Lenox Street at Ulloa Street | April 7, 1926
Know the story of this photo? Contact us. Permission to use this image from OpenSFHistory.org, and outsidelands.org
May 2020
West Portal: Twin Peaks Tunnel with Christmas Decorations | Nov. 18, 1958
Permission to use this image from the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Committee
November 2019
Cow in pasture by Sagamore Street and Capitol Avenue | 1915
Donor description: View from Capitol and Sagamore. Circa 1915. Looking south. View of cow out to pasture. Permission to use this image was obtained from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
November 2019
Midtown Terrace | May 26, 1958
Newscopy: “LATEST BIG S.F. HOME DEVELOPMENT—Scene of San Francisco’s latest major home development now under construction on the western slopes of Twin Peaks and Sutro Forest. First of the new Sunstream Homes in the Midtown Terrace project will be opened to the public June 4. Mayor Christopher will officiate at the opening ceremonies.” Permission from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
October 2019
Sloat Boulevard, May 25, 1917
Shifting track on Sloat Blvd., west of 19th Avenue. By Permission from the San Francisco Public Utilities Photo Center
September 2019
West Portal Avenue shopping district | Mar. 4, 1944
Printed by permission: SF History Center, SF Public Library.
June 2019
Ocean Avenue Between Faxon Avenue and Jules Avenue,
Looking West | June 7, 1919 |
Printed by permission: SF Metropolitan Transportation Agency.
June 2019
Celebrating the L-Line’s 100th Birthday!
L Line Streetcar 170 and White Brand Motor Coach Possibly From 2 Ocean Bus Line at 48th Avenue and Taraval Street | May 15, 1925
The L Taraval is one of the SF Municipal Railway’s original “letter” lines. The L line began as a streetcar and was converted to light rail as a part of the Muni Metro subway project, with Muni Metro opening for full operation in 1982. Prior to the Muni Metro subway, the J-K-L-M-N (and many other Muni streetcar routes) traveled on the surface of Market Street to the Ferry Building.
Today’s L Taraval travels from the Muni Metro Embarcadero station through the Twin Peaks Tunnel, and then to the San Francisco Zoo in the Outer Sunset via Taraval Street.
Beginning operation in 1919, the L started as a streetcar that ran just from West Portal to Taraval at 33rd Avenue. In 1923, the line was extended through the Twin Peaks Tunnel to the Ferry Building and out into the Outer Sunset to Taraval at 48th Avenue. By 1937 the line had been extended all the way to the zoo and the popular Fleishhacker Pool.
Along with the other Muni Metro lines, the route was converted to light rail in a several-phase process that took from the 1970s until 1982.
More information on the origins of Muni routes can be found in the book “Inside Muni” by John McKane and Anthony Perles.
Printed by permission: SF Metropolitan Transportation Agency.
May 2019
WPA’s West Portal Branch Celebrates 80 Years
The first West Portal Branch Library was built on a parcel of land which had been transferred from the Board of Education to the San Francisco Public Library in February of 1936. The Branch was opened to the public on May 2, 1936. Just three years later, on May 8, 1939, the Branch was re-opened in a new building designed by architect Frederick H. Meyer and constructed by the Works Progress Administration for a cost of $109,090.
West Portal Branch was designed in a Mediterranean style with colorful red, ceramic roof tiles. Inside, delicate paintings grace the ceiling beams. (sfpl.org)
A WPA-Federal Arts Project stencil from 1939 decorates the children’s and main reading rooms
“Please join us for our Annual Open House and celebrate the 80th Birthday of the grand opening of our WPA building! We will have coffee, snacks, plenty of surprises, a variety of activities throughout the day, and, of course, birthday cake!”
11am Children’s Book Author/Illustrator Lisa Brown (Children’s Room)
12pm Woody LaBounty History Talk (Main Reading Room)
1pm Open Mic~Share library love, anecdotes, and local history (Main Reading Room)
12pm Birthday Hat Making (Children’s Room)
2pm Performance (Main Reading Room) Conservatory of Music
3pm Flying Angels Chinese Dance Company Performance (Children’s Room)
April 2019
Golden Gate Park/Monterey Line
1 Monterey Park Line, Motor Coach 06 with Body Built by Meister Brothers in Sacramento | August 19, 1919 | Published by permission of SFMTA Photo Center..
March 2019
Ocean Beach Looking South | 1961
Looking Towards Ocean Beach from Sutro Heights | October 13, 1961 | Published by permission of SFMTA Photo Center.
In the Westside Observer July-August 2010 edition, this photo was identified as "Westwood Park Grocery Company’s building under construction (not before 1917). Anyone knowing the address or date of this building please contact editor@westsideobserver.com. Photo: Gabriel Moulin,"
In the June 2013 edition, reader Grant Wright asked if it could be Ocean and Granada? He sent us this recent photo of the view at Ocean and Granada.
But long-time Westsider, Trak Trennoche, writes to express a different point of view:
I believe this may be the corner of Ocean Ave. and Faxon Ave. I grew up 1 block up, left onto Wildwood Way…1955 to 1961…Crossing Ocean Ave. here to St. Emydius Grammar School gradded 1959. To the right not in photo was Littleman’s (big for then) Grocery Store…with butcher Dept. (lamb chops…25 cents each).
My buddy was eventually a barber in the left side of this corner Bldg, if not it was the next bldg…further left or west was Homewood Terrace on Ocean Ave., …an orphanage…our back yard on Wildwood bordered the huge grounds and many days was the short cut down to Ocean Ave. to school much of the time. I recall the blackbirds doing violent diving attacks on me…reminding me today of the Bolinas movie The Birds with Tipi Hedron…I was a rock attacker with little luck hitting them.
I had sadness for these kids living in these big old bldgs and no famil. I had it good relatively with a basket ball hoop in our yard…
I was a 50’s Inglesider, we were older before our time and gang members already in mid grammar school…daily alcohol, tobacco, and 2nd story jobs, and much…well…anyway we had many Ingleside hideout alleys...The “K” Ingleside (Fireside) was our wheels, riding on the back where the rope to the trolly was our access to stop the street car where we wanted…door to door…irritated the drivers having to get out andd reset the trolly when we pulled it off the overhead wire with the rope…clutching the rear of the streetcar…just enough room for our toes to clutch the back of the street car. It took several “K” cars to get our gang over to West Portal or even down town to Chinatown to buy and resell firecrackers and cherry bombs from the “Mole”; down in the underground alleys of Chinatown. Intrigue for sure. So much to say…stories of the 1950’s. Westwood started and ended on Miramar like a left or west wnf…Eastwood ws its right side or East counterpart street.
Dudley Perkins Jr. (son of Sr. and owner of the1st Harley Davidson dealer in the USA)…lived at corner of Miramar and Wildwood Way. I eventually rode same, different gang.
—Trak Trennoche
February 2019
Exterior of San Francisco Fire Department Engine 39 at 1091 Portola Drive • Apr. 17, 1941
Reproduced by permission of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. Curbed San Francisco (sfcurbed.com) features this firehouse :
The San Francisco Fire Department dates back to earliest days of the city, founded in 1849 after a massive Christmas Eve fire destroyed 50 buildings in fledgling San Francisco. Originally all volunteer, the official city fire department was founded in 1866 and has grown to include 44 stations throughout the city. One of those stations, Engine 39 on Portola Drive, used to boast a pretty darn impressive garden behind the station house.
