Ok, before you start asking how I ended up in the Richmond District Police Station, let me assure you it had nothing to do with bad behavior.

As part of “National Night Out” on Tuesday night, the Richmond District station opened their doors to residents to come by and check out the station.

We assembled in the community room at the back of the station (which used to be police horse stables way back in the day) where we kicked off with a short info session about SAFE. They are an organization affiliated with the SFPD that helps promote public safety, primarily by helping residents form neighborhood watch groups.

Then it was off for what we had all been waiting for – the tour! Led by two very friendly officers, we walked in through the back door of the station where they bring in the “perps” for booking. Just inside the entry are lockers for the officers to secure their guns when they bring in an arrest. And then a door that leads into a holding area.

The holding area is bare bones with a bench the prisoner can sit on while they are processed by the Sergeant, all the while cuffed to the back of the wall. If they have to stick around for awhile before they head downtown, they’ll go into one of two holding cells. One of them is less furnished and has an ez-clean floor for the more inebriated visitors. Both have industrial, steel toilets in them (brrr).

I noticed a big red button on the wall. The officer told me that’s the “Can I get some help here?!” button (note that’s my nickname for it, not his). In the event an officer gets into a sticky situation in the holding area with a prisoner, they can hit the button and reinforcements will come running.

I can report that the technology at the station was up to speed in some areas, behind the times with others. I did see a laser fingerprint scanner but that sat alongside a dot-matrix printer that looked like it came from my grammar school computer lab. But hey, I’m sure it gets the job done. And no, the officers we saw working on reports were not huddled over a typewriter. They toiled away in front of flatscreens like the rest of us.

We walked by a separate room where minors are placed when they come into the station. Across from that was a report room where officers can work and the lieutenant can run roll-call at the start of a shift (complete with a weathered “Hill Street Blues” style podium). About 70 officers are stationed in the Richmond.

Around the corner was the station’s main desk where an officer deals with visitors to the station who come in for various reasons, like filing a report. The officers grumbled that the thick, bullet-proof partition is poorly designed – the visitor can hear the officer behind the glass perfectly but they can’t hear the visitor.

We got a peek into the armory (no pics please!) which had medical kits and a rack of scary looking, black shotguns. Officers take home their sidearm but are required to check in all other weapons at the end of their shift.

Despite the general dreariness of the station (serious lack of light!), there is a nice, sky-lit atrium near the front of the station (e.g. not the entrance the bad guys and girls enter through). And lo and behold, a very large, lovely fish tank sits there. I was told it’s maintained by one officer in the station who must be a fish hobbyist like the character, Sipowitz, on NYPD Blue.

Just off the atrium is the Lieutenant’s office. Or the dungeon as she affectionately called it – not a single window in the place. We all piled into her tiny office where she was pouring over paperwork and schedules (with an occasional glance at the Giants game on the muted TV across from her).

The Lieutenant was extremely friendly, answering lots of questions and explaining what everything was for. In a tip to old-school paper-pushing, she had a classic rack of rubber stamps for various directives ranging from ‘Read to Platoon’ to ‘Lieutenant’s Office’.

Just down the hall was another report room, where a few officers were working. Above their heads were arrest photos of former/current offenders that they want to be sure to keep an eye on, some on parole, others just worthy of extra attention.

Someone in our group pointed to one photo and exclaimed “I know that guy, I see him in my neighborhood all the time!”. The room was a sobering reminder of what the officers deal with when they’re out on patrol.

Unfortunately Captain Richard Correia had another engagement so we didn’t get a chance to meet him in person. But his officers were great hosts and we really enjoyed the tour. And like any police station visit, we were thrilled to walk back out the front door. “You’re free to go”.

Sarah B.

 5:02 am | Posted under Community, Crime | 1 comment

Just a reminder that the Botanical Garden is having a plant sale on Saturday, specializing in shade plants. This came to my inbox today:

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San Francisco Botanical Gardens Plant Sale
Take a look into the shady regions of your yard. Don’t you think it’s time to spice up the exterior of your home with a couple of new plants? The San Francisco Botanical Gardens is proud to announce their August Plant Sale for just this reason – helping locals revamp their outdoor spaces. On Saturday, August 8, 2009, come browse a large selection of shade plants ready for a yard to call their own – from 10am to 1pm.

