Mike Billings

Newsom to give State of the City address

Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to tell San Franciscans the state The City is in during an address Wednesday evening. The event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Asian Art Museum. The public can watch the webcast of the address online here. Though the address will be streamed online, it will be different from the State of the City last year in which Newsom compiled seven hours of video footage and released it on YouTube over the span of a week....

Continued...

 

MTA to take up issue of parking penalties

An amendment to the California Vehicle Code took effect on Jan. 1 that allows the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to adopt higher fees for violations related to the misuse of disabled parking. The MTA, which oversees parking as well as Muni in The City, is considering raising the base penalty for the misuse of handicap placards to $750. Along with an assessment fee, the total fine for the violations could be $825. The MTA will discuss the new fees Tuesday during a board meeting....

Continued...

 

Supervisors return from break

The members of the Board of Supervisors will return from their legislative break on Monday, kicking off the first meetings of the new year. One item that will likely garner attention is the security legislation that would force city officials who campaign for political causes to pay for their own police protection. Also on the agenda for the supervisors is an earthquake bond that would pay for public safety upgrades....

Continued...

 

Here's looking at you, 2010: What's sure to capture attention

As we move into the first year of a new decade, dozens of big stories are right around the corner, waiting to capture headlines or slowly fade away. The Examiner compiled a road map to keep you well-informed for the next 12 months. Will home run king Barry Bonds strike out in the courtroom? Former Giants slugger Barry Bonds — who holds Major League Baseball’s career home run record — will face a challenge harder than hitting a baseball when he goes to trial for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury in 2003 about never knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. The case, which is caught up in an appeals process about evidence, has yet to receive a court date for...

Continued...

 

Last week for supervisors to meet

This coming Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday is the last full board meeting before the legislative body takes a break for the holidays. The agenda, which is full of items that includes accepting grants, settling lawsuits and making appointments, also holds a few items that if voted on could prove to be a fight. Tune in Tuesday for the full details....

Continued...

 

Parking spaces temporarily removed for pedestrians

Pedestrians and shoppers in Union Square will have more room to roam during a pilot program. Beginning Friday afternoon, the parking lanes on both sides of Powell Street between Geary and Ellis streets will be closed and turned into walkways for pedestrians, according to the Mayor’s Office. Planters will temporarily block off the two blocks of parking spaces, and donated holiday decorations will adorn the walkway. The pilot project, which will run through Monday morning at 9 a.m., is part of the larger Better Market Street Program. “This pilot project will create a festive and unique experience for holiday shoppers and tourists visiting the Union Square area,” Mayor...

Continued...

 

Last chance to give input on artificial turf

The plan to install artificial turf at the Beach Chalet soccer fields will have its second and final hearing Monday evening. The proposal has caused a dust-up, with advocates saying the artificial turf will allow for extended playing hours at the four fields, especially if lighting is installed. Opponents say the material, which is made of rubber, is unsafe and that the extended hours will bring too much traffic to the park and surrounding neighborhoods. The chance to sound off about the plan comes Monday from 7 till 8 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center, located at 6101 Fulton St. Plans for the field overhaul can be seen...

Continued...

 

Newsom Tracker: At work in India

There is no official word from Gavin Newsom's office about his trip to India, but it appears the mayor is busy. Newsom is visiting Bangalore, India, for a sister-city trip, and he is reportedly meeting with business leaders and government officials while there. Early Monday morning — which is mid-afternoon there — Newsom wrote on his Twitter that he had signed six agreements and held a press conference with the chief minister of Karnataka. Bangalore is the capital city of Karnataka, a state in India. Newsom wrote that the agreements, called memorandum of understanding, are to expand Bagalore-Bay Area ties. Check back for details about the agreements and any more news from...

Continued...

 

'Surprises' in store from Newsom trip to India

Mayor Gavin Newsom will be jetting of to Bangalore, India, and he told The Examiner on Friday night that there are some "surprises" that will be coming out of the trip. The Examiner has reported that while in Bangalore for a sister-city trip, Newsom will be meeting with representatives from major companies, including Cisco Systems, Infosys Technologies and Cathay Pacific Airways. Newsom, who was at the Macy's tree lighting in Union Square on Friday night, would not elaborate about what announcements could be coming out of the trip, saying only "There's some...

Continued...

 

Macy's tree lighting kicks off holiday season

The stars were out Friday night to ring in the holiday season with the annual lighting of the Macy's tree lighting. San Franciscans and visitors to The City packed into Union Square on Friday night to watch musical performances and count down to the 20th annual lighting of the conifer. Under slightly cloudy skies that dropped periodic sprinkles, the crowd watched performances by Ovo from Cirque de Soleil, the Glide Ensemble, the San Francisco Boys Chorus and "American Idol" star Anoop Desai. Giants pitcher Barry Zito was also on hand to introduce one of the important guests of the night — Santa Claus. Mayor Gavin Newsom attended the 6 p.m. event — along with wife...

