The San Francisco Citizen

This was the scene tonight at St. Mary’s Hospital in the Western NOPA - it was another District 5 debate featuring Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and challengers Rob Anderson and Owen O’Donnell.

Click to expand:

Let’s hear what they have to say. You already know Ross, here is Owen and here is Rob, who runs the District 5 Diary website.

The mise-en-scene, about 40 people made it to the end:

This debate was emceed by Richard Magary and cosponsored by the following:

Buena Vista Neighborhood Association
Cole Valley Improvement Association
Haight-Ashbury Improvement Association
Inner Sunset Park Neighbors

May the best man win.

In other District 5 news, the Panhandle Bandshell is wowing them in Europe. Godspeed, little bandshell. Come back real soon, ya hear?

First, get up to speed on this issue here. The latest is this - San Francicso Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is fully engaged on the question of whether the Nihonmachi Street Festival should be allowed to continue next year. And guess what? He’s in favor of festivals. Ross believes there’s room for accomodation and compromise on this issue. Quite a reasonable approach, actually

Ross Mirkarimi in dialogue with the Japantown community on Post Street yesterday.

It appeared the residents of 1600 Webster had full access to their parking spaces during the entire festival. We’ll have to wait and see how dirty Post Street is today.

To be continued…. 

So far this year, the big news regarding the traffic situation on Masonic Avenue is a reduction in the speed limit to a maximum of 25 MPH. 

Mission Accomplished?

One of this morning’s accidents on Masonic: 

It seems there’s still room for improvement on this street.

Now back in the day, there were plans for a Panhandle Freeway(!), so it’s not like some traffic czar organized the streets in this area in a coherent fashion. We have what, we have by “accident,” mas o menos.

Is it too late for wholesale changes to the way Masonic is laid out?

The California Department of Food and Agriculture called it quits today on the issue of spraying for the Light Brown Apple Moth. All of a sudden like.

The family that Stops the Spray together, stays together (or something like that).

This should be gratifying to Senator Carole Migden, who thinks, “Bay Area residents ought not to serve as guinea pigs and have their health jeopardized for an ill-conceived program and an unproven approach.” 

The same with San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who says he’s, “glad CDFA appears to have accepted the inevitable.”

So after all these months, that is that.

The bandwagon opposing aerial spraying for light brown apple moth eradication is gaining momentum.

Last night, San Francisco Supervisors Carmen Chu, Gerardo Sandoval, and Ross Mirkarimi, along with scientists, physicians and organic farmers, all addressed a standing-room-only crowd of hundreds at the Hall of Flowers in Strybing Arboretum.

Senator Carole Migden praises the efforts of the assembled experts.

In related news, the “twist-tie” approach is under new scrutiny in San Mateo County. 

On it goes. Per the Chronicle:

On Saturday, Stop the Spray Marin is holding a march and rally from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the southwest end of the Corte Madera Town Center. More information about the events is at www.sfspraytownhall.org and www.stopthespraymarin.org.

It’s hard to imagine light aircraft buzzing the city with spray canisters firing after seeing all this agitation, but who knows…

  Per FixMasonic: 

This morning, at a public hearing at San Francisco City Hall, it was decided without opposition to implement a 25 mile-per-hour speed limit on Masonic Avenue. This is a direct result of our petition and represents that first such change to Masonic Avenue in response to FixMasonic.

This is great news for all of us who want to see change to Masonic - not only because a lower speed limit can only lead to safer driving, especially if we encourage SFPD to enforce it, but because it acknowledges that Masonic Avenue is a residential street and demands a street design appropriate to a residential neighborhood.

Please come celebrate with us and help us keep this amazing effort moving forward:

FixMasonic Meeting
Wednesday, April 23, 2007, 6:30 pm
San Francisco Day School, Golden Gate @ Masonic

You are also invited to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi’s office THIS EVENING, Friday April 18, at 5:30 pm for an exhibition of posters by schoolchildren envisioning a safer Masonic Avenue - City Hall Room 282.

Finally, we would like your response to a petition regarding usage and safety of Masonic Avenue. To complete survey online, go to www.walksf.org/fixmasonic