Don’t know why.
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You know, San Francisco is the most corrupt large city west of Chicago, probably, but you wouldn’t know it by solely looking at paramedic response in the 415. I’ve never seen dysfunction from this part of the “City Family.”
When you’re in trouble, the SFFD will care about you…
I haven’t heard word one about the long-promised lawsuit what was going to overturn SFGov and re-install the old tenant as the operator.
“The civil lawsuit begins March 2012 and will expose the truth about all the many laws that Rec & Park broke in order to bring in an out-of-state chain, with no boating experience to take over this historic boating recreation site.”
Oh well.
Just saying.
Ah, Stow Lake:
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Oh, and the early reviews are in. And they’re pretty good, those reviews.
Leave us close this chapter of wealthy, white, real-estate-obsessed, dingbat, millionaire homeowner Preservationists vs. the Boathouse at Stow.
This is what a crowd of a couple hundred-something people looks like at a tea party in Justin Herman Plaza.
Most of them are from out of town:
Do they kick things off with a prayer and a round from some fifers?
Yes. Yes they do.
I don’t know, when you have like just one member of the public show up at a meeting hosted by Rec and Park, would you call that a successful joint?
This was the scene for last Thursday night’s big PowerPoint presentation. You had people there from the new tenant and the new tenant’s Marin operation and RPD and etc.
Is this low turnout due to the fact that grand battle has already been won by the new tenant, or is it due to the fact that there was zero publicity for this particular meeting,* or maybe a combination of both reasons?
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Anyway, the latest developments at Stow are detailed here by Rachel Gordon.
And oh, the lawsuit against the City from the old tenant should have some activity soon, maybe something is scheduled for Superior Court in March 2012.
And the latest from the absurdly-named Save Stow Lake Coalition has to do with paint with lead in it, which, Gentle Reader, I’m sitting two yards from right now. And, this is true for you too, G.R. You know, ’cause paint with some amount of lead in it is everywhere. Simply everywhere. (If it turns out that this coalition is some long-running anti-NIMBY performance art project, I won’t be surprised…)
Not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Enjoy your upcoming rain-free, vernal paddle-boating season, everybody…
*I don’t know, was this meeting posted on the internet anywhere at all? NTMK.
Here’s the word on the street:
“The Recreation and Park Department and Ortega Family Enterprises are hosting a community meeting to discuss the upcoming renovations of the Stow Lake Boathouse. The work will include creating an indoor seating area so that the building is open to the public for the first time, adding an accessible bathroom, upgrading the building systems as well as upgrading the general condition of the building.
Date: January 26, 2012
Time: 7PM
Location: Hall of Flowers (County Fair Building)”
But, am I getting punk’d here? ‘Cause I can’t find any evidence of this meeting online.
Now, I can find the Save Stow Lake insanity* webpage, right here.
And, I can find the Official Twitter for Stow Lake Boathouse LLC, right here.
But, to review, I can’t find any evidence of this meeting online.
Oh hey, look, it’s Ortega Family Enterprises’ Armand Ortega hisself, at the last big Boathouse meeting (the last one that I know of, anyway) at the Hall of Flowers.**
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Oh well.
*Uh, Ortega Family Enterprises has “boating experience” now, doesn’t it? You might want to change that. And do you want the City and County poking about buildings in your real estate empire looking for paint with lead in it? I’d bet they’d find some. Oh no! And shrillness-wise, you’re giving us a 9. How about giving us a 3 instead? All right, take two, roll film, action.
**Yes, that’s the actual color of the interior of the Hall of Flowers. I call it indescribable green.
Well here’s the news, CW Nevius has taken to the air, once again.
Here’s an early review, from Rich Lieberman 415 Media:
“I heard Chronicle metro writer, Chuck Nevius’ new report on the 810 “news” Tuesday. It was plain horrific and god-awful. Nevius’ forte is as a writer. He’s NOT a radio guy. His voice was tantamount to listening to wallpaper. He tried in vain to be funny. He was not. The subject matter was the lights going out at Candlestick at the 49ers game Monday Night. It would have been merely bad if the segment ran a couple minutes. Nevius’ piece droned on well past four minutes. If this is supposed to draw listeners, then some moron needs to get his head examined.”
(Meesa say, “How wude!”)
Anyway, listen for yourself:
SF Chronicle columnist CW Nevius has joined the KGO 810 news team as a daily news commentator.
Nevius is well known to Bay Area readers for his unique look at the Occupy Movement, San Francisco politics, and even street toilets. His first commentary for KGO is a sad farewell to Candlestick Park, where Monday Night’s blackout during the 49er’s game may have signaled the end of the stadium.