Engine Company No. 39 was formed in 1908 at a station on Geary Street, but was relocated to Portola Avenue in Miraloma Park in 1923. The original station was made of brick and featured a massive tower, made even more imposing since there weren't many other buildings nearby. Houses were soon built up around it, but the fire station maintained a larger lot on the block. Behind the firehouse was a massive garden, planted and maintained by the firemen. Complete with terraces, radiating planting beds, and a cool hedge spelling out 'SFFD', the station's garden was really something to behold.
In 1955, the station was heavily remodeled - the tower was removed and the whole building was covered in stucco. It's been changed again since, with different window openings and a sign ledge added above the garage doors. Somewhere along the line the garden was planted with big trees, so the terraced plots are no more.
December 2018
Ocean Avenue at Junipero Serra Blvd | April 10,1953
Ocean Avenue. Newscopy: "HOW'S THAT AGAIN?—This little gem of traffic planning is to be found at the corner of Ocean-av and Junipero Serra-blvd, and if you occasionally see motorists driving away from that corner, eyes crossed and mumbling to themselves, here's why. In the left foreground, a sign directs drivers to stay away from the rails. In the right foreground, a sign invites them onto the rails, designating the area as a 'Left Turn Lane.' And to make it complete, at the corner is a sign (arrow) saying, 'No Left Turn'—in history's first example of a street with a split personality." (News Call Bulletin) Reproduced by permission of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
November 2018
Reconstruction of Twin Peaks Tunnel | 1976
Reconstruction of West Portal Station to Expand Passenger Waiting Area and Raise Platforms for New Muni Metro System and New Light Rail Vehicles in 1976 and 1977.| November 16, 1976 Reproduction by permission of SFMTA Photo Gallery
October 2018
Sutro Car House & Sutro Bath Depot | August 10,1942
Terminus of 2 Clement Line and Louis’ Restaurant near Sutro Bath House. The Sutro Car House was built in 1896 on California Street between 32nd Avenue and 33rd Avenue. This structure was originally built to store streetcars for the Clement Street Line. In 1902, United Railroads formed in part by incorporated the Sutro Railway. This included the Sutro Car House and the Clement Line. The car house structure stood until 1951, although the 1 California / Ferries and Cliff Line had been cut back after a landslide in 1925. Reproduction by permission of SFMTA Photo Gallery
Sept 2018
Railway Streetcar Tracks on Junipero Serra
Improvement to Shared Municipal and Market Street Railway Streetcar Tracks at Sloat and Junipero Serra Boulevards | December 4, 1929 • Reproduction by permission of SFMTA Photo Gallery
July 2018
Railway Streetcar Tracks on Junipero Serra
Improvement to Shared Municipal and Market Street Railway Streetcar Tracks View North on Junipero Serra with Commodore Sloat Elementary on Right December 4, 1929. Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
June 2018
Construction of the West Portal Tunnel
WEST PORTAL TUNNEL | July 14, 1916 Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
May 2018
THE FUNERAL CAR | March 1903
THE FUNERAL CAR March 1903 Funeral Streetcar 2 at Geneva Car House Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
In 1902, after the City prohibited burials within the City limits, funeral streetcars were instituted to carry mourners and coffins out to the cemeteries in Colma. They were at the peak of service between about 1900 and the 1920s. There were two lines, roughly following the 14 Mission route, a variation took San Jose Avenue in the Glen Park vicinity for a portion of the trip.
There were some funeral homes and mortuaries near the intersection of Valencia and Mission as there are today, and the streetcars stopped there to pick up the deceased in the coffin directly from the funeral home. Mourners could get on the car from funeral homes and ride with it out to Colma
Remember When Histoic Photo Identified
Scrolling through the subject page on your website, I noted the April 2014 photo taken in St. Francis Wood. You asked for information, though I'm sure by now you already have answers. This is the information I can offer, if it will help:
The visible houses are on San Leandro Way, between Portola and St. Francis Blvd. The observation perspective is through back-to-back vacant lots on San Fernando Way and San Leandro Way.
The large white house seen from the back (on the right hand of your photo) is definitely 50 San Leandro Way, built circa 1925.
The two houses visible from the front are (on the left) 45 San Leandro Way, built circa 1915 and 51 San Leandro Way, built circa 1917.
The vacant lot on San Fernando Way is now occupied by 35 San Fernando, built circa 1926, and 36 San Leandro Way, questionably built in 1923. I do not believe that is the correct building date, because if it were built in 1923, the lot wouldn't be vacant in this photo.
So my best guess is that this photo was taken between 1918 and 1925.
Linda Feldman, 14th & Vicente in West Portal
Editor's Note: Thank you Linda, we will pass this first-hand historical information on to the San Francisco History Center where the San Francisco Historical Photo Collection at the SF Public Library granted our permission to publish the photo.
April 2018
Lincoln & Funston 1944
THE FUNSTON BONEYARD | March 20, 1944 A United Railroads / Market Street Railway facility for storing old streetcars on Lincoln Way between Funston Avenue and 14th Avenue. Also known as the "Lincoln Bone Yard," and the "H Street Car House," although a car house was never built here. | February 3, 1918 Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
March 2018
Portola & West Portal 1918
Opening Day Celebration for the K Ingleside Line with Large Crowd at Portola Drive and West Portal Avenue Half of Panorama | February 3, 1918 Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
February 2018
West Portal | 1962
Streetcar 1 Restored for Muni Golden 50th Anniversary Exiting West Portal of Twin Peaks Tunnel and Signed for the 'A Geary' Line | October 4, 1962 Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
December 2017
Balboa Park 1928
Company House and Restaurant Near Elkton Shops | October 1928 | Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
November 2017
West Portal | 1949
West Portal of Twin Peaks Tunnel View From Lenox Way and Ulloa Street | April 29, 1949 Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
October 2017
Sunnyside Powerhouse, 1904
Sunnyside Powerhouse with Turrets and Chimney on Monterey Boulevard View Towards Baden | Circa January 1904 Published by permission of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Photo Library
September 2017
West Portal 1917
Men standing in a field, West Portal Avenue. Dated 1917 Published by permission of the San Francisco History Center of the SF Public Library
July/August 2017
Laguna Honda Station | 1927
Laguna Honda Station with Municipal Bus 019 Parked in Front | March 17, 1927 | 1 Monterey Park busline. Photo Courtesy of the SFMTA
June 2017
Sutro Baths 1897
Sutro Baths (Looking South) 1897 Photo: W. C. Billington. Published courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)
On March 14, 1896, the Sutro Baths were opened to the public as the world's largest indoor swimming pool establishment. The baths were built on the western side of San Francisco by wealthy entrepreneur and former mayor of San Francisco (1894–1896) Adolph Sutro.
The structure was situated in a small beach inlet below the Cliff House, also owned by Adolph Sutro at the time. Both the Cliff House and the former baths site are now a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, operated by the United States National Park Service.
The baths struggled for years, mostly due to the very high operating and maintenance costs. Shortly after closing, a fire in 1966 destroyed the building while it was in the process of being demolished. All that remains of the site are concrete walls, blocked off stairs and passageways, and a tunnel with a deep crevice in the middle. The cause of the fire was determined to be arson. Shortly afterwards, the developers left San Francisco and claimed insurance money.
May 2017
Wreck of the SS Ohioan
The SS Ohioan was a cargo ship built in 1914 for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. During World War I, she was taken over by the United States Navy and commissioned as USS Ohioan.
Ohioan was built by the Maryland Steel Company as one of eight sister ships ordered by the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company for inter-coastal service cargo via the Panama Canal. When the canal was temporarily closed by landslides in late 1915, Ohioan sailed via the Straits of Magellan until the canal reopened in mid 1916. During World War I, USS Ohioan carried cargo, animals, and a limited number of passengers to France, and returned over 8,000 American troops after the Armistice, including the highly decorated American soldier Alvin York. After Ohioan's naval service ended in 1919, she was returned to her original owners.
