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May-23-2013

Local Trekkies to fill up Balboa Theater for “Star Trek: Into Darkness” screenings

We just got the weekly newsletter from the Balboa Theater and got a chuckle when we came across the announcement that this weekend’s screenings of “Star Trek: Into Darkness” will have some special guests:

As you make you plans to attend STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, prepare your self for complete Trek immersion as the USS GOLDEN GATE invades the Balboa for Friday and Saturday evenings! The USS Golden Gate is the largest San Francisco chapter of Starfleet, the international Star Trek fan club and they plan to be stationed at the Balboa for the edification and amusement of all voyagers. A Gorn and Klingons will be present!

So you’ve been forewarned – or delightfully alerted if you’re into this kind of thing! If you’re thinking about attending the 7pm or 9:45pm showings of Star Trek on Friday or Saturday night, you’ll likely be sitting next to a character from the series.

On their website, the USS Golden Gate group tells their members: “Figuring that you may have seen [the movie] the first weekend, this is a good time to not only see it again, but to show your STARFLEET spirit and promote the Bay Area as the Premier Trek Venue and future home of Starfleet Command!!!!!!!” Those in uniform get in with a discount.

And don’t worry, they are friendly to non-Starfleeters: “The general public are invited to come and interact with Fan Club members and enjoy the fun.”

In case you do interact with a member of the Starfleet, you may want to brush up on your Klingon beforehand. “nuqDaq ‘oH puchpa”e’” could be handy; it means “Where is the bathroom?” And if someone says “Hab SoSlI’ Quch!” to you, prepare to step outside and settle the score.

Live long and prosper,

Sarah B.

Showtimes for “Star Trek: Into Darkness” this weekend & next week at the Balboa Theater:
Fri: (1:30), 4:15, 7:00, 9:45
Sat: (10:30 AM), (1:30), 4:15, 7:00, 9:45
Sun – Thu: (1:30), 4:15, 7:15

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 5:10 pm | Posted under Events, Movies | Add comments
May-23-2013

Police Blotter – May 24, 2013

[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of May 24, 2013. To be added to the station's mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]

CAPTAIN SHARON FERRIGNO’S MESSAGE
This Week I participated in a national program to increase school safety. Three Richmond Schools were chosen as part of President Obama’s Now Is The Time School Safety Initiative. One hundred and one schools were chosen nationwide. Congratulations to our local schools and their leadership in being a part of this important initiative. Richmond Station personnel have been working closely with our schools to stay abreast of trends and opportunities to increase safety.

At the request of our community I urge each of you include checking your car lights and signals regularly to make sure they are in working order. Blinkers are required when making a turn, this signals to others on the road that we are making turns and lane changes.

Our next Community meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 6pm. It will be in the Community Room, here at Richmond Station, 461 6th Ave.

NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 05/19/13 at 1:30pm, plainclothes officers in an unmarked vehicle were stopped at the intersection of Crossover Drive and Transverse Drive when they were stuck from behind by a moped. The officers identified themselves and asked the driver for his information. The driver said his license was suspended and he had no proof of insurance. The officers then noticed that the moped had recently been painted and the paint was still tacky. The driver said that he was being paid to paint the moped for a friend and was driving it around so the paint would dry. An officer was sent to the home of the registered owner who told them that his moped had been stolen and should have been parked in front of his home. The suspect, a 29 year old male was charged with stolen auto, driving on a suspended license and outstanding warrants.

On 05/21/13 between 9:50pm and 10:30pm a cell phone caller called 911 and wanted police to go to a certain location near 32nd and California Sts. The caller was vague and uncooperative. The officers went to the home twice and spoke with the residents who were fine and did not make the call to 911. At 11:20pm the same caller was on the phone calling from a bar on the 3100 block of Clement St telling the 911 dispatcher to “make it happen” and then he hung up. A call back to the bar was made and the employee told the dispatcher that the male had come in and started throwing things around and was now in the middle of the street running around.

