Photo by David Cruz

Richmond District resident David Cruz snapped these pics of a Great Horned Owl in Golden Gate Park nesting with one of its two new chicks. They were spotted across from the bison paddock.

Sarah B.

[via SFGate]

Photo by David Cruz

Photo by David Cruz

Lion heads are made of paper-mache and bamboo and vary in weight from the very light to somewhat heavy. Lion dancers work in teams of two. The front person handles the head and the back person is the tail. There is also a drummer, cymbalists, and a gong player. A large-headed Buddha also teases the lion with a fan. He represents a renegade monk who was too undisciplined to handle Shaolin temple training, and so, as legend has it, he was either cast out from the temple, or he simply ran away. Depending on the occasion, firecrackers may also be used to scare away evil spirits. Most often the lion dancers are gung-fu practitioners because of the difficult and strenuous moves required to make the lion come to life. Every move has a specific musical rhythm. The lion and its musical accompaniment are synchronized together throughout this elaborate routine. The lion dance may vary from improvisation to extreme choreography, depending on the occasion. [Source: jingmo.com]

The neighborhood debate over whether the Jack in the Box on Geary is an appropriate after-hours environment rages on.

On January 24th, the Entertainment Commission approved the restaurant’s request to stay open after hours, with some conditions. Rather than stay open 24 hours, the Commission ruled that Jack in the Box must close between the hours of 4am and 6am.

The Entertainment Commission’s ruling confused many residents, especially those who had rallied via a petition to ask that the Jack in the Box be forced to close from 2am until 4am, not 4am until 6am. It’s during the 2am to 4am hours when nearby residents claim there is the most noise and disruption at the restaurant due to patrons leaving nearby bars when they close.

Unhappy with the decision of the Commission, a resident group has filed an appeal that states, “We do not believe Jack in the Box can operate safely and within rules required by the permit between the hours of 2am and 4am. The restaurant’s small size makes it impossible to prevent excessive noise, traffic and loitering, and statistics unambiguously demonstrate that after hours patronage has caused an increase in violent crime and created impermissible noise and litter in a residential area.”

The appeal was filed on behalf of the Richmond Residents Association and The Chinese American Voters Education Committee (CAVEC). Both are headed up by David Lee, a neighborhood resident and owner of a State Farm Insurance branch located near the Jack in the Box. He also sits on the city’s Recreation & Parks Commission.

Lee was also behind the petition that gathered over 1,500 signatures from residents prior to the January 24 hearing, asking the Entertainment Commission require that Jack in the Box remain closed from 2am until 4am.

So why did the Entertainment Commission ignore the requests of petitioners and even nearby bar owners who want the Jack in the Box closed from 2am until 4am? In a neighborhood meeting just days before the hearing, the SFPD indicated they were in favor of Jack in the Box staying open 24 hours, despite police calls from the business being down since they reduced their hours in early December.

Even more surprising was Commissioner Audrey Joseph’s rationale for approving the permit. “It’s very important that we have food [available late at night]; it helps people not be as drunk,” she said at the January 24 hearing.

One RichmondSFBlog reader called Joseph’s argument “ignorant and reckless”. “You don’t sober up in 30 minutes and you don’t sober up from eating. It might make you FEEL better, but it does nothing to change blood alcohol level,” commenter kayvaan wrote.

Jack in the Box’s status in the neighborhood initially came into question after a tragic incident. In the early hours of Thanksgiving morning, a fight inside the Jack in the Box later led to a brutal hit and run accident on the corner of 9th and Geary.

The victim, 29 year old Albert Bartal, remains hospitalized with serious brain trauma. Bartal’s family started a Facebook page and a website to raise funds for his recovery. According to a post from his mother earlier this week, Albert remains in serious condition. “Albert was re-admitted to Kaiser Sacramento. No fever but he has ‘brain storms’ that cause his heart rate to soar, his body to contract, and he perspires A LOT!!” she wrote.

Police eventually arrested Eduardo Shaparo Esquivel, a 22-year old South San Francisco man who was identified from security footage from inside the Jack in the Box during the initial fight.

Since the incident, it was revealed that the Jack in the Box was staying open 24 hours a day, despite not having the required city permits to do so. As a result, they were forced to cut their hours and close at 2am every night. Then on January 24, the Entertainment Commission approved their permit, but with the condition that they close between the hours of 2am and 4am.