Continued...

 

Sanctuary city veto override expected

The controversial legislation to change how San Francisco deals with turning over illegal immigrant youth to federal authorities is back at the Board of Supervisors today. Supervisor David Campos introduced the legislation, which would change The City's sanctuary city policy so illegal immigrant youths arrested of felony crimes be turned over to federal authorities after they are convicted of the crime. The policy now is that they are reported to immigration officials after being arrested. The current policy was put into place by Mayor Gavin Newsom after a series of high-profile events last year, including the slaying of a father and two sons by a suspected illegal immigrant who...

Continued...

 

Santa Clara gaining yardage on stadium plans

A major milestone appears to on the horizon in the city of Santa Clara for the proposed stadium for the San Francisco 49ers. There are two public meetings set for the next few weeks in the South Bay city: one to discuss the stadium design proposal and another to consider the final environmental impact report for the stadium. Though the stadium deal between Santa Clara and the 49ers is far from a sealed deal — voters there still need to decide next year whether their city should invest $114 million of redevelopment funds on the $937 million project — the Nov. 18 meeting with the Planning Commission is a step forward in the project. The 49ers have been in talks with Santa...

Continued...

 

Newsom Tracker: Quiet weekend?

Mayor Gavin Newsom, who recently returned from a trip Hawaii, has no public appearances planned for Saturday, according to the Mayor's Office, though he may have a busy week ahead. Gavin Newsom was back in The City on Friday, though he did not appear in public or speak to the media. It has been more than a week since Newsom made a public appearance. That was at a news conference about an oil spill in the Bay, which was just hours before announcing in a written statement that he was dropping out of the race to be the next governor of California. Newsom then left for a trip to Hawaii early last week to spend time with his wife and 7-week-old daughter. Newsom does not have any...

Continued...

 

Sun shines on college records

Accessing information about the San Francisco Community College District became easier this week. The board of trustees adopted a public access sunshine policy that closely resembles the sunshine ordinance of San Francisco, according to the district. In fact, San Francisco’s Sunshine Ordinance Task Force helped the district pass the policy. "We can now provide the public with the same access to meetings and notifications that the City of San Francisco provides. City College governance will now be among the most transparent of any community college in the State," trustee John Rizzo said in a statement. The college district oversees City College of San Francisco, which...

Continued...

 

Follow the eco-fair on Twitter

If you are unable to attend the Big Blue Bucket Eco-Fair on Saturday, you can follow the events live on Twitter. The fair, which runs from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. at Jarrold Avenue and Phelps Street, is put on by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Public Works, the Department of the Environment, as well as private companies. But if you are unable to swing by the fair to pick up your free bag of compost, you can follow the SFPUC, which is posting details from the event live on Twitter....

Continued...

 

Creative fundraising for City College

With City College facing a budget shortfall, it is looking for creative ways to raise money. The college has already asked for donations to save classes. Now it will be holding a garage sale and flea market to help bring in funds. The event, which is scheduled for Oct. 24, will raise funds in several ways, including renting parking stalls to people looking to sell items and selling items donated to the college. The college also says on its Web site that it will solicit "financial support from individuals, organizations, and businesses....

Continued...

 

Count Diaz out for the police staff job

It has been reported that the new police chief in San Francisco, George Gascón, wants to bring in top brass from outside the department. Although there are still questions about who that could be and when that could happen, it seems clear one person who will not be joining the ranks in The City. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times about replacing outgoing Los Angeles police Chief William J. Bratton, Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz says he has decided not to pursue a job under Gascón in San Francisco, whom he called a close friend. It seems that tossing his hat into the ring for the police chief job in Southern California trumps taking the job here....

Continued...

 

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

The Victory Garden that was planted in front of City Hall last summer has grown in influence lately. Berkeley chef Alice Waters, who partnered with Mayor Gavin Newsom to plant the Victory Garden, has also lobbied the White House to plant a garden for more than a decade. Shortly after Waters appeared on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” during which the Victory Garden and Newsom were featured, first lady Michelle Obama announced that there would be a produce and herb garden planted on the grounds of the White House. The latest garden ready to sprout on public land will be at the state Capitol. First lady Maria Shriver, who has long been a champion of public gardens, mad the...

Continued...

 

Mayor to decide on governor run ‘in the next two months’

Mayor Gavin Newsom tackled state issues in an interview on a morning television show during his trip to Washington, D.C., before saying he would decide on a run for governor “in the next two months.” Newsom appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and fielded questions, including about the state of the California economy, the spending of federal stimulus funds, the state’s prison population and illegal immigration. During the interview, even seemingly light-hearted moments provided Newsom with an opportunity to take a political stance. Pat Buchanan offered Newsom a Sarah Palin calendar and asked Newsom if he could hold a shotgun in the way the Alaska...

Continued...