The officers arrived to find the man running in circles in the middle of the street yelling “they are coming to get me!” The officers tried to speak to him and when they approached he suddenly took off running and hopped over a fence at 30th and Clement St. Several officers went into the backyards to search for the male and could still hear him yelling. Suddenly the male appeared on the roof of a home on the 300 block of 31st Ave and was jumping back and forth across two homes. He started to yell that he was going to jump with officers still trying to calm him down. Suddenly the male grabbed onto some cable wires and jumped from the roof landing in the driveway below. As the officers tried to give him first aid, the male was still combative and spitting blood on the officers. The ambulance arrived and 39 year old was taken to a local hospital for his injuries and placed on a psychiatric hold.

On 05/22/13 at 9am, officers were called to the area of Commonwealth and California regarding a male who was exposing himself. The witness reported that he was seen masturbating on hospital property and was told to leave. The witness continued to watch him as the suspect then went to a bus shelter and masturbated in front of the people waiting for the bus. The suspect a 35 year old male was detained and charged with indecent exposure and several outstanding warrants.

NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 05/18/13 between 12:15am and 6:15am on the 700 block of 4th Ave a suspect entered a garage and took two bikes and assorted groceries. The victim may have forgotten to shut the garage door.

On 05/18/13 between 1:30am and 10am on the 400 block of 20th Ave, a bike was taken from the lobby of an apartment building. There were no signs of forced entry.

On 05/18/13 at 3:50am, a employee of a restaurant was contacted by their alarm company that the alarm was going off at the restaurant on the unit block of Clement St. Officers were already on scene and had conducted a walkthrough and the suspect was gone. The suspect entered by throwing a rock through the front glass door and took the cash register which was located outside.

Between 05/18/13, 7am and 05/19/13, 5:30pm on the 400 block of 21st Ave, a suspect entered an unsecure multi-unit garage and took a bike.

Between 05/18/13, 2pm and 05/20/13, 7:30am on the 600 block of 16th Ave a suspect entered an apartment building through an unlocked garage door. The suspect then pried open a door to an apartment and took a desktop computer and car keys. The suspect then took the victim’s car which had been parked across the street.

On 05/18/13 at 2pm, the victims were walking on a service road near the Academy of Sciences. The suspect who was on a bike rode past the victims then turned around and came back to them. The suspect said in Spanish, “Give me everything you got” while pointing a handgun in their direction. As there were many other people nearby, the victim’s started yelling for help and the suspect rode off. He was described as a Hispanic male, 25-30yrs, dark complexion, wearing a dark colored top and a gray baseball cap with a “M” on the front.

Between 05/18/13, 5pm and 05/19/13, 12pm on the 1300 block of Lake St, a suspect entered a garage by unknown means and took a bike.

On 05/19/13 at 3am, the victim was walking on Geary Blvd towards 36th Ave. The two suspects were walking west. The victim had her cell phone in her front sweatshirt pocket and was listening to music with her earphones. The first suspect said “Give it up” and as she tried to walk away, the second suspect placed his hands on her shoulders to prevent her from walking away. Because the first suspect had his hand inside his sweatshirt pocket, she believed he was possibly armed and handed over her phone. The suspects then fled to an awaiting small sized SUV which was being driven by a by a Hispanic female. The suspects were described as black males, 20-25yrs, both wearing white hooded sweatshirts. The incident was reported several hours later.

Between 05/19/13, 11pm and 05/20/13, 7am on the 700 block of 5th Ave, the victim’s vehicle which was parked outside was broken into and the garage remote was taken. The suspect, then using the remote, entered the garage and took 3 bikes.

On 05/19/13 at 11pm, the owner of a restaurant on the 6100 block of Geary locked up his business by wrapping a chain around the door handles and securing it with a lock. When he returned on 05/20/13 at 8:45am, he saw that the suspect had cut of the chain, entered the restaurant and took the cash register, a laptop and cash.