The appeal from Richmond Residents Association and The Chinese American Voters Education Committee will be heard by the Board of Appeals on February 29 at 5pm in City Hall, Room 416. The public is invited to attend the meeting and speak on the issue to the Board.

In the meantime, the permit that was issued on January 24 to Jack in the Box has been suspended. The restaurant will once again be forced to close between 2am and 6am until the matter is settled.

Sarah B.

CAPTAIN ERIC VINTERO’S MESSAGE
The Officers at Richmond Station have been working extremely hard this past week as we continue our efforts to reduce crime levels, ensure public safety, and manage traffic concerns. I would like to thank each and every one of you who e-mailed me areas of concern for traffic enforcement. I have shared these concerns with the Officers at Richmond Station and we will do our best to address all of these issues. The Officers at Richmond Station issued approximately 275 citations this past week. Many of the citations were for speeding and for failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Many of the vehicles were towed due to the fact that the driver had a suspended driver’s license. Traffic safety is a high priority and we will continue to conduct various operations to promote vehicle and pedestrian safety.

A well know prolific auto-burglar (who is on parole for burglary) was arrested in Golden Gate Park this week by two plain-clothes Officers from Richmond Station. The parolee had a screwdriver in has hand and also had narcotic paraphernalia on his person. It is a well known fact that a small percentage of criminals are responsible for a vast majority of crime (especially when it comes to property crime). We are hoping that this fine arrest will reduce the number of auto-burglaries in the area. Officers at Richmond Station will be conducting extra patrols and enforcement operations in areas where we see patterns of crimes develop. Please do no hesitate to call the police to report any suspicious activity. I also encourage you to take advantage of San Francisco SAFE (Safety Awareness for Everyone www.sfsafe.org) San Francisco SAFE engages, educates, and empowers San Franciscans to build safer neighborhoods through crime prevention education and public safety services that result in stronger, more vibrant and resilient communities. They also provide free residential security surveys and can educate you on ways to make your home more secure.

We have had several reports of elderly victims falling for the Grandmother/Grandfather scam so I have included in this newsletter a release sent out by our Economic Crime Unit. Please warn the elderly members of your family that this is occurring and provide them with the information included in the release.

The next Richmond District community meeting will be held at Richmond Station on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 7pm.

WESTERN UNION GRANDMOTHER/GRANDFATHER SCAM
The San Francisco Police Department has noticed an increase in occurrences of the “Western Union Grandmother/Grandfather” scam. This is a fraud in which a suspect telephones a victim, claiming to be a relative. The calls are intended to lower the victim’s guard using feigned familiarity and frighten them into wiring money with the report of a tragedy. When a victim picks up the phone, she may hear something like, “Grandma! It’s me! I’m in jail.”

The suspect addresses the victim in familiar terms—like “Grandma” or “Uncle”—to gain the victim’s confidence. The caller claims to be in some sort of peril at a distant location and in need of money immediately. For instance, the caller claims to have been mugged or arrested while traveling on vacation. The suspect asks the victim to wire money by Western Union , Money Gram or similar means. The money is relayed electronically to a remote account, often out of the country. The caller will often express embarrassment and ask the victim to keep the information “just between us.”

The San Francisco Police Department is advising people to be on guard for this scam. Anyone receiving a call that they suspect may be fraud can take the following steps to safeguard themselves.

- Be wary of unsolicited calls requesting an urgent wire transfer of funds.

- When receiving a suspicious call, don’t provide information and verify the caller. If the caller claims to be your son or granddaughter, ask, “Which one?”

- Ask questions that you would both know, but a stranger would not, like “What is the name of your dog?” or “Where did you go to elementary school?”

- Call back the family member who claims to be in distress. Don’t ask the caller for the number; if you don’t have the number; call another family member for the number.

- Scammers will often share information with each other about gullible victims. If you recognize the fraud, tell the caller you know, and then hang up.

NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 01/26/12 at 10:25pm, the caller reported 3 suspicious persons, who had followed behind the caller and her husband as they walked to their apartment building. The 3 suspects then went to a vehicle parked nearby. Officers responded and located the vehicle and suspects. Two of the three suspects were in possession of narcotics and one had an outstanding warrant for his arrest from Modesto Police. They were booked accordingly.

