[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of September 4, 2009. To be added to the station's mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org or visit their website.]

CAPTAIN RICHARD CORREIA’S MESSAGE
Automobile break-ins continue to plague the District. In nearly every case there were one or more items of value left visible in the vehicle. Burglars target cars that contain items that have a potential for profit. If your car’s passenger compartment is empty, the burglar will go elsewhere.

So, please don’t leave anything inside the passenger compartment of your car when it is unattended. This includes CDs, coins and even empty paper bags. Items most often reported taken include: GPS devices, lap-top computers, brief cases, luggage, purses, cigarettes and empty packages of all types.

During the past week, there were 34 traffic accidents, 10 involving injuries, and 1 DUI arrest. There were 8 citations issued for driving without a license or driving on a suspended license.

NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 08/28/09 at 8:10pm officers responded to the area of the Botanical Gardens on a report of a man running naked through the streets. Officers were then directed to the area of Middle Drive West where they observed the suspect completely nude, except for a pair of black socks standing in the middle of the street. Based on the suspects’ physical symptoms and erratic behavior, it appeared he was under the influence of drugs. Several verbal commands were given to subject to lie on the ground, but he maintained a combative stance. He finally complied and the officers were able to place him into handcuffs. The officers then walked him over towards the sidewalk and the suspect began to kick his legs striking both officers. They were able to finally get him to the ground where he continued to kick out at the officers and roll around on the ground. With the assistance of back up units officers were finally able to subdue the suspect. He was taken to the hospital to be medically evaluated where he told the officers that he had taken LSD. He also told them that he couldn’t believe that the officers were able to “take him down” as he had been a state wrestling champion. The 23 year old male was charged with indecent exposure, resisting, assault on an officer and being under the influence of a narcotic.

On 08/28/09 at 8:30pm plainclothes officers were in the area of Post and Broderick when they saw the suspect retrieve an item from beneath a utility meter security box. The suspect walked away and seconds later returned to the same box and reached under it again. Officers made contact with the suspect who immediately threw an item to the ground. Officers determined that the item was a baggie of narcotics and, when they attempted to detain him, he resisted and tried to pull away. The officers were able to detain the suspect. While en route to police station the suspect attempted to kick out a patrol car window. The suspect was charged with possession of narcotics for sale.

On 08/30/09 at 1:00am officers responded to a call of a taxi cab driver being assaulted by a passenger at Walnut and Jackson. The passenger, who was later determined to be 20 years old, was intoxicated and had refused to pay his cab fare. The driver asked the suspect several times to pay and the suspect punched him in the face. The passenger exited the cab and went up the steps to a residence. The officers arrived and saw the male on the steps and asked him to come down so they could speak to him. The passenger swore at the officers and went inside the home. Through the glass front door the officers saw the suspect go down a hallway and out of sight. They knocked on the door several times and the suspect came outside. The officers, not knowing if the suspect had obtained a weapon while inside the home, attempted to detain him. The suspect resisted the officer’s attempts but they were finally able to place him into custody. The suspect, who admitted to the officers that he had been drinking heavily, showed them a fake ID, which contained a date of birth that was three years earlier than the suspect’s real birth day. The suspect was charged with defrauding the cab driver, resisting arrest and false identification.

On 08/31/09 at 2:00pm officers were called to the area of 16th Avenue and Geary on a report of a theft that had just occurred. The suspect was being chased by a citizen who lost sight of the suspect near 15th Avenue and Geary Boulevard. Upon hearing the suspects description one of the responding officers stopped a MUNI bus that had just left Geary and Park Presidio. The suspect was found on the bus and was detained by the officer. Another passenger on the bus told the officer that when the suspect saw the police car behind the bus activate his lights and siren he threw a knife under a seat. The suspect then changed seats before the officer boarded the bus. The knife was located. Further investigation determined that the suspect had gone into a business on the 5400 block of Geary and stole an item from the store. The owner confronted the suspect, who had stolen from him in the past, and he dropped the item and ran away. The 31 year old male was charged with burglary of a store and carrying a concealed weapon.

NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 08/28 between 7:30am and 9:45am, on the 1400 block of Lake St, a suspect gained entry into an apartment while the tenant was home asleep. The victim awoke to find her front door open and her I-pod and wallet missing.

On 08/28 between 8:30am and 1:15pm, a suspect gained entry into an apartment garage and took a bike. There were no signs of forced entry.

On 08/28 between 9:30am and 5:30pm on the 300 block of 2nd Ave, a suspect gained entry into an apartment and took a camera and game system. There were no signs of forced entry.

On 08/29 at 4:40am on the 2700 block of McAllister, the victim, who was asleep on his couch awoke to a noise and saw the suspect standing in his living room. The victim saw that the suspect was wearing his leather jacket and was holding his I-pod and 2 sweatshirts. The suspect ran out of the house south on Arguello, to east on Golden Gate Ave. The suspect had gained entry via an unlocked front door.