On 05/20/13 at 8:35pm, the victim was walking on the 2600 block of Sutter when he heard someone say “Hey” from behind him. He turned around and saw the three suspects who all tried to grab his laptop bag. When the victim struggled over the bag, one of the suspects pulled out a handgun and hit him in the side of the face with the butt of the gun. The victim let go the bag and fell to the ground and the suspects fled east on Sutter. The victim got up and began to give chase when the suspect with the gun fired one round in his direction. The victim could only describe the suspects as black males, 18-19yrs. The loss was the laptop, bag, cell phone and headphones.

On 05/21/13 between 12:40am and 5:30am, on the 3300 block of Geary, a suspect entered a flat while the residents were sleeping and took a purse and its’ contents from a chair. The front door lock and deadbolt are both broken.

On 05/12/13 at 12:15pm, the victim, 72yrs, was approached at the corner of 22nd and Clement by a male who said that he had just arrived from South Africa and was looking for the “International Office.” According to the male, he was going to inherit $2,000,000 dollars, but in order to do so; he needed to find two worthy charities to donate $85,000 dollars to. He asked the victim to assist him in finding these charities. At this point, the second suspect drove up in an older model gray Lexus, parked, and approached the two. The first suspect gave the second the same story and then opened a bag which appeared to have two large rolls of money in it. The second suspect had to prove that he was trustworthy and if so, the first suspect would give him the $85,000 dollars to donate. All three got into the gray Lexus and drove to a bank where the second suspect said he had cash in a safety deposit box. The car was parked out of view of the bank, and the second suspect exited the vehicle, leaving his keys behind to show he trusted the victim and first suspect. The male returned from the bank with a bag and show them a roll of $100 dollar bills. He gave the victim the bag to hold and had the victim and first suspect exit the car. The suspect then drove away with this being another sign of trust. When he returned with the victim and first suspect still standing there they all get back into the car. It was now the victims’ turn to show his trustworthiness and he was asked how much money he had at home. The victim told them the amount along with the fact that he had several expensive watches. They drove to the victims home and he went in and got cash and the watches. They then drove to the victims’ bank where he withdrew an additional amount of money and got back into the car. They then drove to the area of 27th and Balboa were they let out the victim as it was know his turn to trust them. They told the victim to face the building and they drove off with the victim’s cash and watches. After waiting 45 minutes, the victim realized the suspects were not returning. The suspects were described as black males, 45-50yrs, with the first suspect having an accent, short hair, wearing a dark brown jacket and black slacks. The second was wearing a dark baseball cap, dark blue t-shirt and blue jeans.

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 4:34 pm | Posted under Crime | Add comments
May-22-2013

Internet Archive gets $1M donation for ambitious broadcast TV archive project

Many residents probably drive by the Internet Archive located in the former church at Clement and Funston, not fully realizing what its mission is. In short, it is aiming to be the digital archive for the internet, books, audio and now, broadcast TV.

Starting last September, the Internet Archive embarked on a project to collect all broadcast shows going back to the start of television, and make clips of them available online. That includes TV news broadcasts as well.

This week, the IA received a $1 million donation from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The money will be used to expand the video archive library, and invest in technologies that make it easier for video searching and browsing. They will also hire staff to improve the website.

Currently, the collection includes more than 400,000 news clips dating from 2009. The clips are mostly accessed for research by scholars, journalists and the general public. The search feature on the Internet Archive site uses closed captioning tags and other metadata from the clips. You can search for news clips across 22 networks including the majors like ABC, CBS and NBC, as well as cable channels like Comedy Central, MSNBC and Univision.

Try a search on “Tiger Woods” and immediately, clips from his 2009 scandal pop up on the screen ranging from CNN to local news shows that covered the incident ad nauseum. Not the best example of cultural bits we may want to have access to decades from now, but it illustrates the potential that a broadcast archive has for making our cultural history accessible.

