Welcome to Westside Observer
the March Issue
Westside Observer Welcomes Columnist Will Durst!
MY TWO CENTS 
I’m only guessing, but a major problem with being President has to be people around you being more likely to stick their face in a cast iron oscillating fan than tell you the truth. Let’s say you slip and fall and rip a hole in your pants down to your ankle while spilling hot coffee on a little blind girl in a wheelchair in front of a nationally televised audience. The worst you could expect to hear from a staffer is “well, that could have gone better.”
Will Kids Go to School In Their Own Neighborhoods?
Parents throughout San Francisco are about to receive a big helping of “be careful what you ask for.” In the midst of its worst budget crisis, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is trying to overhaul its wildly-unpopular student assignment system for elementary and middle schools. Newly-developed admission policies will prioritize sending students to school(s) closest to their homes. The overhauled school assignment system is scheduled to be finalized in March.
BRIGHT LIGHTS, ARTIFICIAL TURF IN RUSTIC GOLDEN GATE PARK?
By Katherine Howard
San Franciscans are currently facing a proposal to destroy the meadow and woodland in the western end of Golden Gate Park by developing a 15 acre soccer complex. Within the complex, 7.5 acres of parkland will be covered with artificial turf. The beautiful grassy green meadow will be ripped out. The top soil that has been carefully nurtured for over 140 years will be trucked off and dumped. In its place will be a thick layer of gravel. A plastic carpet with fake grass blades will be laid on top of the gravel and filled in with a mixture of tire waste and sand. Bright yellow and white stripes will be permanently painted on the carpet. More concrete and asphalt paving will be poured for sidewalks and parking.
Check Out Our New Monthly Real Estate Report
Tax Credits, Low Interest Rates Pay Off
By Jed Lane
January 2010 showed an increase in median price for the area of just over one-half of one percent, but with more than twice as many sales as in January 2009. Generally the market is still favoring first-time buyers because of the extension of the tax credit to first-time buyers. The move-up market is active because sellers can sell and trade equity into a large down payment on larger homes. The trophy homes market is a bit slow. The trophy sales that are happening are either all cash or like the move up buyer, have large down payments. Much of this is due to the loss of value of other investments and a generally conservative investment environment.
West of Twin Peaks Central Council
By Mitch Bull
Budgets, deficits and oversight were the buzzwords at the West of Twin Peaks Central Council (WOTPCC) meeting on Monday, February 22nd. Fiscal matters filled the air as Steve Kawa, Mayor Newsom’s Director of Staff, and John Rizzo, a trustee of S.F. City College, discussed budget issues, shortfalls and even a bit of malfeasance before taking on questions from the neighborhood associations.
Frankly
They Own the Place
With 29 million American workers still seeking full-time employment, it is patently clear that our economic recovery is still hovering in the liminal zone of economic uncertainty. Additionally, the failure of the system to generate jobs sufficient to absorb the 100,000 new workers who enter the job market every month means that the economic recovery plan has stalled. Obviously, in addition to the $780 billion stimulus funds already spent, more stimulus money will be needed; and therein lies the conundrum, as the election of Scott Brown diminished President Obama’s Senate majority that was so vital to securing such funds. For those millions of under employed Americans, this ominous news is most heart breaking.
Big Changes in the SFPD
On September 16th 2009 a group met for the first time at Ingleside station. This group, the Ingleside Station Community Advisory Board (CAB), is made up of involved citizens and is charged with advising the management of the station on the implementation of recommendations to improve community –police interaction and modernize the department. These changes are based on recommendations by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and have since been called for by our new Chief of Police, George Gascón.
The Art of Governance and the Economy
It seems that all we have read about these past few weeks relates to employment. One politician talks incessantly about how many jobs he has created. Another politician talks about how many jobs he has saved. A third politician talks about nothing but lies associated with the first two. There seem to be only two job categories that get any positive attention. One is the non-private sector positions supported by taxation. The other, …
SF Gardeners to Dump Toxic Sludge on the Steps of City Hall 
Community gardeners who were misled into accepting toxic sewage sludge from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) are giving the sludge back to the Mayor’s office.
Twice a year since 2007, the SFPUC has hosted “Compost Giveaway Events” in locations throughout the city. Although the city has marketed the material as “organic compost” or “organic fertilizer,” it turns out that it is really toxic sludge generated by San Francisco and seven other counties’ industrial, hospital, commercial and residential sewage.
Winter Fare at the Farmers Market Adds Variety
and Value as Well as Health
Every Sunday 9am–1pm at Stonestown
(Rear parking lot).
REMEMBER WHEN
Housing construction in the Parkmerced district. Date Jan. 30, 1943. Newscopy: “Concrete foundations are in and a framework of homes already rising in the midst of scattered debris on the Metropolitan Housing project, Lake Merced. Vast areas of ground are covered by heaped up bathtubs, ready to be moved into completed homes.”