On 08/29 at 1:25pm the victim reported to an officer that a male with a red beard and tattoos been scene cutting the lock on her bike and ride it away towards 9th Ave and Lincoln Way. The bike had been parked in front of the Botanical Gardens.

On 08/29 at 10:15pm, the victim was walking along the Great Highway when he was approached by the two suspects. One of the suspects demanded his wallet and the victim refused. He then had his cell phone taken from his hand while being punched in the face. The suspects, who were described as being in their late teens to early 20’s ran south along the sand.

On 08/31 at 11:10pm, a group of 5 friends, ages 18-21 went to Rossi Playground so one of them could meet up with a girl he had just met at school. The male met up with the girl and a short time later, the rest of his friends came into the park. As they entered they noticed a large group of males coming into the gate behind them. They got an uneasy feeling and one of the group said they should leave. As they began to walk out of the park they noticed that the large group was running after them. The 5 started to run to their car and one of the males in the suspects group caught up with the victim and struck him in the back of the head with an unknown object, causing him to fall to the ground. The other 4 were able to make it to the car, however four of the suspects ran over to them opened the passenger door and struck two of the occupants with a stick. The suspects then ran back into the park and left the area. The group then ran back to render aid to their friend. The victim was transported to the hospital where he was being treated for lacerations on his head and a fractured arm. The investigation is ongoing.

On 09/01 at 9:00am on the 600 block of 20th Ave, officers responded to a call of a suspicious package on the steps of a home. Officers located the item and saw there was a liquid inside of it. There was also a threatening note along side it. The officers evacuated the resident out of her home to the opposite side of the street. It was then they saw a second package and note at the other home. Residents of the block were evacuated and the Arson Inspectors, along the SFFD and SFPD’s Bomb Squad, where called out. It was determined that the liquid in the bottles was not immediately harmful and the residents were allowed back in their homes. The investigation is on going.

On 09/01 between 10:30am and 10:00pm on the 400 block of 15th Ave, a suspect gained entry into an apartment by prying open the front door. Once inside the suspect took a laptop and camera.

On 09/02 at 9:45pm, officers responded to a residence on the 2600 block of Anza. The victim was reporting that at 12:30am that morning he walked outside of his residence to have a cigarette. He remembered being stuck in the head by an unknown suspect and knocked unconscious. He woke up at 4:30am, still on the sidewalk and realized someone had taken the jacket he had been wearing. The jacket contained his cell phone, wallet, MP3 Player and headphones. At that point the victim went inside to go to bed and then went to the doctors later that afternoon.

What was once Rohan Lounge on Geary has become Mazu, a restaurant and lounge serving pan-Asian small plates.

In their review, SF Weekly effused over their beef bulgogi rolls, fried chili garlic wings, and Dungeness crab cakes. Read the full review here.

Mazu doesn’t have their liquor license just yet, so you won’t be able to get your buzz on while you dine. But as SFWeekly writes, Mazu’s “Thai basil and strawberry lemonade was lovely”.

UPDATE: As of September 22, the booze is flowing at Mazu. Drink up!

They’re also spinning some good tunes, blending in soul, funk, and hip-hop while SF Weekly was there. They also plan to feature DJs in the future.

Mazu is located at 3809 Geary at 2nd Avenue and they’re open from 11:30am to 9pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Sarah B.

Mazu’s Dungeness crab cakes ($13) | Photo by T. Palmer, SF Weekly

This Friday night, Park Life is hosting a reception for three artists that will be collaborating on an exhibition for their gallery.

Artists Andrew Schoultz, Chris Ballantyne and Mark Mulroney will be working together on a site-specific mural in the galleryas well as presenting smaller, collaborative works on panel.

Schoultz, Ballantyne and Mulroney are three painters who have made significant contributions to Bay Area arts and whose influence is widespread. Though these painter’s styles diverge greatly, they are linked by common political, social, and popular culture themes.

Primarily known for their tightly controlled line work and vivid, colorful imagery, order and randomness, this group will be bringing together their distinctive painting styles and create something collectively unique.

The opening reception is Friday night from 7-10pm, and the artists will be featured in the gallery until October 11, 2009. Park Life is located at 220 Clement Street.

I’ve included some mural works from their respective websites. It will be interesting to see the mural that the three of them create together.

Sarah B.

“Try, Do, Work, Dream” by Andrew Schoultz | Maine, 2004 | Collaboration with Sonik

“The Curious Lights” by Chris Ballantyne | Peres Projects, Berlin installation view, 2005

Mural | Mark Mulroney

In a post on his blog, SF Rec & Park Department chief Phil Ginsburg writes:

In the afternoon, I visited the “non-fountaining” fountains in the Concourse between the de Young Museum and the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park with my capital staff. The fountains have been dry for a while now but we are on the verge of beginning a repair effort that should have the fountains spraying by spring 2010.