Ohioan's post-war career was relatively uneventful until 8 October 1936, when she ran aground near Seal Rock at the Golden Gate, the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Attempts to free the ship were unsuccessful and, because of the close proximity of the wreck to San Francisco, the grounded Ohioan drew large crowds to watch salvage operations. Angelo J. Rossi, the mayor of San Francisco, toured the wreck on 19 October. Ohioan's hulk caught fire in March 1937, and the wreck broke into two pieces in a storm in December. As late as 1939, some of Ohioan's rusty steel beams were still visible on the rocks. (wikipedia)
April 2017
The Twin Peaks Tunnel Opens 99 Years Ago
Opening Day of Twin Peaks Tunnel Showing Mayor Rolph at Controls of Streetcar 11 Emerging From West Portal of Twin Peaks Tunnel • February 3, 1918 Published by permission of the SFMTA Photo Archives • SFMTA.com/photo • Amazing video of the construction and opening.
Twin Peaks Tunnel Opens
The Twin Peaks Tunnel is a 2.27-mile (3.65 km)-long light rail/streetcar tunnel runs under the Twin Peaks and is used by the K Ingleside, L Taraval, M Ocean View, and T Third Street Muni Metro lines. The S Castro Shuttle also uses the tunnel for game day runs.
The tunnel was opened on February 3, 1918. The eastern entrance to the tunnel is located near the intersection of Market and Castro streets in the Castro neighborhood, and the western entrance is located at West Portal Avenue and Ulloa Street.
The service through the tunnel has evolved from streetcars into light rail, and while there are longer light-rail tunnels elsewhere (such as Portland's Robertson Tunnel), the Twin Peaks Tunnel remains one of the world's longest streetcar or light-rail tunnels.There are two stations along the tunnel, Forest Hill Station, near the western end, and the now disused Eureka Station, near the eastern end.
When the Muni Metro system and Market Street Subway were built, they were connected to the Twin Peaks Tunnel to be used by the K Ingleside, L Taraval and M Ocean View lines. The Eureka Station was closed, and the Metro lines stop at the nearby Castro Street Station instead.
The original eastern entrance to the tunnel in the middle of Market Street at Castro was removed and new entrances were placed on the sides of the street further up the block, though no Metro or streetcar lines use them in regular service (they were used during construction of the Market Street subway and are occasionally used in non-revenue service such as rerouting trains around construction projects). Instead, trains continue directly from the Market Street Subway into the tunnel without going above ground. West Portal Station, which was originally a surface stop outside of the tunnel's western entrance, was rebuilt as a high-platform station located just inside of the entrance.
Info courtesy wikipedia.com
Dec. 4, 1942
Photo published by permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
February 2017
The El Rey Theater
Click Here for front page story on the El Rey's current status
Dec. 4, 1942
Photo published by permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
February 2017
Fox Theater
Fox theater on Market Street advertising a sale before being demolished in 1963. The Fox Theatre was the largest movie palace in San Francisco from its opening in 1929 until its demolition in 1963. On the 50th anniversary of this sad event, some extremely rare footage was unearthed in the Oddball archive of the interior of the theater as well as the Fox's closing night party featuring Hedda Hopper.
Photo published by permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
December 2016 / January 2017
Irving Theater
Irving Theater | December 10, 1942. Opened: June 10, 1926 First film: “Madam Behave!” starring Julian Eltinge (a famous drag queen) Location: Irving Street, on the north side between 14th and 15th Avenues. Sunset District. Closed: July 8, 1962. The Irving, with its stunning sign that lit up the Inner Sunset at night, was torn down in 1962. An apartment building now occupies the lot. (Info courtesy outsidelands.org) Published by permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
October 2016
Parkside Theater
Exterior of Parkside Theater | Dec. 28, 1928 Notes Written on back: "Taraval near 19th St." Published by permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
October 2016
St. Francis Wood
St. Francis Wood district | 1912 Source: Greg Gaar. Published by permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
September 2016
Lake Merced Boulevard
C.W.A. Workers at Lake Merced Boulevard | San Francisco Call | Jan. 24, 1934 San Francisco Department of Public Works. Photograph published by permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
CLICK for more information about the Civil Works Administration
July 2016
19th Avenue
19th Avenue and Ortega • April 10, 1934 Infant shelter on east side of 19th Avenue, south of Ortega. Published by permission San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
June 2016
Glen Park
Elise Beneke Tietz with cow in Glen Canyon
Date: 1909
Elise Beneke Tietz with cow in Glen Canyon 1909. (Note with photo) Valborg C. Tietz, owner of picture (above). The lady pictured was my mother-in-law: Elise Beneke, who later married Alexander William Tietz in 1910. Her husband Alexander Tietz was crushed by 2 railroad cars at the Santa Fe yards in 1920, where he worked. He was taken out beyond the ‘Three-mile Limit’ where he was found. There never was anyone charged with throwing the wrong switch. The family was paid $9000 for his death by the Santa Fe R. R. She never re-married, and lived with her son Wilhelm or ‘Bill,’ who was my husband. We married in 1955. She lived with us for 25 years, and died at age 86 in 1976. This picture was taken of her in the Glen Canyon, where there was a dairy for years. The cows were quite tame, as you can see. The Good Brothers owned the dairy.”
Reproduced by permission of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
May 2016
West Peaks Tunnel Construction
Construction along West Portal Avenue
Date: Undated.
Reproduced by permission of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
April 2016
West Peaks Tunnel ('50s)
Twin Peaks tunnel from the West Portal access
Date: 195-.
Reproduced by permission of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
March 2016
Lake Merced Blvd. Construction
Construction of a road around Lake Merced.
Date: Sept. 12, 1934.
Reproduced by permission of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
February 2016
Gold Mine Hill
View from Twin Peaks.
Date 1953, Mar. 26
THE VACANT HEIGHTS--Big, empty hill in center of this picture is Gold Mine Hill, one of three vacant heights on which Redevelopment Agency proposes to build 2300 dwellings. In foreground is Miraloma Park, just beyond that is O'Shaughnessy-blvd and dropping off from the boulevard is Glen Canyon, part of Diamond Heights development which will become big park under present plan. To the left are Twin Peaks, with Midtown Terrace at far left. Photo was taken from Mt. Davidson. Reproduced by permission of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
Corrected Error Please be advised that you have the wrong date on your Gold Mine Hill photo.You have it, "View from Twin Peaks. Date 1924 Mar. 26" when, in fact, the date was most likely 1953 due to the fact that the homes at the time on Midcrest Way were not built until around 1953. Also, those homes pictured in the distance on Glenview Drive and Dawnview Way were built in 1951. (I know because we moved into our new home on Dawnview Way in 1951 right after it was built.) Marc Paulsen, La Honda, California
December 2015
View from Twin Peaks | Mar. 26, 1924.
Permission: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
November 2015
Eureka Valley
From Twin Peaks: Eureka Valley 1884
Permission: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
October 2015
West Portal
Completion of the West Portal Tunnel • Apr 4, 1920
Permission: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Written on the back: “Apr. 4, 1920. West Portal of Twin Peaks Tunnel”
September 2015
Stonestown Apartments
Construction of Stonestown Apartment Buildings • July 2, 1949
Permission: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Newscopy: “A small city is rapidly springing up west of 19th-av, on the shores of Lake Merced. It’s ‘Stonestown,’ 23-million-dollar project of Ellis and Henry Stoneson, and this photo shows the rapid progress being made on the four 10-story apartment houses (in the rear) and the smaller two- and three-story buildings in the foreground. Company spokesmen say the smaller buildings will be ready for occupancy about Aug. 1, while it will be another six months before the apartment houses are completed. Work on a complete shopping and recreational area will begin soon.
