CBS News reports this morning that police are investigating sexual assaults that were reported by three women at last weekend’s Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park.

According to SFPD spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi, no arrests have been made yet, and police are still interviewing the victims and possible witnesses. Manfredi said that reports of sexual assaults at the festival are rare.

Police do not believe the attacks, which happened in three different locations – around the bushy area of the Polo Fields, near a windmill prop at the festival and near white tents affiliated with the music event – were related. Descriptions of the men in each case also differed.

SFAppeal reports that the three women are between the ages of 18 to early 20s, and that two attacks happened on Saturday night, and the third early Sunday morning.

Police are struggling to pull together details of the attacks because the victims don’t remember much. The women had been drinking and believe they may have been drugged.

SFWeekly reports that police are also awaiting results from forensic tests to determine if the women were drugged by their attackers.

This was the fifth year for the Outside Lands music and food festival, which drew an estimated 200,000 people to Golden Gate Park over 3 days.

Sarah B.

Next Tuesday night, a meeting will be held to discuss a proposal to expand the 5 Fulton bus line service.

Currently, the 5 Fulton bus runs at all times as a local, stopping to pick up passengers at every stop along its route which runs between Beale Street downtown and Ocean Beach (route map).

By SFMTA estimates, the 5 Fulton carries 19,000 passengers on an average weekday, averaging a speed of just 9.7 miles per hour during peak periods.

What’s slowing it down? “Sources of delay include closely spaced bus stops, traffic congestion and frequent STOP signs along the route in the Western Addition,” the SFMTA says.

To “ease crowding and improve transit during peak hours”, Supervisor Eric Mar is proposing that an additional 5 Fulton Limited service be added to the route during peak commute hours in the mornings and evenings, Monday through Friday. The limited line would make all stops from Ocean Beach to 6th Avenue, and then limited stops until it reaches Van Ness Avenue.

Mar is also proposing that an additional “short” line be added during the same hours, beginning and terminating its route at 6th Avenue, and making all stops.

Both the proposed 5 Fulton Limited and short lines would run all the way downtown, making all stops after Van Ness Avenue.

View the proposal (PDF)

The 5 Fulton bus line is part of MUNI’s Transit Effectiveness Project and Mar’s office says they “are looking to expedite its roll out.”

We were unable to find mention of a new 5 Fulton Limited line in the list of recommended changes to help speed up the route. The plan does mention increasing bus stop spacing, relocating some stops, replacing stop sign intersections with lights, parking changes, as well as pedestrian safety improvements.

Assuming all the recommendations are implemented (not including adding these new lines proposed by Mar), the SFMTA estimates that it would “reduce the travel time of the 5 Fulton by about six minutes in each direction” and improve the average operating speed to 11.7 miles. Installing traffic lights at some intersections could also save an additional 1.5 minutes in each direction.

The public meeting about adding 5 Fulton Limited and short lines is scheduled for Tuesday, August 21 from 5:30pm until 7pm at the Richmond District Police Station Community Room, 461 6th Avenue.

Sarah B.

Bill at Gus’ Discount Tackle (3710 Balboa at 38th Avenue) sent us the above photo of their fresh facade.

The shop has been in business for 56 years, offering fishing tackle, crabbing gear, sporting goods, camping gear and outdoor clothing. They had to recently renovate and re-stucco their storefront, and Bill says they decided to invest in a new mural and signage to freshen things up a bit.

The murals are a tradition for the bait and tackle shop – they’ve had four different ones over the last 30 years. The shop was started by Gus Ernst, and is now run by his daughter, Steph.

We think the new storefront looks great. What was once one of the more somber businesses on the block now looks the cheeriest!

Sarah B.

The before shot

A Gus’ customer showing off his big catch. See more photos

Earlier this year, Keith Wilson was arrested in Stockton, CA after 22 months on the run.

He was once a well-regarded member of the Richmond District community, known for his generous donations, involvement in community issues, and wealthy lifestyle.

But two years ago, things began to unravel as business associates of Wilson’s started to piece things together.

What would come to light is that the very people Wilson was rallying for – the members of his community – were the same people he ended up defrauding, fleecing them of nearly $400,000 in a real estate scam. That included one elderly woman who invested $115,000 with Wilson, a substantial portion of her life savings.

In Bernie Madoff style, Wilson took money from investors but never invested it, instead using it to fund his lavish lifestyle. Investors grew suspicious when they never saw a return on their investments and after some digging, learned that one of the properties – a home in Milpitas – had never been purchased by Wilson or either of his companies, Tribecca Properties LLC and Lone Cedar Corp.