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
More Articles of Interest in the March Issue
Time Extended for 19th Corridor
Study 
Thanks for reading the Westside Observer!
Articles from the February Issue
Paving Over Golden Gate Park
By George Wooding
Can it really be that America’s “greenest city” is actually going to convert 2.5 acres of grass fields — one-half of Golden Gate Park’s western edge — into synthetic turf soccer fields? The same City politicians who spawn “green” spare-the-air-days, sorted garbage recycling, bicycle plans, higher taxes, and gardens in front of City Hall are quietly promoting this completely anti-environmental, and ironically un-green, Recreation and Park Department (RPD) project.
Real Estate Holds Its Value
How is San Francisco real estate holding up? This question is asked at gatherings everywhere, especially after news stories reporting 25 and 30 percent monthly reductions in “San Francisco” property valuations. Does that mean that every house in San Francisco has lost up to a third of its value? No, it doesn’t.
Will the City Have enough water?
During an El Nino winter it is perhaps an odd time to ask whether San Francisco will have enough water in the future. Yet the question needs to be asked.
During the past eighteen months developments, when considered together, suggest that serious water shortages may occur.
In Fall 2008 the technical-sounding Phased WSIP Variant was adopted by the City. This limits the City’s Hetchy water system to selling no more than 265 million gallons of water per day on an average annual basis. As this is about the quantity of water our the water system now sells, the limitation essentially says that we will not permit demand for surface (river) water to grow. Instead, the City has agreed to develop recycled and groundwater sources, and to conserve more aggressively than it has in the past.
Why Just About Everything You Hear About California’s Water Crisis Is Wrong, Wrong, Wrong
We’ve been lied to for years now about the severity of California’s water shortage. The media and state officials have been ringing the alarm, warning that the state was in the grips of the quite possibly the “worst California drought in modern history,” when in fact the state nearly pulled in its average rainfall in 2009. The fear-mongering is about to go into overdrive, as powerful interests start whipping up fears of drought to push through an $11 billion bond measure on the upcoming November ballot, setting up the Golden State for a corporate water grab.
In Memorium
Laguna Honda’s Torchbearer, 
Sister Miriam Walsh
Sister Miriam Walsh, beloved friend, and Laguna Honda Hospital’s Director of Pastoral Care for nearly 30 years, passed away December 3, 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland following an extended illness. She was 82.
Sister Miriam, affiliated with the Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart, began her service to elderly and disabled residents of Laguna Honda Hospital in 1981. Generations of residents at Laguna Honda and their families were comforted by Sister Miriam’s service, faith, dedication, and her feisty spirit. As she said at the time of her retirement in December 2008, she knew she had found her calling to provide pastoral care services when she first began volunteering at Laguna Honda 27 years earlier.
News from the West of Twin Peaks Central Council
The West of Twin Peaks Central Council (WOTPCC) ended their holiday hiatus on Monday, January 25th. Twenty-five or so hearty folks braved the elements to attend the meeting, which was highlighted by speakers from both the SF Controller’s office and the SF Chamber of Commerce.
Council President Wooding opened the meeting at 7:35 PM. The minutes were approved and Treasurer Squeri gave the financial report that was also approved by the group.
Forest Hill Homeowners Levy Surprise Fee
By Steve Lawrence 
January 4 the Board of Directors of the Forest Hill Homeowners Association increased members’ annual dues by 50%. Expenditures have been up for the past two years, and are expected to rise more in the future, according to the Treasurer and Board President…
Forest Hill Assn. Responds
The transition between the prior Board and the new one was not as smooth as one would have liked. There were certainly hurt feelings and both of the Association’s employees resigned with the turnover of the Board. All of the Associaton’s bookeeping services had previously been provided by one of the employees who left, but after the 2007 election, one of the new Board members took them on…
The Good Ship Lollipop Marooned on Treasure Island
By: Tony Hall / Former Supervisor
and Executive Director for Treasure Island
I truly wish for the sake of all San Franciscans that there were a good, honest, realistic and forthright development project forthcoming for Treasure Island, but unfortunately this is not the case.
On December 16th, the mayor’s office held a much-ballyhooed press conference to announce that finally, San Francisco had reached an agreement with the Navy to purchase Treasure Island for the sum of $105 million. The City will pay this amount over an unspecified period of time …
Questions Laguna Honda Needs to Answer
By George Wooding
Policy decisions regarding Laguna Honda Hospital (LHH) are going on behind the scenes that Miraloma Park residents and the City’s voting public aren’t aware of, since the City doesn’t want to use the hospital for purposes presented to voters in 1999 to gain passage of the bond measure to rebuild LHH — and now doesn’t want to tell you about.