The sale will include unique plants, including a fascinating species of impatiens, mite-resistant fuchsias, and a colorful collection of hydrangeas. How about choosing delightful ground covers, such as native ginger and oxalis? All the plants on sale are suitable for Bay Area gardens and have the Botanical Garden’s seal of approval – propagated from their very own assortment.

Need help selecting plants? Just ask one of the nursery volunteers at the event, who are there to lend a helping hand and offer advice. Enter Golden Gate Park at 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way and follow the signs marked ‘Plant Sale’ to reach the nursery.

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More plant sale dates in 2009:

September 12 – Native Plants & Succulents
October 10 – Trees, Ferns & Rhododendrons
November 14 – End-of-the-Season Sale

Sarah B.

 12:00 pm | Posted under Golden Gate Park | 3 comments

Alicia! She sent in the correct answers to the two trivia questions and was drawn at random from the correct entries. Congratulations, Alicia and have a great time at the show!

Here are the answers to the trivia questions:

1) Why is Tut’s famous gold mask not in the de Young show and where is it currently located?
During the 1980s, the Egyptian government declared that the Gold Mask of Tutankhamun was a national treasure and too fragile to travel. As such, it will never leave Egypt again. Today, the Gold Mask resides at its permanent home, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It and the other 5,000 artifacts from Tut’s tomb, including his solid-gold inner coffin, will soon be housed in a new museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum, being built by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities alongside the pyramids in Giza.

2) Where is King Tutankhamun’s mummy?
Tutankhamun’s mummy still rests in his tomb, in a climate-controlled case, in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. His mummy, three nested coffins and stone sarcophagus have never traveled outside of Egypt. In fact, the mummy was so badly damaged when archaeologists originally removed the Gold Mask and wrappings, that it has only been allowed to leave the tomb four times since 1924: once for CT-scanning and three times for x-raying.

Both answers could be found in an article on the Tut San Francisco website.

Thanks to all of you who entered. Even though you didn’t win, I hope you’ll go see the show. Remember, Tut at Twilight on Tuesday and Wednesday nights offers discounted admission.

Walk like an Egyptian,

Sarah B.

King Tut’s mummy in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings

 11:47 am | Posted under Museums | Add comments

We’re lucky here in the Richmond. We have the city’s largest park in our midst and every Sunday, they close the major thoroughfare to car traffic, making it a wonderful place to walk, ride bikes, skate and just enjoy the outdoors.

“Sunday Streets San Francisco” wants to recreate that same feeling for residents all over the city. In its second year, Sunday Streets creates a safe, fun, car-free place for people to get out and get active in San Francisco neighborhoods. This year they’ll close off major streets in six city neighborhoods, and starting this Sunday, it’s coming to ours!

From 10am to 2pm this Sunday and next month on Sunday, Sept. 6, Sunday Streets will close off traffic along portions of Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway. That means you can bike, walk, play, dance (lindy!), skate, hula-hoop or just stroll freely from Golden Gate Park all the way out to the San Francisco Zoo. See map

So head out and join your neighbors for a fun day by the ocean. While you’re there, stop by the Western Neighborhoods Project and the Playland-Not-At-The-Beach booths to say hello and bone up on some Richmond District history.

And bring your camera – I hear the people watching is always great at these events.

Sarah B.

 11:25 pm | Posted under Recreation, Traffic | Add comments

SF Schtuff reminded me today that beginning October 21, all San Francisco households and businesses are required to separate recyclables, compostables and landfill trash and participate in recycling and composting programs.

That means that you’re not supposed to scrape kitchen scraps into your regular trash anymore. They should be put into your green, compost bin for collection. For many of us, me included, this is a new practice and frankly it sort of sounds like a pain in the butt.

So the city is doing what it can to ease the transition, including providing free green kitchen pails to anyone who needs one. These are small containers that can sit on your counter, under the sink -wherever it’s convenient. Line the pail with a compostable garbage bag (“Bio Bag”), available at most supermarkets these days, and you’ve got a pretty painless solution that does the earth good.