“The project will consist of 28 smaller apartment houses, the four large ones, each with 90 apartments, and an extensive shopping center. Between 3000 and 3500 persons will live in ‘Stonestown’ in the 783 rental units. The project covers 67 choice acres. The picture was taken from Vernon and Shields-sts, a hill just east of the project.”
July 2015
Sunset District 1945
View of the Sunset District from the Sunset Reservoir at 26th Avenue and Quintara Street • Nov. 24, 1945 Permission: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Newscopy:
“Out we go to the Sunset District for today’s picture, which was taken, looking sort of southwesterly, from beside the Sunset Reservoir, at 26th-av and Quintara-st. In foreground are some of the Sunset’s famous sand dunes and brush, and a bit of 27th-av.”
Newscopy:
“UNPROTECTED Swollen with the increase of wartime population, the Sunset District of San Francisco is scattered with new homes - but the war which increased the population didn’t provide a like increase in fire protection. Actually the growing district has less men and equipment protecting it now than before the war, due to diversion to the waterfront and industrial areas. Plans for a new firehouse to serve it and the Parkside District are still waiting.”
June 2015
Parkmerced Lake Merced 1948
Parkmerced - Lake Merced 1948 • SFUSD Publications-San Francisco Social Studies Series
Notes: Written on back: “West of Twin Peaks (Lake Merced), Book 4, pp. 16-17 Published by permission from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
May 2015
Sunset District
Mound of sand at 32nd Avenue and Quintara Street in the Sunset District. Date: 1942 July 2.
Newscopy: “This is the problem no one is doing anything about: You are looking down 32nd-av from the corner of Quintara-st, the way Mr. Fixit saw it. The mound of sand is Quintara-st, and it gets bigger as it goes along. The barrier along the edge of the Anderson home on the corner is all that keeps Quintara-st out of their front yard. The houses here and on the other streets in this afflicted district, have to be painted sometimes twice a year because of their constant sand blasting. But so far the city hasn’t found a legal way to do anything about it.” by permission, SF History Collection, SF Public Library
April 2015
Location Identified!
Top: Undated Photo in the West Portal Collection. Titled “Homebuilding following completion of Twin Peaks Tunnel, by permission, SF History Collection, SF Public Library.
I was browsing the web site of the Westside Observer, looking at old photos and I can identify the location of a photo captioned West Portal, it is also listed under Mysterious Photo of West Portal.
This I believe is not West Portal but the view north-east from the hillside above Grafton, around where Orizaba and Ashton Sts. are now, looking over Ingleside to Mt Davidson. Ocean Ave runs from side to side at the bottom of the picture. The large building in the photo at the bottom right is the old Farragut Elementary School on Holloway between Faxon and Capital. The street with the dark edges running diagonally is Miramar Ave in Westwood Park. The large empty fields in the right hand side of the photo is where the reservoirs used to be.
I hope this helps.
Andrew Mihailovsky, General Contractor AMGCB - Building, Remodeling, & Repairing
Thanks Andrew! We think you are right, and we will share your evidence with the SF History Collection.
February 2015
From the Cliff House
View from the Cliff House 1865. Printed with permission, SF History Collection, SF Public Library
February 2015
Ocean Beach
Balloon Ascension, Ocean Beach San Francisco, 1886. Printed with permission, SF History Collection, SF Public Library
December 2014
Golden Gate Heights
View of the Sunset District from Golden Gate Heights • January 16, 1928. Written on front: “View from Funston Ave. & Pacheco St.” Printed with permission, SF History Collection, SF Public Library
November 2014
Sutro Forest
Group of men putting out a fire in Sutro Forest • Sept 15, 1934. Printed with permission, SF History Collection, SF Public Library
October 2014
Parkmerced
Construction of Parkmerced apartment buildings Oct. 21, 1950
Printed on back: METROPOLITAN HOUSING PROJECT--There are 11 separate 13-story apartment buildings in this general view of the $30,000,000 Metropolitan Life Housing project now nearing completion in the southwest corner of San Francisco between Junipero Serra Boulevard (in center of picture) and Lake Merced. With 2,000 apartment units to house over 5,000 persons they will be ready for occupancy by fall. Three two-deck garages will shelter 1,600 autos for residents. One garage is shown in left center just beyond boulevard.
September 2014
Golden Gate Heights • November 1 1927 By Permission San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
Send your observations about the date or perspective of this and shoot a corresponding photo of the present of any of our published old photos . We'll choose the most useful entry and share the info with the SF History Center — AND YOU'LL WIN A PRIZE!
Send to editor@westsideobserver.com
July/August 2014
Parkmerced February 28, 1945 By Permission San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
Send your observations about the date or perspective of this and shoot a corresponding photo of the present of any of our published old photos . We'll choose the most useful entry and share the info with the SF History Center — AND YOU'LL WIN A PRIZE!
Send to editor@westsideobserver.com
June 2014
REMEMBER This old photo published in March 2013? Its location was identified by Alena Klompus (see Letters) 
Send your observations about the date or perspective and a corresponding photo of the present of any of our published old photos (www.westsideobserver.com/remember.html). We'll choose the most useful entry and share the info with the SF History Center — AND YOU'LL WIN A PRIZE!
Send to editor@westsideobserver.com
Permission of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
May 2014
St. Francis Woods
St. Francis Woods [Undated] If you have any information about the date or location from which this picture was taken please share it with us (editor@westsideobserver.com). We will share it with the SF History Center. Permission of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
April 2014
Sunset District from Golden Gate Heights
Parkside District • Jan 16, 1940
View of the Sunset District from Golden Gate Heights Jan 16, 1940 “Here is a section of the rapidly growing Parkside District, which, like other areas, has its civic problems. Picture taken from Golden Gate Heights looking toward Pacific Ocean. Arrow marks Abraham Lincoln High School, prompt completion of which is a problem which Mr. Fixit plans to discuss in detail.” Permission of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
March 2014
Diamond Heights
Diamond Heights • Undated
Written on back: “San Francisco--Diamond Heights Redevelopment Project. Unbuilt hilly area as not been developed because of poor street design unsuited to topography. Purchase of property and redesigning of the 325 acres will make this land available for building under the provisions of the California Redevelopment Act and with federal government assistance.”. By permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
February 2014
Golden Gate Heights
Golden Gate Heights • May 10, 1927
Pacheco Street wall at 15th Avenue - pouring concrete. By permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
December 2013
Forest Hill
Forest Hill • March 3, 1945
Forest Hill Newscopy: “Cameraman Eddie Murphy, who took this picture, describes it in the following poetic words: ‘A bit of Forest Hill from the grounds of Laguna Honda Home, with Dewey Blvd angling off to the left and the top of Forest Hill Station hiding shyly in the trees at the bottom, lower right.’ (Gosh, you’d never think Eddie had such fancy thoughts in him!)”. By permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
November 2013
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks • December 27, 1923
View from Twin Peaks, looking northwest
Permission obtained from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
October 2013
Stonestown
Sunset District • May 20, 1953
Notes “NEW SHOWROOM--The beautiful new showroom of the San Francisco Stonestown Branch, Cadillac Motor Car Division, opened last week at 20th-Avenue and Buckingham-Way. The 1953 El Dorado sports convertible is now on display along with other standard production Cadillacs, according to Lou Meara, Stonestown manager.” Date 1953 May 20. By permission of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Permission obtained from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
September 2013
Sunset District
Sunset District Date 1886 Notes: Written on back: “Inner Sunset for sale.” Source: Greg Gaar • Permission obtained from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
July 2013
Inner Sunset
Could this be the same building?