On 01/29/12 at 2:36am, officers were on patrol eastbound on Clement St at 12th Ave. The officers could hear loud
music coming from the vehicle behind them which also did not have it’s headlights on. The officers pulled over to let the car pass and then conducted a traffic stop at 9th and Clement. When the officers asked for his driver’s license he told them he did not have one. When they asked who the car belonged to he told them it belonged to a “friend” but he couldn’t remember “her” name. The officers then told the suspect the car was registered to a male the suspect said, “I stole it.” Officers were able to track down the owner who said that his wife was using the car and she was at work on the 800 block of LaPlaya. Upon speaking to the wife, she told them she had left her keys in the pocket of her vest which had been hanging at the end of an aisle. The suspect also was in possession of the victim’s cell phone and coin purse. The 30 year old male was charged with stolen auto, possession of stolen property and traffic violations.

On 01/29/12 at 10:38am, plainclothes officers went to the 700 block of 31st Ave , to locate a subject who had a
parole warrant as well as an outstanding felony warrant from Belmont PD. As they arrived they saw the suspect standing outside of the house and upon identifying themselves as police officers, the suspect made eye contact and ran into the house locking the door behind him. As one officers stayed at the front, the other officer was making his way to the back of the house through a neighboring street. The officer at the back could see the suspect hopping fences finally jumping onto the roof of a shed in a neighboring backyard where he was taken into custody. The 47 year old male was charged with his warrants.

On 01/29/12 at 7:30pm, officers were called to the 5300 block of Geary on a report of a male who had stolen from the shop and tried to break the front window. Officers arrived on scene and the caller pointed out a male who was standing on the opposite side of Geary Bl. As the officers approached the male, he looked up and saw them coming and took off running. He first fell to the sidewalk and when he got up, he ran into the middle of Geary Blvd and as he crossed the center median, he fell on the ice plants. Officers were able to detain him and saw that he appeared agitated and confused. The male told the officers he had ingested some “shrooms.” Upon speaking to the caller she told the officers that the suspect had come into the shop and was acting strangely. He approached the counter and proceeded to knock all the pastries off of the counter. He then took a cookie and began to eat it. When confronted the male kicked open the glass front door and took off. The 21 year old male was charged with theft, trespassing and delaying arrest.

On 01/30/12 at 2:40pm, plainclothes officers were in the area of JFK Drive , near the Conservatory of Flowers when they observed the suspect walking along a pathway. The officers were very familiar with the suspect from previous arrests for auto burglary in Golden Gate Park. When the officers approached the suspect he dropped an item from his hand onto the grass. The officers saw that it was a screwdriver, which they knew he uses to make entry into vehicles. He was also in possession of narcotic paraphernalia and a knife. The 52 year old male was charged with a parole violation and possession of a knife and burglar tools.

On 02/02/12 at 2:30pm, plainclothes officers were in the area of Euclid and Parker when they observed the suspect walking along the curb line, peering into the windows of the cars parked along Euclid . They followed him for several blocks when he finally stopped at a Red Nissan. He turned and walked back in the direction towards one of the officers and they made eye contact. The suspect and the officer then recognized each other from a previous arrest. The suspect was detained and it was determined he was on probation. He was in possession of a knife, channel lock pliers, and several screwdrivers. He had also secreted in his mouth, porcelain spark plug chips which are commonly used by auto burglars to shatter car windows. The officers were also able to determine that the red Nissan had been driven to the area by the suspect and the Nissan had been reported stolen. The suspect, a 43 year old male was charged with possession of stolen property and burglary tools.

On 02/02/12 at 10:45pm, officers were called to the 400 block of 25th Ave , on a burglary that had just occurred. The caller stated that she was in her apartment when her buzzer rang. Believing it was her son coming home she buzzed the person in. The caller stood by the front door to greet her son, but no one came up the stairs. The caller then heard noises coming from the garage and she called her son on his cell phone. When the son said he was still a distance away from the home, the caller exited her apartment and looked down the stairs. She saw the suspect standing in the lobby with a metal cart full of her belongings that had been in the garage. She began yelling at the suspect who fled the scene, leaving the cart and contents behind. At this point the son came home and saw the suspect leaving the building and followed him to 23rd and Clement where the suspect tried to get into a cab. The son told the cab driver not to take the suspect as he was a burglar and the suspect got out of the cab. Officers arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody. The suspect, a 42 year old male was charged with burglary and possession of stolen property.

NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 01/26/12 at 9am an 87 year old female who resides in the Richmond District, received a phone call from a male claiming to be her grandson. The caller stated he was in Mexico and in trouble and needed her to wire him $2900. The female went to a money wiring service and did as instructed. She became suspicious when she did not receive a conformation call from her grandson the next day and upon contacting him, learned in fact that he was not in Mexico , nor did he place the phone call.

On 01/27/12 at 9am, another elderly resident of the Richmond District, a 93 year old male, received a phone call from a male claiming to be his grandson. The caller stated that he was in jail in Mexico and needed the victim to wire him $3000 to be released. The 93 year old male went to one wire service and they told him it was a “Scam” and not to send the money. The victim did not believe the employee and went to another wire service store and sent the money. The victim has since spoken to his grandson who lives in another state and did not call the victim.

Between 01/27/12, 9am and 01/28/12, 1:50pm on the 300 block of 8th Ave , a suspect made entry into a garage and took a bike. There were no signs of forced entry

On 01/27/12 between 9:30am and 6:30pm on the 700 block of Parker Ave , a suspect gained entry into a multi-unit garage and took a bike. There were no signs of forced entry.

On 01/27/12 between 2:00pm and 2:30pm on the 1800 block of Lyon , a bicycle was taken from a garage. The tradesman door may have been unlocked.

Between 01/28/12, 10am and 01/30/12, 12pm on the 400 block of 8th Ave, a suspect pried open the mail key box
which was affixed to the front iron gate. With the key the suspect was able to get in through the gate and front door and into the garage. It is unknown at this time what was taken.

On 01/28/12 between 3pm and 3:05pm, on the 2100 block of Scott St , the victim wheeled her bike to her apartment which is at the rear of the building. She laid her bike against the wall and went inside. When she returned 5 minutes later it was gone.

On 01/28/12 between 3:30pm and 5:30pm on the 800 block of 32nd Ave , a suspect entered an apartment by prying
open a side door and climbing into the window of a kitchen. Once inside the suspect took a handgun and cash.

On 01/29/12 at 10:15am, an employee got to work on the 500 block of Point Lobos and locked up his bike in the parking lot. When he got off at 6:00pm his bike was gone. Surveillance video shows a tan vehicle pulling into the parking lot and the driver getting out and riding off with the bike. The passenger in the vehicle then drives the car out and they fled in an unknown direction.

On 02/01/12, between 7:30pm and 9:00pm on the 700 block of 33rd Ave , a suspect pried open an iron gate leading to a tunnel entrance way to a home. From the entrance way the suspect took a bike and a skateboard.

Tips for Pedestrians:

Always use crosswalks and pedestrian-activated signals when they are available and cross only at intersections if they are not.

Never jaywalk. Drivers are not anticipating pedestrians crossing in the middle of the street so they may not have enough time to avoid hitting you.

Wear bright reflective clothing at night, in the evening and in the early morning hours.

Walk on the sidewalk. If there are no sidewalks, walk off the road facing traffic.

Watch for cyclists and vehicles backing up in driveways or parking lots.

When crossing driveways and alleys, always look left and right just as you would when crossing a street.

When crossing a street, walk, don’t run. This will allow drivers more time to see and come to a safe stop.

Watch for vehicles turning right on a red light. They may not be looking for you.

Most pedestrians overestimate the distance at which drivers can see them. Alcohol can limit your ability to judge situations – even as a pedestrian.

PAUSE until all vehicles are stopped. Assume drivers don’t see you and never step out into traffic until you have made eye contact with drivers and you are certain they will stop. When you step off the curb in front of a vehicle that has stopped to let you cross, don’t proceed until you have checked the traffic in all other lanes. Drivers may not realize other vehicles have stopped for pedestrians.

PROCEED with your arm extended, when all vehicles have stopped. Keep scanning both sides of the road as you cross. Stop in the middle of the crosswalk if you have to and make sure all oncoming vehicles intend to stop.