Hooray! I’ve always thought it strange that our fountains had run dry. Especially when I see so many sprinklers running around the park.

Of course this means that the fountains will no longer be usable for hula dances, skateboarding and “hey ma look at me run in the fountain!” moments. But hey, everything good requires some sacrifice.

Sarah B.

Photos 1 & 3 by Flickr member Steve Rhodes | Photo 2 by Flickr member Erik Jaeger

This weekend we’ll host the final Sunday Streets of the year. Like last time, they will close off most of Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway to car traffic from 10am to 2pm (see map). You can stroll, bike, run, dance, even hula hoop down the open streets.

Several thousand turned out for the August 9 Sunday Streets, and it looks like we’ll have better weather this time around. The forecast for Sunday calls for 62° with partly cloudy skies. Yay!

Now onto the sweetest part of this story…

Last week, I saw a post on SFist about the ‘Sweet Cart’ lady, who sells cheesecakes, cupcakes and other gourmet goodies from her food cart. She moves around the city, and Flickr member tshane snapped a great photo of her with her mobile business.

After reading the story, I tweeted to @sweetcart and asked her to come out to sell at the final Sunday Streets. And good news – she tweeted back that she will be there! So while you’re out frolicking with other locals in the streets, keep an eye out for her cart. I promise it will be a delicious stop!

If you haven’t been to Sunday Streets before, check out the video below which I put together after the August 9 event. Hope to see you out there!

Sarah B.

If you see the Green Apple mascot speeding by in a Ferrari around the neighborhood, it’s because the store has officially hit middle age. This month, everyone’s favorite bookstore turns 42.

The Green Apple Core, the store’s blog, has a nice writeup about the history of the store along with some great pics (I’ve included a couple of them below).

When the store first opened in 1976, it consisted of 900 square feet of used books and magazines, and shared space with a shoe repair business.

Today they’re up to about 8,000 square feet that includes used books, new books, comics, the mezzanine, the second floor, the Granny Smith room, and, beginning in 1996, the music annex next door.

About twelve years ago, founder Rich Savoy sold the store to a creative triumvirate of employees who between them, have 56 years of Green Apple under their belts. That’s a lot of customers served and shelves stacked! Savoy is now literally enjoying the fruits of his labor at his vineyard in Boonville, where he grows pinot noir and other grapes for sale to top Anderson Valley winemakers.

And the best news of all is that Green Apple just signed a ten year lease on both buildings. So your best local source for books and music will be staying put for quite awhile.

I look forward to throwing an “over the hill” party when their book-toting, apple-eating mascot starts drawing social security.

Sarah B.

The early days of Green Apple Books at 506 Clement Street

Founder and owner Rich Savoy behind the counter in the 1970s

More photos were added to their blog on Sept 8.

I have fond memories of the King Norman toy store that used to be on Clement Street near 8th Avenue. As a kid, I used to ride my bike a couple of miles to the store to spend my latest earnings or allowance (usually for Legos).

King Norman’s was a mecca for kids; the shelves were jammed with toys all the way to the ceiling.

The store on Clement was just a small part of the King’s empire which included 21 toy stores across Northern California. He also hosted his own children’s television program from 1954 to 1961.

So I was happy to see a story in a Roseville, CA online newspaper about King Norman’s current whereabouts. Known by his legal name of Norman Rosenberg, the King is currently residing in a retirement community there called Eskaton Village.

The article has some interesting background on King Norman, including his stint in the Navy and how his business empire started as a way to sell candy that his uncle was producing. After taking over the Clement Street space to open a stationary and toy store like his father-in-law’s, they quickly discovered that “the toys sold much better than the stationary so the Rosenberg’s began focusing on building up their toy inventory.”

And the rest is history. In January of last year, Rosenberg’s wife, Doris, passed away after a battle with cancer. He recently relocated with his new bride, Gilyn, to Roseville to be close to his son who lives nearby.

Long live the King!

Sarah B.

[Via SFAppeal - thanks Eve!]

UPDATE, 12:08PM – SFAppeal reports that “SFFD spokesperson Lt. Mindy Talmadge says the two packages, described as “some sort of bottles containing some liquid” were left in front of houses at 669 and 670 20th Ave, which are across the street from each other.” One of the bottles had a threatening note attached to it which is what prompted the initial call to police. The police then discovered a similar bottle, also with a note, on the other side of the street. The bottles were removed and residents allowed to return to their homes.

Photos from the scene courtesy of SFAppeal:

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Kron4 news this morning and SFist are reporting that two suspicious devices were found across from each other at the intersection of Balboa and 20th Avenue.

SFPD, the fire department, and the bomb squad are on the scene, and some homes in the area have been evacuated. If you live near that area, please stay indoors until the issue is resolved.

Here’s a radio report from KCBS – click below to listen:

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Sarah B.