The Internet Archive records the broadcasts and then makes them available online. They are currently in talks with television networks about accessing their library of shows as well, with the goal of making old episodes of television available in the archive. Imagine being able to access old clips of I Love Lucy, Dan Rather, 21 Jump Street, or Seinfeld anytime you want.

So now you know a little bit more about what’s happening behind the impressive facade at Clement and Funston – preserving our digital past.

Sarah B.

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 10:32 am | Posted under News | Add comments
May-17-2013

Giant eucalyptus tree falls on Park Presidio near Geary


Photo by Talia J.

Early Friday evening, around 6:10pm, a giant eucalyptus tree fell into the southbound lane of Park Presidio between Geary and Anza.

Reader Talia J. (@Mycrobecatnip) snapped this pic, and said “Fortunately no cars hit”.

Which is really an understatement since it was during the commute hour. What a thoughtful tree.

Sarah B.

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 6:17 pm | Posted under Photos, Traffic | 10 comments
May-16-2013

Police Blotter – May 17, 2013 | Rise in commercial burglaries

[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of May 17, 2013. To be added to the station's mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]

CAPTAIN SHARON FERRIGNO’S MESSAGE
There has been an increase in commercial burglaries in our district over the past week.

Yesterday, in the early morning hours, officers from Richmond Station arrested a commercial burglar who had gained entry into a restaurant. Please take extra care to lock doors and windows, set the alarm and make sure there is no cash or anything of value left for burglars to take. If you are not sure how to increase the security of your building please reach out to Project SAFE a local non-profit that partners with SFPD to conduct security assessments of you property. SAFE offers both commercial and residential security evaluations. Burglars are usually responsible for numerous burglaries and their arrest can greatly reduce the crime rate. Our local representative at SAFE is Morgan St. Clair. Morgan is a tremendous resource she can be reached at 415-553-1968.

Our next Community meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 6pm. It will be in the Community Room, here at Richmond Station, 461 6th Ave. (NOTE TIME CHANGE)

NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 05/12/13 at 5:50am, officers were called to the 2600 block of Pine regarding an auto burglary in progress. The witness reported that he heard the sound of glass breaking and when he looked out his window, he saw the suspect getting in and out of a vehicle with the car alarm going off. The officers locate the suspect at the scene and detained him. He was in possession of two backpacks, one he was able to describe the contents of, and the other he had no answer. The officers located the owner of the vehicle that was broken into and he confirmed that the second backpack and its contents had been taken from his vehicle. The 50 year old male, who is on probation, was charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools and stolen property and a probation violation.

On 05/13/13 at 1am, officers patrolling the area of the 300 block of Parker Ave observed a male crouched down and hiding on the passenger side of a pickup truck. Officers stopped to speak to the male who was sweating profusely, shaking and out of breath. They also recognized the suspect from prior arrest and knew he was on probation for burglary. Officer located in his possession a glass smoking pipe and a plastic card that was bent. The bent card is used as a burglary tools to insider between a door frame. The suspect, a 35 year old male was charged with probation and narcotic violations as well as the burglary tool.

On 05/15/13 at 4:53am, officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress on the 2400 block of Clement St. The caller was reporting that he was hearing banging noises from inside a restaurant and could see someone walking around inside with a flashlight. Officers arrived and went to the front and rear of the building. Officers could see someone rummaging around the front desk and could also see the flashlight being shined around. The suspect suddenly stood up and was surprised to see the officers outside. The officers were able to enter and took him into custody. The owner of the business arrived and saw that several cabinets had been forced open as well as the cash register. The 53 year old suspect, who is on probation for burglary, and also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for burglary, was charged with this burglary and an attempted burglary to the business next door.

On 05/15/13 at 6:53pm, officers were called to a suspicious person on the 600 block of 3rd Ave. The caller was reporting that the male was sitting on a landing, rocking back and forth. The officers located the male and determined he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for burglary out of Sonoma County. The 32 year old male was booked on the warrant.

NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 05/12/13 at 5am, the victim was walking on Geary at 7th Ave, texting on his phone. The suspect walked up to him, pulled out a handgun and demanded the victim’s phone. The suspect fled east on Geary and could only be described as a black male in his 20’s. The victim reported the incident 6 hours later.

Between 05/12/13, 11pm and 05/13/13, 9:30am, on the 6900 block of Geary, the suspect attempted to gain entry into a business by removing the door handle, but was unsuccessful. The suspect then went to the business next door and forced open the door. The suspect took the cash register drawer only.

Between 05/13/13, 7:30pm and 05/14/13, 7am on the 4300 block of California a suspect smashed the glass on the front door of a business and took the cash register drawer and cash. During the same time frame another business on the block had its glass broken out but entry was not made.

On 05/14/13 between 8:30am and 11:45pm on the 700 block of 28th Ave, a suspect entered a residence by prying open the front gate and front door. The suspect took a laptop and cash.

On 05/14/13 at 4:53pm, on the unit block of Presidio Terrace, an employee of the home heard a noise coming from the back door. When she went to investigate she saw the suspect who had just entered the house. When she confronted him he took off running. He was described as a white male, 35-40yrs, wearing a blue baseball cap, grey t-shirt and light blue jeans.

Between 05/14/13, 9pm and 05/15/13, 7:30am on the 400 block of Clement St, a suspect entered a business by throwing a rock through the glass on the front door. The suspect took the cash box with cash.

On 05/15/13, between 7:15am and 6pm on the 100 block of Funston, a suspect entered a home by breaking a pane of glass on the front door. The suspect took jewelry and cash.

On 05/15/13 at 9:25pm, the victim was walking south on 25th Ave from Geary Bl. As she was mid-block she was grabbed from behind by the suspect by her shoulders. A second suspect came to the front of her and pointed a handgun at her. He demanded her purse and then punched her in the mouth. The first suspect grabbed her purse from her shoulder and ripped her bracelet from her wrist and they both fled north towards Geary Bl. The suspect who grabbed her was a black male in his 20’s wearing a black beanie, black jacket and blue jeans. The second was also a black male with a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

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 3:26 pm | Posted under Crime | 2 comments
May-16-2013

Balboa to host “Popcorn Palace” kid-friendly movies on Saturday mornings

This summer, the Balboa Theater is going ol’ school…

We remember going to the movies on Summer Saturday mornings when we were young. We saw all the classic kids’ movies, goofed around with our buddies, and ate popcorn and candy til we nearly burst. They were wonderful times, and we’ve always treasured them. We have been daydreaming of passing this experience on to a new generation, and now our daydreams are becoming a reality…

Beginning Saturday May 18 and continuing every Saturday morning at 10am through the summer, the Balboa Theater will host “Popcorn Palace”, showing an assortment of kids movies. For just $10 admission, each kid can enjoy a film, along with popcorn and a bottle of water or juice box.

The first two weeks, May 18 and May 25, will feature Kids Fest, a series of animated and live action shorts made by independent film makers and compiled by the North West Film Festival.

Then beginning on June 1, Saturday mornings will be filled with some classics like E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (June 1), Popeye (June 8), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (June 15), and My Little Pony (June 22).

And for those tiny cinema lovers, there are great rewards for attending often! The Balboa has created the Popcorn Palace Kids Klub Card, which gets stamped every time they come. Three stamps gets them a FREE Pez dispenser.

The Popcorn Palace series runs every Saturday morning at 10am from May 18 through June 22 (we’re hoping the run is past June 22, but could not get confirmation from the Balboa).

Sarah B.

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 5:12 am | Posted under Kids, Movies | 7 comments
May-15-2013

Want a sidewalk tree? Apply for the upcoming Central Richmond FUF planting

In late July, Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) will be hosting a neighborhood tree planting event in the Central Richmond.