Isn’t this at Ocean and Granada? Reader Grant Wright asks, and he sent us this photo from the view at Ocean and Granada in response to a previous Remember When featuring Westwood Park Grocery Company’s building under construction that was taken sometime before 1920.
If this is the same building there has been some extensive work on the facade, the side and the roof.
Because the San Francisco History Center does not have a date or location for this photo, we asked anyone who knew the address or date of the photo to contact editor@westsideobserver.com. Mr Wright did. Anyone else have an opinion? Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
The photo above is the one that was published in a previous Observer. Our thanks to reader Grant Wright.
June 2013
Inner Sunset
Aerial view of inner Sunset District Date Sept. 6, 1927 . Got info? editor@westsideobserver, we’ll pass it on to the SF History Center. Published by permission of the SF History Center, SF Public Library
May 2013
Ingleside Terraces
Ingleside Terraces. This photo is in the Ingleside Terraces collection, there is no date or observation as to its location or circumstances. Got info? editor@westsideobserver, we’ll pass it on to the SF History Center. Published by permission of the SF History Center, SF Public Library
April 2013
Old Photo Identified
I believe I have identified the location in this photo from your site page: westsideobserver.com/remember.html Photo with the caption "Ingleside Terraces." This is from South side of Urbano St looking North up Victoria toward Ocean Ave.
Christian Mancinetti
April 2016
Sutro Forest
Sutro Forest. This undated photo simply noted as Sutro Forest is in the SF History Center collection, any observations about the date or perspective or a corresponding photo of the present would be welcomed by the Center. Send comments, etc to editor@westsideobserver.com. Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
March 2013
Midtown Terrace
1000 ‘MARINE VIEW’ HOMES SET FOR MIDTOWN TERRACE Here’s an aerial view of the Midtown Terrace subdivision at Twin Peaks. Some 1000 modern detached homes with panoramic marine views and full-sized basements will be built by the Standard Building Co. Date Apr. 27, 1957. Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
February 2013
Mt. Davidson Construction
Written on back: “New housing on slopey Mt. Davidson” Photo by Eddie Murphy | Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
December 2012
View from Twin Peaks
View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks: Sept. 1, 1928. Written on back: S.F. Real Estate; Mediterranean Village | Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
November 2012
Buena Vista Hill
Buena Vista Hill -No date- M. Behrman Collection. Permission: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
October 2012
Diamond Heights
Large earthmoving machinery is hard at work bringing ‘progress’ to Diamond Heights, but there are some in the area who have complained of the dust raised. What used to be such clean nice fog coming over the hill is now full of grime. Construction site in the Diamond Heights district. Date 1960 June 25. Permission: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
September 2012
Sunset Heights
Sunset district homes, looking from 16th ave to golden gate Park. dated as ca. 1950? this would appear to be an error, have a better date? Contact editor@westsideobserver.com. Permission: SF History Center.
July-August 2012
Golden Gate Bridge
Partly constructed Golden Gate Bridge deck hung from steel cables. Not dated. Permission: San Francisco History Center.
June 2012
Sunset District
Abandoned cable cars on sand dunes in the Sunset. Not dated. Notes Written on back: “The beach sand dunes at the foot of the Sunset District was the dumping ground for outmoded horse and cable cars at the turn of the century. They were much in demand by enterprising citizens who converted the old cars into both beach houses and permanent homes [Carville]. A few exist even to this day.” Permission: San Francisco History Center.
May 2012
Ingleside Terraces Homes
Ingleside Terraces Homes ( circa 1911?). From other images that the Ingleside Terraces Home Archives have identified, it’s possibly a view of construction looking south with Merced Ridge in the background. Know more? Contact editor@westsideobserver.com. We will pass the information on to the SF Historical Photo Collection. Printed by permission, SF History Center, SF Public Library.
April 2012
West Portal 1945
View of the West Portal district from Claremont Avenue and Taraval Street. Aug. 4, 1945. By permission SF History Center: Caption “Here’s a shot of the West Portal District taken from Claremont-Av. and Taraval-St. The West Portal School is in the center of the picture.”
March 2012
Glen Park
Admission Day at Glen Park. Sept 17, 1898. Written on front: With S.F. News Letter. September 17, 1898. "The Big Picnic at the Mission Park and Zoo on Sept. 9, 1898." • By permission SF History Center, SF Public Library.
February 2012
Twin Peaks
Market Street from Twin Peaks (Note Bay Bridge construction) • Oct. 12, 1934 • By permission SF History Center, SF Public Library.
December 2011
Lakeshore
Lakeshore (Aeriel view) January 27, 1951. By permission of SF History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
November 2011
Golden Gate Heights
Golden Gate Heights - rubble wall on 14th Avenue, northerly to 15th Avenue and Aloha Avenue • Mar. 7, 1927. By permission of SF History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
October 2011
Sunset From 26th & Quintara
Sunset Dist. from 26th & Quintara St. to ocean 1945. By permission of SF History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
September 2011
Forest Hill
The San Francisco Commercial Club visits Forest Hill, April 18, 1913. Source: Greg Gaar Collection; Dewey/Pacheco Reprint permission was be obtained from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
July-August 2011
Mt. Davidson
Mt. Davidson S.F. Calif. Date Unknown. Reprint permission was be obtained from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
June 2011
Ocean Beach
OCEAN BEACH, Car & Bus At End of “B” Line. Date Mar. 20, 1927. Folder: S.F. Districts-Ocean Beach-1920’s. Reprint permission was be obtained from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
May 2011
Ingleside Terraces
INGLESIDE TERRACES, Ocean Avenue at Cerritos. From the Willard E. Worden Glass Plate circa 1912, by permission of the SF Historical Collection of the SF Public Library. Were the iron Ingleside Terrace signs scrapped for WWII metal? editor@westsideobserver.com
April 2011
Sunset District Development
Sunset District Homes. Date [190-?]. Sunset-1900's. If you have more information about the date and location of this photo, contact: editor@westsideobserver.com. By permission from the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
March 2011
Twin Peaks
View From Twin Peaks — (190?) Permission from the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
February 2011
Midtown Terrace
Midtown Terrace May 26, 1958. LATEST BIG S.F. HOME DEVELOPMENT—Scene of San Francisco’s latest major home development now under construction on the western slopes of Twin Peaks and Sutro Forest. First of the new Sunstream Homes in the Midtown Terrace project will be opened to the public June 4. Mayor Christopher will officiate at the opening ceremonies. Permission from the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library.
December 2010
7th Avenue and Lawton Street
View of the Sunset District from 7th Avenue and Lawton Street. Date 1921. Location Folder: S.F. Districts-Sunset. Reproduction permission from San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
November 2010
Diamond Heights
Clipper Street freeway extension Date 1947 June 20. S.F. Districts-Diamond Heights-1940’s. Newscopy: “DEBUT FOR FREEWAY DUE—Pictured above is another link in San Francisco’s program of freeway traffic arteries, the Clipper-St extension, scheduled for completion by July 15. Its course traced by arrows, it will be the main east-west arterial to the contemplated second Bay crossing and connect with all north-south arterials between Twin Peaks and the Bay. Meantime, it will provide motorists easier access from Portola-Dr, at point shown in right foreground, to the industrial areas. The new $182,000 road joins Clipper-St near Douglass Playground and is part of the so-called Army-Guerrero-San Jose-Clipper-Sts Project.”
