

Some harbor tenants are none too happy with plans to regulate the management and transfer of boat slips. Tenants argue that the City had promised to allow transfer of boat slips, invoking the honored, age old “no take backsies” axiom.

Word on the street is that the tax break Zynga received is quite a pretty penny. Well, actually, a lot of pretty pennies. Speaking of which, can I deduct the nonprofit harvest donations from my FarmVille property?

Legislation to increase City funding earmarked for legal services associated with domestic violence - whether to help victims or prosecute perpetrators - passed through the Budget Committee this week, although the designated funds did see a cut.

In a brilliant strategic move to help avoid future attempts to compel the end of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the SFPUC changes language in its contracts with the non-San Francisco communities served by its drinking water to give ‘em a say in future plans to drain the thing.

The SF Weekly takes a moment to ask questions about the relationship between the Office of the Assessor-Recorder and a supervisorial candidate from an election past. All I know is that I have confirmed two things: the job of the Assessor-Recorder confuses me and that I understand numbers as well as most toddlers understand nuclear fission.

The Washington Monthly profiles Willie Brown and his ability to still influence both local and state politics even though he is no longer in office.

On Thursday, the Board of Education will consider whether or not to close Liberty High School. Lunch-money-stealing bullies and pocket-protector-wearing band geeks alike plan on attending to show their support for the school.

Board of Supervisors President David Chiu is looking at a statewide program to ensure the city’s indigent population get their fare shake. The legislation will be considered at Committee on Thursday.

It’s your land, right? You can do whatever you want with it! Sure… if you live in Podunk, Iowa. San Francisco, on the other hand, will mercilessly throw an endless, cascading cacophony of flaming loops for you to navigate in order to replace a doorbell chime (okay, maybe that is an exaggeration). This week, the SF Weekly covers the great lengths folks in San Francisco go to in order to make large scale changes to their house - often needing to access loopholes in order to get the job done - and the impact it has on the city’s housing market.

The Examiner sheds light on a North Beach nightclub that was operating illegally. Vajra Grenalli of the Entertainment Commission tells us more…

Mayor Ed Lee has proposed some potential changes that would consolidate the City’s network of children’s service. If I was still in high school I would have taken this to mean that bullies would now be attempting to fit two kids, as opposed to one, into each locker.

It looks like it’s a good thing Schmidt from “New Girl” doesn’t live in San Francisco, ’cause Zooey Deschanel might no longer be able to throw him epic surprise party bus birthday parties. That’s right, the Examiner tells us that the SFPD and city officials are considering whether to regulate our local playahs’ preferred form of transportation.