C.W. Nevius has been a columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle for over 20 years, covering sports, reviewing movies, and spotting trends. He is currently a metro columnist, appearing on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
As a sports columnist he climbed the ski jump at the Norway Olympics, ate bee larvae in Japan, and skied in the French Alps. In all he covered eight Olympic Games, from Australia to Spain to Korea. (And the strangest place of all, Los Angeles.)
He also wrote about riding the “Straight Talk Express” with John McCain during his first presidential bid, parachuting out of an airplane, and running the Boston Marathon. Although he only reviewed movies for a year, he did rate a blurb with his byline on the DVD box of “Santa Clause II,” to the undying embarrassment of his kids.
He co-authored “Splash Hit,” about building the Giants’ new waterfront stadium with Joan Walsh. His latest book is, “Crouching Father, Hidden Toddler. A Zen Guide for New Dads.”
News and Program Director Paul Hosley said, “We’re thrilled to have a journalist of CW’s caliber join the news team. We look forward to hearing his perspective on the Bay Area’s news stories.”
Realize that this might mean that you’ll have less Nevius to kick around, SF Chronicle-wise.
Oh well.
Invisible airwaves crackle with life
Bright antenna bristle with the energy
Emotional feedback on timeless wavelength
Bearing a gift beyond price, almost free
Veteran’s Day will be a big deal this year, what with the 11-11-11 factor and whatnot.
So check out Morris Day and The Time at the Mezzanine at 444 Jessie in SoMA, why not? Of course, you’re too young to remember Jungle Love and The Bird (or that lake scene) from Purple Rain (here’s the Beyonce version, if it will help you relate), but that’s O.K.
As seen on Divisadero:
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Or you can go see that scary 11-11-11 movie, your choice.
“Sunset Productions, the Soul of San Francisco:
Here’s a tour of the Stow Lake Boathouse area these days.
Looks like you won’t be able to park your car around the lake this week:
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They’ll probably let you walk around most of the place most of the time, but the whole area will be getting worked on through the end of September 2011, looks like.
The boats are gone:
\
And the protest signs as well:
“Got the keys to Stow Lake Boathouse today! Great feeling beginning to restore this landmark property for the next generations of SF residents”
Well, you probably already know all you want to know about the Stow Lake Boathouse, but here’s the latest.
(Oh, Joan, this vendor lost 5-0. Was that competition rigged, do you think? I don’t know, if you don’t like Rec and Park, you take it out on the Mayor, right?)
The case against the current operator:
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“The local concessioner is being evicted by SF Rec & Park in retaliation for protesting unfair bidding process.”
Uh no, it’s more like local concessioner refuses to leave after losing competition, legal proceedings. IMO.
Let’s see, I can write maudlin headlines too. How could I spin a different type of possible news:
“Beloved, local 68-year-old rapist apprehended by vacationing, off-duty, out-of-state, evil cop from New Mexico. SaveStowLakeRapist.org”
Or something like that.
Now, realize that the boathouse isn’t going anywhere, IRL, but, anyway here are the last gasps of the most ridiculous grass roots effort I’ve ever seen:
“Yet another treasure lost!”
And Phil Ginsburg Lied, People Died, something like that:
Do the blondie Euro tourists care that the Stow Lake Boathouse will have a new operator?
Not in the least!
The only thing left to do is to have a blowout party on September 10th, since, you know, you’re not paying rent anyway:
It’ll cost $500 each* (or best offer) for the faded paddleboats. Apparently, they went for $3000 when new. Apparently, their faded surfaces will “buff out real good.” (But if you’re 5’8″ or taller, you won’t fit in so hot…)
The KTVU was on hand, for the finale:
Maybe they’ll have something for you to watch, sometime. (Oh, here it is. This report is somewhat more maudlin than expected. Realize that the current operators were given extra points for being local, for being in operation for so long. Even with this kind of affirmative action/legacy/locals-only type of assistance, the current operator lost five votes to zero. Oh well.)
All right, as long as nobody torches the place this month (which would take some doing in this kind of foggy weather), look forward to a revivified Stow Lake Boathouse soon…
*Oh, the old paddle boats “start at $200,” per KTVU-TV. Hey, why not buy one and then put rubber tires underneath? You’d be all set for the Burning Man Playa next year, or a Critical Mass or something. Hey, even better, pilot the thing to La Playa in Nevada next year, why not? That would be quite a road trip…
Well, here’s the answer to the question Whatever Happened to That Promised Stow Lake Boathouse Eviction?
It proceeds, slowly but surely, AFAIK.
That takes time.
In the meantime, it’s bidness as usual at the old boathouse this summer excepting that the tenant running the boathouse isn’t paying rent to the City and County of San Francisco no mo, apparently.
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Are we ever going to see that money?
Is this why the current tenant isn’t leaving the way it should have already?
And didn’t the existing tenant lose 5-0 when compared with the incoming tenant?
Yep.
And yet…