To get your free green kitchen pail, go to recyclingmoments.org and click the “Get a green or blue cart” link on the left hand side. When the form pops up, look for the “I’m inquiring about” section and select “Free kitchen pail”.

The site also has great info on what goes into what cart, now that we have three to contend with. The easiest way to remember what goes in your green cart is this: everything that used to be alive. Here’s a list of items that should go in the green cart:

Food: fruits, vegetables, meat and bones, rice, cheese
Soiled paper: napkins, butter wrappers, coffee filters and tea bags, paper plates, greasy pizza boxes
Waxed paper: paper milk and ice cream cartons, paper takeout containers
Plants: flowers, plants, grass, weeds, twigs
Compostable plastics: Plastic bottles or food containers that are clearly labeled “compostable”

I ordered my free pail last week and haven’t heard anything yet. But I have faith my little green friend will join my household soon, at least in time for October 21 when the law goes into effect.

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UPDATE (Aug 18, 2009): I got an email from Lulu at my garbage company that said “Please call our service dept 415-626-4000 to set up the program before I can send you a green pail”. Hmm…

Sarah B.

 1:14 pm | Posted under Free stuff, Green | 4 comments

For this one, we have to leave the comfy confines of the Richmond Distict and, I know it’s hard, head across a bridge.

Let me introduce you to Playland-Not-At-The-Beach, a “Museum of Fun” located in El Cerrito, just north of Berkeley.

According to their website, the museum houses “over 25 pinball machines spanning seven decades (and all on free play!), video games, Penny Arcade machines, challenging carnival games of skill, interactive displays and exhibits, miniature circuses, sideshow exhibits, baffling magic shows — they are all here waiting to entertain and amuse you!”

Like any good museum, Playland-Not-At-The-Beach lets you relive the past, including exhibits about San Francisco’s Playland at the Beach and the Sutro Baths.

Playland was an amusement park that sat right along the ocean on the Great Highway from the 1920s through the early 1970s. The Western Neighborhoods Project website has great background, history and photos on Playland.

This weekend, Playland-Not-At-The-Beach welcomes historian and local author, James R. Smith who will be talking about the history of “Chutes at the Beach” which later became Playland.

Jim will show the progress of Playland from early removal of the sand dunes to putting in foundations, then building the earliest attractions and later transforming them into the rides and shows many San Franciscans remember from their youth.

The photos are from a private collection belonging to Laurie Hollings (artistic designer of Frontier Village and many Hollywood productions) and they have never been seen before by the public. So this is your chance to see the history of Playland up close and ask all the questions you want.

Jim will give the presentation just three times this weekend: on Saturday at 1pm and 3pm, and on Sunday at noon. The event will be held at Playland-Not-At-The-Beach, 10979 San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito, CA 94530 (driving directions).

The event is free with admission to the museum ($15 for adults, $10 for kids and seniors).

So even though you have to leave the Richmond to get history on this one-time, great landmark, I think it will be well worth the trip.

Sarah B.

 8:04 am | Posted under Events, History | 3 comments

On August 1, the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park launched their updated website at conservatoryofflowers.org.

The new site has gorgeous shots of its colorful residents on the front page (along with helpful tags so you know what you’re looking at), a new About Us page that shows you who’s behind the Conservatory day-to-day, as well as news, info on exhibitions and events, and volunteer opportunities.

They even have a shopping page where you can purchase Conservatory gear and gifts. There’s a “Super Summer Sale” going on right now too.

The Conservatory worked with San Francisco’s Taproot Foundation, the largest nonprofit consulting firm in the country, to develop the site.

Congratulations to the COF on their launch! Go check it out.

Sarah B.

 2:56 pm | Posted under Golden Gate Park, News | 2 comments

This just came into my inbox… As part “National Night Out”, residents are invited to take a tour of the Richmond District Police Station tonight from 6-8pm. The station is located at 461 6th Avenue between Geary and Anza.

Is it just me or does this sound intriguing? Maybe I need to get out more…

Sarah B.

 11:19 am | Posted under Events | Add comments