Permission: SF Public Library Historical Photograph Collection.
October 2010
Golden Gate Heights
Golden Gate Heights - 15th Avenue at Noriega Street - steam shovel grading for wall May 10, 1927. Permission: SF Public Library Historical Photograph Collection.
Westwood Park
Westwood Park Grocery Company’s building under construction (not before 1917). Anyone
knowing the address or date of this building please contact editor@westsideobserver.com.
Photo: Gabriel Moulin, Permission: Moulin Studios. 1460 Grand Ave, San Rafael,
94901 and the SF Public Library Historical Photograph Collection.
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Pine Lake Park
Houses in the Pine Lake Park District, Aug. 27, 1927
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Note the motercycle in the center.
West Portal
West Portal
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Written underneath: “Home Building following completion of Twin Peaks tunnel.”
Diamond Heights
Gold Mine Hill and the surrounding area in
the Diamond Heights district, June 26,1953
Notes Newscopy: “THE VACANT HEIGHTS—Big,
empty hill in center of this picture is Gold Mine Hill, one of three vacant
heights on which Redevelopment Agency proposes to build 2300 dwellings.
In foreground is Miraloma Park, just beyond that is O'Shaughnessy-blvd and
dropping off from the boulevard is Glen Canyon, part of Diamond Heights
development which will become big park under present plan. To the left are
Twin Peaks, with Midtown Terrace at far left. Photo was taken from Mt. Davidson.”
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Building Parkmerced
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
Golden Gate Heights
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
Ingleside Terraces 1911-12
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Mysterious Photo
of Houses and Sandunes in the Sunset District
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Homes and Sandunes in the Sunset
Mysterious Photo of West Portal
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Written underneath: “Home Building following completion of Twin Peaks tunnel.”
View of Mount Davidson from Twin Peaks, 1915–1925
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Written on back: “late 1910s early 1920s; Mt. Davidson in 192?; note windmill + farm - houses near French Man’s Creek.”
Forest Hill
March 3, 1945 Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Cameraman Eddie Murphy, who took this picture, describes it in the following
poetic words: ‘A bit of Forest Hill from the grounds of Laguna Honda Home,
with Dewey-blvd angling off to the left and the top of Forest Hill Station hiding shyly in the trees at the bottom, lower right.’ (Gosh, you’d never think Eddie
had such fancy thoughts in him!)”.
Construction of Stonestown apartment buildings Date 1949 July 2. Photo courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
“A small city is rapidly springing up west of 19th-ave, on the shores of Lake Merced. It’s ‘Stonestown,’ 23-million-dollar project of Ellis and Henry Stoneson, and this photo shows the rapid progress being made on the four 10-story apartment houses (in the rear) and the smaller two- and three-story buildings in the foreground. Company spokesmen say the smaller buildings will be ready for occupancy about Aug. 1, while it will be another six months before the apartment houses are completed. Work on a complete shopping and recreational area will begin soon. The project will consist of 28 smaller apartment houses, the four large ones, each with 90 apartments, and an extensive shopping center. Between 3000 and 3500 persons will live in ‘Stonestown’ in the 783 rental units. The project covers 67 choice acres. The picture was taken from Vernon and Shields-Sts, a hill just east of the project.”
St. Francis Wood 1912 Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
West Portal Tunnel 1920 Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks: Sept. 1, 1928. Written on back: S.F. Real Estate; Mediterranean Village | Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library
Mr. Denny has single-handedly held the 2019 Bond hostage with his futile lawsuit to overturn passage despite the will of 143,055 San Franciscans ...
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Could the Controller’s Office be tainted by a conflict of interests?
Although the Board of Supervisors had requested this audit back in July 2019, bureaucratic shuffling and delays almost turned it into a spectral fantasy.
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Exactly one week and 20 minutes later as Aidan slept, a single hot prowl burglar ... made off with $3,500 worth of his electrician’s tools.
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... access to records enables the public and press to uncover “corruption, incompetence, inefficiency, prejudice and favoritism.” The “pay to play” scandal unfolding in San Francisco makes clear the extent of corruption in government...
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Why did the SFPUC sign a contract with its peninsula agency (BAWSCA) ... so that BAWSCA customers would always have their taps filled while San Francisco would not — about 46% of the time?
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What happened at Lowell ... is happening because of our increased awareness of inequitable opportunities for many black and brown children. But ...
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Street Crisis Response Team
There was a time when unsettling public disturbances were addressed by calling the cops. Peace Officers kept communal peace. That formula no longer works."
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...it appears that approximately 2,100,000 signers ... such a recall election permits consolidation of a recall to remove District Attorney Chesa Boudin ..."
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Now that many of San Francisco’s employers are allowing work from home, San Franciscans are leaving in large numbers to live in homes with more space in places — and for half the price.”
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"Mr. Hall: Not only was Governor Newsom handling twice the population of NY dealing with a pandemic, — there were 9,639 wildfires burning over 4 million acres of our state...”
Read More ..."" Dr. Kerr, San Francisco has already tried that. The lack of enforcement of laws against drug dealing and drug use has led to a de facto legalization for several years.”
Read More ..."The Wheel is of little or no benefit to the de Young and I am disappointed that staff are calling in support of a private, for-profit vendor based in St. Louis, MO, with no transparency, and SF Parks Alliance, a private non-profit.”
Read More ...
The proper course of action for ratepayers is a simple repeal of the 1932 monopoly ordinance and substitution of an ordinance requiring garbage contracts to be competitively bid.
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The Wheel is also a massive 150’ strobe light—strobe lights are sold to protect your pets in the backyard at night. The shadows strobe lights produce are intolerable to birds.
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San Francisco's Drug Crisis
... in 2018, there were 693,000 marijuana arrests – 90% for possession only — exceeding the arrests for all violent crimes combined. Most drug-related arrests are for simple possession.
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In my years of working with him before, during and after our stint together on the Board of Supervisors, he never once demonstrated that he had even the slightest knowledge or understanding of the basic tenets of good government ...
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... something even more odd about Michaela’s account: One of her followers was Chesa Boudin ... his official San Francisco District Attorney Twitter account.
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"Single use plastic bags, plastic straws are banned. Why is it a good idea to put plastic grass in Golden Gate Park? It lasts 8-10 years then becomes toxic waste that can't be recycled."
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I have been assigned to chair the Land Use and Transportation Committee at the Board of Supervisors, as well as representing the Board on the First Five Commission ... We will begin holding regular office hours in the community this month ...
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The Naperville, Illinois school board announced last month it would refund $10,000,000 to taxpayers this year, meaning a typical family will receive $200 to $500 ... Meanwhile, private and Catholic schools are open for learning without demanding extra tuition.
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... the isolated resident, as they withdraw into depression and weakness, is quiet. Others are needy, there is always too much to do ... When they cry out or kick, family should approve sedatives. Comfort is best, isn’t it?
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...the “nuisance neighbor” installed a Ring Motion Sensing floodlight camera ... The high beam floodlight activated within six feet of my patio door ...”
There is a desperate need to have a banking solution for the cannabis industry, and a public bank might be just the correct fit for the cannabis industry and could be source of capital for a fledging public bank.
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UC proposes a project that would add over 2 million square feet to the currently over-built campus — the equivalent of a Sales Force Tower and the TransAmerica Pyramid combined.
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... basically the ‘burbs get the first water, the city the leftovers ... The system runs short, the burbs get first dibs, the City gets the dribbles.
Read More ...
Only in San Francisco do you get a judge who looked at the entire trajectory ... Two strong-arm robberies, followed by a burglary, then an auto burglary, a loaded firearm charge, a third armed robbery, and finally graduating to attempted murder.