Prior to the event, FUF is accepting applications from residents and businesses that would like sidewalk trees installed in front of their buildings.

FUF sudsidizes 75% of the cost to plant the tree, so the cost to the homeowner or merchant is only $135-$180 per tree depending on the species you pick. They offer a variety of trees to choose from – check out their urban tree directory here.

The cost of the tree also covers its installation, including prep work such as concrete removal, and scheduled tree care over first 2 years of life.

The deadline to apply for a tree to be planted during the Central Richmond July event is JUNE 20. Visit the FUF website and complete the online application form to get started. If you have questions, contact Caitlin@fuf.net or call 268-0772.

Note that for the July 27 planting event, FUF defines the Central Richmond as spanning east-west from Park Presidio to 33rd Avenue, and north-south from Fulton Street to the edge of the Presidio.

Sarah B.

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 5:20 am | Posted under Green | 4 comments
May-14-2013

Shop local at the “Sidewalk Saturday” event on Clement Street

This Saturday from 11am until 7pm, merchants along Clement Street from Arguello to Park Presidio will be hosting a sidewalk sale, featuring special offers and activities.

Many Clement Street merchants will be participating in the event, and we were able to get information from a few of them about what they’ve got in store for shoppers…

Covet, located at 398 Arguello, will have wine and sweets on hand for visitors, as well as up to 60% off on their clothing and handbags. They’ll also be giving away a gift certificate in a raffle.

On the 200 block of Clement, be sure to stop by Kisha Studio (210 Clement) for free drinks and snacks, plus a sale rack featuring $20 tops and $30 dresses. Next door at 212 Clement, Seedstore will have sale items outside, vintage pieces and jewelry from local designer Julia Szendrei.

Shopping can work up an appetite, so you may want to pop in Toy Boat Dessert Cafe (401 Clement) for a treat. They told us they’ll be cleaning house for the sidewalk sale, selling old inventory from toys to coffee mugs, “all at cheap prices”.

Foggy Notion Boutique (275 6th Avenue) will be featuring many local vendors during Sidewalk Saturday, including tea tastings, tea snacks, vintage tea ware from Fox & Moon Tea, handmade wooden planters, chalkboards, and cutting boards from 265 Design, plus vintage clothing and handmade jewelry from Heritage Mercantile, Valerian Jewelry, and Our House Vintage & Design.

The infamous Clement Street “pole gardener”, known in real life as Aram M., will also be at Foggy Notion. Come meet him and pick up tips, plants and supplies to create your own pole garden.

If you need to take the edge off while you’re shopping, take a pause at the 540 Club (540 Clement). Bring your own t-shirt and get a free screen printing on the spot courtesy of studionico.

And if shopping makes you hungry, you can fill up at Hawaiian eatery Grindz (832 Clement), where Chef Bradley Lum will be adding some new items to the day’s menu including Spam Katsu Musubi – spam breaded with toasted bread crumbs on top of a furikake calrose rice cake wrapped in nori, and Li Hing Pineapples – fresh pineapple wedges dusted with Li Hing powder made from dried plum skin.

We got some additional info on other merchants’ activities during the event:

- $1 Drink Special at Cumaica (200 Clement)
- FREE Carne Adovada at Q’s Restaurant (225 Clement) starting at 2pm to roughly 4pm (or until they run out), compliments of the Clement St. Merchants Association
- 15% off all food + drinks at Blue Danube (306 Clement) from 11am-5pm
- Fully stocked sales bins outside Green Apple Books (506 Clement)

Park Life (220 Clement), Pretty Please Bakeshop (291 3rd Avenue), and Kumquat (147 Clement) will also be participating.

Those are just a few of the special sales and activities that will take place on Clement Street this Saturday. So put on your shopping shoes and walk over to support your local merchants!

Sarah B.

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 5:12 am | Posted under Events, Shopping | 1 comment