Don’t let children run out ahead of you. Children are less visible than adults and children cannot always exercise good judgment about safety – so stay close enough to pull them to safety.

Tips for Drivers:

When you are in a busy area such as main intersections, schools and playground zones anticipate someone crossing the street and slow down. Decreasing your speed by a few miles per hour will give you more time to stop.

Make sure your lights and windshield are clean.

Be aware of what other motorists are doing around you. If you are unsure why a vehi­cle has stopped, use caution, slow down and be prepared to stop in case the vehicle is stopped for a pedestrian.

When stopping for a pedestrian, don’t block the crosswalk. If you pull right up to the painted crosswalk lines, your vehicle may obscure the view of other drivers who then may not realize someone is crossing. Wait until the pedestrian has completely cleared the adjacent lanes before proceeding. By waiting, you alert other drivers that there is someone crossing the street. A hand signal (left arm extended out the window and straight down) can help draw attention to the situation. If you notice vehicles approaching the intersection quickly, flash your brake lights a few times or honk your horn. This may alert the driver as well as the pedestrian.

Be aware of left turns. When waiting to turn left at an intersection, be especially aware of pedestrians crossing the street to your left. Turning left across the oncoming traffic is tricky as you may be concentrating on the approaching traffic and fail to notice the pedestrians crossing. When you spot a gap in traffic, make sure nobody is in the crosswalk before you make your turn.

Watch out for jaywalkers. Although drivers have the right of way over jaywalkers, in the event of a collision no one wins.

The class is designed for beginner and intermediate artists, and focuses on developing visual skills by using many materials to explore personal ideas and to develop creativity. Students will work with both wet and dry materials including acrylic, ink, graphite and charcoal.

The class is taught by local artist Eun Hee Lee. No pre-registraton is required, just show up on the first day of class to enroll.

Sarah B.

This Sunday, the Balboa Theater is offering free viewing of Superbowl XLVI – in HD and Dobly Stereo – on their big screen. In addition to their usual tasty popcorn, you can also enjoy beer, wine, hot dogs and more while you watch the game (and the new commercials).

Kickoff is at 3:30pm Pacific. Who will you be cheering for?

Sarah B.

Road crews uncover old streetcar tracks during sewer work.

As we move around in our modern world, we tend to forget how things used to be. But every now and then, during the most meaningless of moments, we are reminded.

That’s what happened on Monday, when cub reporter David H. came upon a road crew on California between 15th and 16th Avenue. The street had to be opened up for some sewer work and as crews dug in, they stumbled upon a piece of San Francisco’s transit history – old streetcar tracks.

“The wooden ties were a bit rotted but the rails and spikes were as good as new,” David said. He even snagged a couple of the spikes for his collection.

After seeing pics of this accidental archaeological dig, I contacted Richmond District historian John Freeman to get more background on the streetcars that used to run along California Street.

California Street had the first rail line that went completely through the Richmond, as the steam train of the Ferries and Cliff House Railway. It opened September 30, 1888 to take passengers from the end of three cable car lines that terminated at Central Avenue (now Presidio Avenue) at the Laurel Hill Cemetery, to Sutro Baths and the grand chateau Cliff House which opened in 1896.

The C streetcar at 2nd Avenue & Clement, 1948. Courtesy outsidelands.org

John says the rails uncovered on California Street could date as far back at 1905. The #1 Sutter and California streetcar may have traveled on them. According to outsidelands.org, the C Geary-California streetcar line began running in 1915 out to Park Presidio / 13th Avenue as the Municipal Railway’s seventh route. The line was then extended to 33rd Avenue and California in 1915.

But with progress comes changes, and on July 3, 1949, all rail service on the California Street trolley tracks ended, to be replaced by buses. The Richmond District did have the B-Geary streetcar line up until December 1956, when it was replaced by the #38 bus line.

John says that simply covering over the streetcar rails was a common practice. Just a few years ago, he saw a similar scene on Balboa when they were doing roadwork.

“You would think the rails had salvage value, but in a post-WWII world, scrap steel was not very valuable and it was cheaper to cover the rails than to remove them for their scrap value,” John told me.