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With charges of elitism and racism, the school board made a major blunder in voting to change Lowell High School’s merit based admission policies to a lottery ... not looking at all the facts.
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Now Rec and Park has backpedaled on the one-year commitment and asked ... for four more years. If one year is not enough, will four years be enough ... or is this the beginning of a permanent midway in the midst of our premiere landscape park?
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In late January MUNI restored the T-Third light rail line, as well as the 27-Bryant, 33 Ashbury and the 15-Bayview. But no services have been restored on the west side of the City.
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Notorious Crooks of San Francisco
When not engaged in larceny, Long worked as a salesman. His persuasive skills made him a top salesperson ... but the lure of the dishonest dollar proved too strong for him.
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Herrera's Curious Union-Busting Law Firm
Recent lawsuits alleging discrimination against Black employees are startling in egalitarian San Francisco. Doubling the consternation is the City Attorney’s paying a Union-busting law firm to fight these claims.
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All of these reductions in value for her personal benefit were arranged while appeals for reductions before the Assessment Appeals Board from regular mom and pop homeowners were vehemently opposed by the Assessor’s Office.
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Others stand by, keep these links and don't get discouraged yet!. There are A LOT of vaccine appointments... If you get a text notification, try to get an appointment right away as they may be exhausted later in the day.
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Broken Promises Pique Tempers
"Now a pedestrian or a car cannot cross Taraval for three blocks ... Chow said. "How are residents and merchants going to conduct business or even get in and out of their driveways?”
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Board Decisions Only
Muddy the Water
"The city has a high school for the arts, and another for students interested in the trades. There is a bi-lingual Chinese-American high school. Why shouldn't there be a school for those interested in academics?
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"The Wheel has been totally shut down, partially opened, and then totally shut down again ... the glaring, flashing lights are still turned on every day and into the night, and the noisy diesel generator that powers the Wheel runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Note from Doc Palmer: appointments: Keep checking for updates and ability to self-schedule an appointment online if you are in an eligible group.
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"... Berkeley-UCSF Agreement that included UC paying money every year to Berkeley for fire and emergency services ... a precedent for the City to require UCSF to offset our currently unreimbursed City costs...
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... when he came into the room, his coworkers turned and left — only the other black workers remained. Baraka was called names such as “faggot” and “sissy” as well as “Sambo.”
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Internet computer records show that Ali Hudson was booked at 1:46am that night into Sacramento County Jail for both murder charges and for a still outstanding warrant...
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Notorious Crooks of SF Returns to WSO!
the Examiner took a strong prosecutorial view in the trials. The San Francisco Chronicle took the defense’s part...
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Hooray for SF Supes — It's a Good Start ... a Delaware-sized iceberg ... is threatening the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean.
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The Revenue Bond Oversight Committee issued another MOU with the Controller ...this illegal union is an important aspect of the swamp that City Hall has become.
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Even though school is closed, students continue to produce and perform high quality work.
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Whether or not another impeachment of the lying, cheating, draft-dodging Donald Trump is inarguably warranted ... It’s no surprise that Trump aspired to pardoning himself; that would constitute his ultimate historical achievement.
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(Analysts) obtained 10 years-worth of records related to the PUC’s Community Benefits Program, grants and contracts. Then…nothing. The PUC audit evaporated as City Hall, DPW and the PUC were rocked by corruption investigations
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"There's not even been one meeting on the underlying project. The plan itself has never been reviewed by any public body or by any group of advisors ..."
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Whether or not another impeachment of the lying, cheating, draft-dodging Donald Trump is inarguably warranted ... It’s no surprise that Trump aspired to pardoning himself; that would constitute his ultimate historical achievement.
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Since Proposition 19 passed, estate-planning attorneys are scarcer than toilet paper during the pandemic. Thanks to Governor Newsom’s misleading Proposition 19, we are seeing panicked strategizing ...
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...the Atomic Energy Commission allowed NRDL researchers ... radioactive waste into laboratory drains at the shipyard, radiation contaminated materials into the industrial landfill on the shoreline and radioactive fuel ships hauled back following atomic explosions ...
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DPH decided to present data only on the number of COVID cases among residents of the 19 Skilled Nursing Facilities in the City, eliminating reporting cumulative case reporting for healthcare workers (staff) at the 19 facilities.”
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When the war ended they were free to leave. But they had to find their own way back. To escape the harsh weather they made their way to Kazakhstan via river raft. To return to Poland was dangerous because as Michalski noted, “nobody wanted the Jews.
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D7 Neighborhood News Sources Westside Observer, Ingleside Light, and West Portal Monthly pose tough questions
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Openness applies to wrongdoing as well. When taxes pay for investigations ... taxpayers deserve to know which City agencies break rules ..."
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Breed and her allies asserted that placing housing on public parcels would save massive amounts of time two years later—still no publicly revealed plans...
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General Manager, who has been charged with corruption. That’s the bad news. A new report about expected capital costs is out, and costs are up 42%. That’s even worse.
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For almost two decades, “pay-to-play” has pervaded our “City Family” with bribes to obtain millions of dollars in public contracts. Presently, criminal charges have been filed only against powerful non-elected officials.
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It has taken a pandemic to help all of us process just how critical schools are to our children and our communities.
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Preston accused the Marina Times of being “an entity that has proven time and again that they are a mouthpiece for disinformation ... on par with the likes of Breitbart News and Tucker Carlson ..."
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...even if he and his wife did donate $75 million ... his net worth is $101.2 billion as of November 2020 ... that’s no reason for Zuckerberg’s name to despoil the good name of SF General Hospital."
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"Seven acres of artificial turf that is so toxic nothing can live in it... Toxins from tire crumb can enter the body through inhalation of particulates, fibers, and volatile organic compounds."
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While I was repeating over and over “wear a mask...wash my hands... he was creating spaced learning for the alternative universe. Don’t wear a mask... And I am not even going to touch whether he washed his tiny hands
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Since people tend to like money, to varying degrees, I was surprised by the lack of websites about “How much your neighbors or countrymen give to charity.“
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The Dept. of Public Health Lacks Transparency. Deaths surged 76% and the media went quiet. Why the lack of stories?.
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Water, Fish, and You.
...In super dry years, no way there’s enough water. You will be forced to ration fifty percent, that is, you get half rations of water.
Read More ...
In District 7, despite Joel Engardio accruing the most first place votes for supervisor, the third place candidate, Myrna Melgar, employed ranked choice voting to win.
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"SFPUC Watchdog or Lickspittle? From the first meeting of the RBOC, SFPUC operatives and aligned city-family loyalists injected themselves into the business and governance of the RBOC."
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Once a “benefit” district is formed and the assessments pour in, private firms are hired ... The disgraced former head of DPW, Mohammed Nuru, was personally involved ...
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... to allow restaurants to increase indoor dining capacity from 25% to 50% ... cases stood at 11,275 confirmed cases ... Another 3,048 COVID cases occurred ..."
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... public officials would not steer the ship of modern electricity. Public officials were corrupt, or corruptible. ... here the state Public Utilities Commission, would review, and ensure fair treatment.
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His approach bears the fingerprints of first-lady-elect Dr. Jill Biden ... President-elect Biden: “You’re going to have one of your own in the White House.”
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... we are down 37% in vehicle burglaries, 27% in assaults, and 36% in robberies. We are currently up 24% in vehicle thefts and 8% in home and commercial burglaries.
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...a patronage network ... including former Willie Brown special assistants” - In return, these former City employees provide access to City department managers.”