Laguna Honda Hospital Won’t Discuss Delay
Reasonable people think that news released in late December indicating Laguna Honda Hospital (LHH) has again delayed the opening of its replacement facilities by somewhere between three and six months would be shared openly with the public, since it appears the delayed move-in may be a result of possibly failing one or more required State inspections.
The No Loan Banks
With over 20 million Americans walking the highways of unemployment and underemployment in pain, our economic recovery is still very much in limbo. Clearly, after ignoring this issue for over 1 ½ years, the body politic, Democrat and Republican, needs to develop a comprehensive strategy and implementation plan that will illustrate and triangulate the means whereby these 20 million or more unemployed Americans will be put back to work. And this great country has at its disposition templates to so do — those used by FDR in the 1930’s or those used in the 1950s when the 42,500 miles of interstate highway construction was begun and completed across the USA.
West Portal Merchants
FireFighters Toy Program Catches Fire
By Elliot Wagner
The magical music was catching their attention, and on top of that came the voice; sounding like an old carnival barker, urging them to come in closer and see what mysteries were in store for them. Like in the Pied Piper, all the kids, and their parents, were being led off of the streets and into BookShop Plaza. The only thing missing was the bright red fire truck and its bells and sirens, but that would come later.
REMEMBER WHEN
Golden Gate Heights • May 10, 1927• From Pacheco and Funston North along 14th & 15th Aves.
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
More Articles of Interest in the February Issue
Thanks for reading the Westside Observer!
Articles from the December Issue
Traffic Nightmare Ahead:
St. Francis Circle $18 Million Project
Get ready! In early March 2010, the City will start rebuilding St. Francis Circle, San Francisco’s most complicated intersection. The SF Metropolitan Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is hoping to complete the total rebuild by November 2010.
Solving San Francisco's Budget Problems
How would you act if you knew that your household spending was projected to outpace your earnings? You would cut back on vacation plans, dining out, and other unaffordable spending. You would figure out what you could and could not live with, and make the necessary adjustments.
Plain Talk—Straight Talk
It was Tuesday of Thanksgiving week and for the public health hospital workers who exited a City Hall hearing, this day was anything but a time of good cheer. For the unthinkable had just occurred … the $8 Million that was sought, to save their jobs, out of a budget of $6.9 Billion, which 8 years ago was only $3.2 Billion, was just not there. That this bolt from the blue news sucker-punched these hospital workers into a state of shock would be an understatement — this Cassandra information totally stunned them. And at the hearing in which this information was unveiled, they sat as if comatose, like silhouettes of the living dead, in abject, total, complete silence.
Deja Vu Haunts Laguna HOnda
When it comes to Laguna Honda Hospital, community members often experience the illusion they’re reliving the past, even if it is the first time they’ve encountered Laguna Honda accountability issues. But the term déjà vu has evolved to include repetitive events and actions, and is also used to describe boring familiarity and tedium, along with repetitiveness. Each of these meanings haunt Laguna Honda’s house, in part because officials continue to evade members of the public they ostensibly serve. Let’s stroll down LHH’s déjà vu lane.
Hope Revisited
Hope is a word that has been tossed about rather loosely in political circles the past couple of years. Being a word that emotes great passion for constructive change, it is something that we all must embrace lest we fall victim to the perils of pessimism. Its relevance is most effective in its appeal to the majority of common folk like you and me.
News from the West of Twin Peaks Central Council
A lively discussion concerning soccer fields in Golden Gate Park highlighted the November 23rd West of Twin Peaks Central Council (WOTPCC) meeting, even topping a visit and discussion from MUNI regarding the St. Francis Circle renovation.
Council President George Wooding opened the meeting at 7:30 and in front of a smaller than usual crowd of about 25, and initially lacking a quorum.
Shop SF and Support the Local Economy
Happy Holiday’s ! As the holiday shopping season is now upon us and retail “Black Friday” is behind us, everyone is gearing up for the last minute push to complete their holiday shopping lists. At a time when the economy is still sputtering and coughing, now more important than ever, support our local merchants — SHOP SF.
Around the Town
From the Publisher’s Desk…
The Thanksgiving holiday is one I always look forward to. Many of us get a few days off, we share cooking with family and friends, there is football on TV, and we don’t yet have to concern ourselves with gift buying or mountains of cards to be delivered. These tasks can be forgotten until at least the Friday after Thanksgiving or better yet, a week or so later.
19th Avenue Slated for Upgrades
Improvements to the pedestrian crossings at the intersections of 19th Avenue and Judah, 19th and Taraval and 19th Ave and Sloat Blvd is set to begin sometime before the end of this year. Traffic at all three intersections will be subject to crossing closure and detour to parallel streets. This improvement work is part of an extensive series of projects that began in 2007.
The improvement work will require vehicle-traffic detours and closure of the intersections as work progresses.
REMEMBER WHEN
Ingleside Terraces 1911-12
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
More Articles of Interest in the December Issue