Special thanks to David H. for snapping pics and to John Freeman for providing the background on what was uncovered.

Sarah B.

A 2 Clement Muni t-shirt available at Park Life (220 Clement). $26

Some local links to get you through your Wednesday…

• Turkish / Mediterranean restaurant Troya (349 Clement) will be opening a second location on Fillmore in the former Vivande and Citizen Cake space. EaterSF reports that it will be more “modern and hipper” than the original. Troya Fillmore is targeting an April 2012 opening.
• Oozora Sake House didn’t last, so veteran shabu spot Shabuway will be taking over the space at 5120 Geary according to GrubStreet. It will be the fourth opening for the Shabuway chain, and let’s hope experience wins out. The last two shabu concepts in that space have failed.
• How many people are needed to truly make a meeting “public”? SFCitizen says more than one but that’s all that showed up at the recent meeting about the upcoming renovations at the Stow Lake Boathouse which includes a new cafe. There was some buzz about it in the Chron but in reality, they’re the same plans and drawings we saw in July of last year. Still, exciting that it’s finally happening.

Jason Annecone has been providing guided bike tours of San Francisco for several years through his San Francyclo business. Recently, he opened his first retail store on the edge of the Richmond District at Arguello and Golden Gate Avenue.

I stopped by last Sunday to check out the new shop, which was a long time opening. Jason had intended to open last fall, but when he embarked on a remodel of the space, he found the building in need of extensive repairs.

“It needed a whole new foundation,” he said.

Undeterred, San Francyclo finally opened its doors just after the new year. Jason was at work adjusting someone’s road bike when I stopped by. His parents were also in the shop – Mom sitting at the counter chatting with customers and Dad downstairs in the back room, hand-painting signs and talking up the used bikes that are for sale.

The shop has a good selection of accessories including locks, racks, headwear and some higher priced items, along with a selection of new and used bikes for sale.

“On nice days, rentals have been pretty steady,” Jason said as he tinkered on a customer’s bike. The shop is located just three blocks from Golden Gate Park.

Despite the Richmond District’s proximity to the Presidio and Golden Gate Park, San Francyclo is one of only a few bike shops in the neighborhood, and and arguably the first to offer expert repairs to discerning cyclists. Riders will appreciate the handy air pump located on the outside of the shop.

In addition to the repairs and tuneups, San Francyclo also provides rebuild and custom design services.

Greeting you at the door is Mojo, Jason’s pussycat of a dog. I’m sure he’s been enjoying his new status as sidewalk dog, soaking up the winter rays and ample pets from customers.

For now, it’s just Jason (and his parents!) manning the shop, but that may need to change. San Francyclo will be featured as an Editor’s Pick in the April issue of Sunset Magazine, after Jason took one of their riders on a bike tour of the city.

“I think I’ll have to hire someone after that story comes out,” Jason said.

San Francyclo is located at 746 Arguello, at the corner of Golden Gate. The shop is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 1pm – 6pm, Wed – Fri from 10am – 6pm, Saturdays from 9am – 6pm, and Sundays from 9am – 5pm. You can also follow San Francyclo on Facebook or Twitter.

Sarah B.

Photo courtesy of the SF Public Library archive

Next Tuesday night, California historian James R. Smith will be at the Conservatory of Flowers to give a special lecture “San Francisco’s Playland at the Beach: The Early Years 1914-1945″.

Smith will share rare photos and stories from his book about the once bustling amusement park that sat across from Ocean Beach on the Great Highway.

You’ll start your evening with a private viewing of the Conservatory’s delightful garden railway exhibition, “Playland at the Conservatory.” While you’re there, try your hand at vintage arcade games and chat with former Playland carny Marvin Gold who will be on hand to answer questions and tell you about the memorabilia. Then sit back and enjoy the ride as Smith explores the phenomenon that was Playland at the Beach.

We’re giving away a pair of passes to the event. To enter, simply send us an email via our contact form by Friday, February 3 at 12noon. We’ll draw a winner randomly from the entries.

The lecture begins at 7pm, doors open at 6pm for viewing the Playland exhibition beforehand. And even if you don’t win the free pair of passes, tickets are only $5 per person.

Sarah B.

Playland, 1962. Courtesy SFPL.

Playland, 1949. Courtesy of SFPL