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After being hired in 1998 as a deputy district attorney , she rewarded her benefactor by running against him ... she raised $563,000 for her campaign ... signed under penalty of perjury a Department of Election form agreeing to a $211,000 campaign expenditure limit.
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...the largest job, almost a billion dollars, has not gone well. The so-called biosolids digesters are tanks half in the ground, half above, that digest solids in sewage — the heart of the operation. Since the contractor has begun, his pre-construction services have increased in cost by a factor of 18 times.
Read More ...
Since March 2000 voters passed three parks bonds totaling $800.5 million in principal and interest. If this new bond passes, the $239 million parks portion will cost approximately $470 million in principal and interest, pushing park bonds to approximately $1.3 billion
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... the new regime under Interim Chancellor Gonzalez abruptly ... returned to the previous agenda structure, with very limited public comment — and only near the beginning of the meeting — reservation is now required in advance as well.
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Déjà vu: Controlling Pay-to-Play Donations
In October 2009, former Supervisor Chris Daly proposed an Ordinance that prohibited department heads and employees from steering donations to “Friends of…” non-profits that raised funds for their departments ...
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"Our beloved Golden Gate Park ... natural environment is being replaced by concrete and artificial turf. Two and half million dollars are being spent so dogs can run around?"
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"There is an obvious power grab designed to attack Lowell’s long-term academic status, that provides a unique service to a unique student population, just as School of the Arts does.”
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I agree that we should not celebrate those who represent the worst in our society. But there is true historical value to recognizing leaders who have made our world better—and recognizing them warts and all.”
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Inside City Hall’s Web of Corruption
DPW’s subaccounts at the Parks Alliance amassed $990,000... donated by 8 contractors who received $572 million from DPW plus 7 companies that obtained 218 building permits from the Department of Building Inspection (DBI)
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If LHH was too small for 160 units, how is it now suddenly big enough for up to 375 units?”
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" ... the cleanup reports need to be available to the public. Skipping these steps will result in future lawsuits and the city will be ultimately held accountable, making the taxpayers liable”
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Prop. A's — $960 Million Oversite?
Problem is, the Bond Oversight Committee has held only one meeting in 2020 ... Then COVID detonated. Unfortunately, CGOBOC never figured out holding remote meetings accessible to the public.”
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The developer is proposing a six-unit condo development on the site of a former auto repair shop contaminated with benzene and other pollutants at levels 900 times above residential standards ...
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Audit's Unanswered Questions:
The audit fails to mention that no retaliation claims have ever been sustained by the Ethics Commission. That startling fact has been hidden by reporting only that cases are “dismissed” or “closed.”
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Taraval Crime Report
Police officers from the Tactical Unit, Specialist Team, and Taraval Neighborhood Team (TNT) served a search warrant on the 1500 block of 48th Ave.”
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Any time someone mentions a good book, I literally just go to my phone and reserve it on the App. That says a lot...”
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The federal subpoena demanded the resumes, job descriptions, and performance evaluations for “any PUC employee who earned at least $100,000” since 2010 ... Evidently, the feds are probing cronyism as well as self-dealing
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Six contenders respond to the questions that will guide the next 4 years in the district.
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The arts touch our emotional core, whether it is song or dance or drama or drawing. The arts can connect the mind and the spirit and help guide children from crisis to confidence.
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"The giveaway, linked to corrupt leadership, sacrifices precious public land for private profit ... leaves City College more vulnerable and is a significant reversal in our goal of income equality"
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That’s not a balanced budget; it’s a gaping hole she plans to solve by kicking pay-raises bargained for in good faith down the road.”
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"Assuming teachers agree to these and additional detailed conditions, school begins August 17th."
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While the FBI is investigating city bigwigs, SFPUC personnel included ... Everyone in power is complicit in forcing the rate payer to “donate”
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A photographer goes in search of life on the Avenue ... dining and browsing are available on sidewalks, parking spaces and in some stores inside within strict limitations.
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"The authors of the San Francisco Plan Bay Area 2050 are asking for public feedback on their 9-county plan to provide solutions ... "
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Our city is in big trouble. And it is not just because of Covid-19 It is because of a continued string of bad policies and decisions by City Hall over the past 10 years.
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Whether it’s protests about police violence and racism or defiance of government orders to wear a mask, the most fundamental issues of our democracy are being played out every day in front of millions of people.
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Dennis Herrera's retaliatory sewer-gate debacle, alongside the FBI's recent arrest of DPW chief ... jab at the City's anti-graft capabilities.
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City College Stakeholders File CEQA Appeal"This is NOT the time for any Project to go forward that will all but destroy the access for 70,000 college students, most of them from working class, immigrant, black or brown communities."
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"Teachers, who are already using their own money to buy school supplies are now also purchasing masks and materials in order to be prepared ..."
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"SFPUC Failed to Protect Clean Water The Beach Chalet Soccer Fields (BCSF) in Golden Gate Park used to have a permeable surface; it's called grass."
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"... your water, wastewater, and garbage rates are special taxes attached to property. ... Your great-grandchildren should not fear that they will be paying for a service provided in 2020."
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Morale was sagging. Capt. Rainsford addressed the officers and apparently referenced how the police had handled previous protests.
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...whether the discrepancy is due to President Trump wanting CMS to “slow down” the testing and positive test results...
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...the attitude of professional sports team-owning billionaires that local taxpayers must provide stadiums for their professional sport businesses ...
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a $1.7 billion deficit over the next two fiscal years which could reach over $2.5 billion per Controller Ben Rosenfield...
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Development is in trouble. If Parkmerced, which is the largest multifamily property in San Francisco is an example of the future of development in San Francisco, it is in very real trouble.
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Board of Supervisors seek solutions ... raising concerns among the public about the possibility of long-term use of parkland to address social and economic problems ...
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The SF PUC will sell over 17 acres, for approximately $11.2 million — about $640,000 per acre for prime SF real estate to a privateer for more than 90% below market rate ...
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Hopes were that recovering from COVID-19 would generate antibodies, thus conferring immunity and peace of mind. Plus, survivors could help treat newly-infected COVID-19 patients by donating their convalescent plasma. It's not that simple.
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While water and sewer bills are not taxes, they are worse. They hit ordinary people harder ... and rates are determined by cost. When costs rise, so do rates.
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There are several problems with Boudin’s boasted success with reducing the jail population...
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Life returns slowly to West Portal People are beginning to return to West Portal — and other Westside businesses are ready to make sales...
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My Mom is Not Disposable...universal testing in all group care facilities, where asymptomatic staff can begin a deadly outbreak, is now being publicly recognized. But it is slow to happen.
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Tommy refused to social distance...... Upon arrival, the two officers immediately observed Tommy was bleeding from his mouth ...
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Planning to 'streamline' CEQA? ... projects that formerly might have needed extensive review under CEQA would be approved unilaterally by Planning staff if the projects met specific requirements ...
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Where Are Our Priorities? Nursing homes are like cruise ships, and the outbreak at Central Gardens is illustrative...
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8th Grader's Petition Sparks Controversy The school district needs to take student's mental health seriously. It should discourage teachers from assigning excessive work and scheduling extra meetings.
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Nuru was not the FBI’s main target of the investigation—he was the bait to lure someone bigger.
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...suspending access to public records — even temporarily, is clearly dangerous to open government.
Check it outTaxpayer costs will exceed $5 million since the City has been paying the Keker & Van Nest law firm $850/hour to defend Herrera. They already billed the City $2,267,75, in September 2016...
Read More ...Don’t be fooled: you’re being sold insurance. Do you have a choice? Yes you do…
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