“He fooled us all,” said one member of the Greater Geary Boulevard Merchant Association to the Examiner, who wished to remain anonymous. “He lived really well with those people’s money.”

Attorney Jordanna Thigpen, who filed a suit on behalf of three of Wilson’s victims, is largely credited with bringing the full extent of his crimes to light.

According to the Examiner, Wilson struck a plea bargain with prosecutors last Friday that includes a five-year state prison term.

Often, financial fraud cases can drag through the courts for years, so Thigpen was pleased with the swift pace at which Wilson’s case was handled.

“Often it is difficult to have these people sentenced,” Thigpen told the Examiner. “Look at Wall Street; they’ve done way more damage than someone who’s done a drug crime.”

Wilson, 56, is expected to be sentenced Thursday. It is unknown whether any funds were recovered for the victims of Wilson’s fraud.

Sarah B.

Supervisor Eric Mar presents the city proclamation to garden founder, Mary Ann Crandell. Photo by @sfdpw

On Saturday, Supervisor Eric Mar stopped by the Argonne Community Garden to present a proclamation honoring it as a national model for community gardens and to Mary Ann Crandell, who founded the garden in 1975.

The event also welcomed the American Community Garden Association, who held their annual conference for the first time in 33 years in San Francisco.

The Argonne Community Garden, located on 16th Avenue between Cabrillo and Fulton, started in 1975 when the San Francisco Unified School District issued a permit to use vacant land surrounding the Argonne Children’s Center for a garden.

Today it is the only community garden in the Richmond district where as many as fifty families maintain plots to grow flowers, vegetables and plants for the community.

The garden is open to members of the community with plot fees running $35 per year. Membership includes access to the tool shed and greenhouse, as well as a healthy supply of manure and water. For more information, visit the Argonne Community Garden website.

Sarah B.

Supervisor Eric Mar with another Argonne garden founder, David Sibbet

One of Argonne’s littlest gardeners, Ian, proudly shows off his plot and the apples in the orchard

Photo by @sfdpw

Beginning Monday, August 20, the Golden Gate Park Senior Center at 6101 Fulton (near 37th Avenue) is offering a free Nutrition & Health class. Facilitated by Lisa Yamashiro, Registered Dietitian and offered by City College of San Francisco, every session features a topic-of-the week on health/nutrition, videos, gentle exercise, cooking demo and tasting, recipes, and more.

Learn practical information, effective strategies, and skills to practice good nutrition, manage personal health, and
maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.

The class has also scheduled two Lunch Brunch outings – one to SoMa StrEat Food Park on September 17 and another to Green Chile Kitchen on December 17.

Class meets every Monday at 1:30pm at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center from August 20 through December 17. Despite being at a senior center, the class is open to adults of any age (not just the usual 55+ that the GGPSC advertises).

For more information, view the class flyer (PDF) or contact Lisa at lisa.yamashiro@mail.ccsf.edu.

Sarah B.

The Richmond District branch library has some interesting workshops coming up this month:

Travel Photography | Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 6pm
Have you ever wondered how the professional photographer gets those amazing National Geographic looking photographs of sunrises and sunsets? Pulitzer Prize-finalist Frederic Larson will discuss the unique techniques he uses to capture award-winning images from around the world, free. Larson has been a photographer for the SF Chronicle for 30 years.

Write Your Will Seminar | Thursday, Aug. 30 at 6pm
Stuart Bronstein, an estate planning and probate lawyer in San Francisco for more than 30 years, will help participants create fully-functional wills. Advanced registration is required so please call 355-5600 to sign up.

Origami | Friday, Aug. 31 at 4pm
Learn the Japanese art of paper folding with Geri Handa, for ages 8 and up.

All workshops are free and take place at the Richmond District branch of the San Francisco Public Library at 351 9th Avenue.

Sarah B.

The Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk exhibition at the de Young Museum ends on August 19th. After clearing off our messy desk over the weekend, we discovered two pairs of VIP passes to the event that we have not yet given away.

So, this is your chance to go see the show this weekend or next week. VIP passes entitle the holder to enter the show at any time, no reservation needed.

To enter to win, fill out this form. We’ll pick two winners at random at 4pm today, and drop off the tickets to you by tomorrow morning (what service!). But this means that winners MUST RESIDE IN THE RICHMOND DISTRICT. So please only enter if you live in the ‘hood.

Good luck!

Sarah B.

The famous bustier worn by Madonna on her Blonde Ambition tour

A message left by Jean Paul Gaultier on the wall of the exhibition