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Andrea Koskey

Parents and staff protest MLK school

Teachers, parents and staff at Martin Luther King Academic Middle School are unhappy with the school district’s refusal to give the troubled campus new administrators, even though the district says recent changes meet its expectations. A complaint filed Monday with the state Public Employment Relations Board alleges violations of rules requiring safe and healthy work environments, said the United Educators of San Francisco union. Read More

Frustrated U.S. vets ask for services

Military veterans reportedly have been waiting an average of 320 days for claims to be processed through the Oakland office. Bay Area Democratic Reps. Jackie Speier and Barbara Lee on Monday held a three-hour hearing to listen to more than 300 people affected by delays that have created 34,000 backlogged disability claims at Oakland’s Veterans Affairs office. Speier said veterans deserve to have their claims processed quickly. “Our country is swift to go to war, but not swift in responding when our war heroes come home,” she said. Read More

Man collapses during Bay to Breakers race

A man collapsed while running in the 101st Zazzle Bay to Breakers race Sunday. About 8 a.m., the man went down at Hayes and Laguna streets, according to racers running beside him. One participant said he did not notice the man before he collapsed and could not say whether the man was struggling during the run. That same participant stopped racing to help the man, holding up his neck while another runner summoned police. The Fire Department also responded to the scene. Read More

Many Bay to Breakers revelers feel no need for speed at wacky race

When Shannon Osaki and her friends participated in the Zazzle Bay to Breakers for the first time last year, they did not wear costumes. This year, they realized they needed to step up their game. The group spent the past few months creating “wind dancers,” the blowup ornaments that are often found outside auto dealerships, complete with 3-foot-tall hats made of felt and small pieces of fabric cut loose to flutter in the wind. They fielded many requests for pictures, but instead of standing still they waved in the wind much like their inspirations would. Read More

ADA complaints in San Francisco cause legal headaches for businesses

When one of John Howett’s tenants was sued for ADA violations because of a concrete lip that prevented some customers from entering the Grant Avenue business early last month, he sprang into action. Howett hired a lawyer and ordered a portable ramp the business could set up or remove for wheelchair-using patrons entering and exiting the nail salon. Read More

Key information for Bay to Breakers race

The annual Bay to Breakers race across The City will bring tens of thousands of people to town Sunday, impacting general travel and public transit. Read More

LinkedIn centipede goes for own Bay to Breakers record

Training to break your own world record for any footrace can be difficult. But when you’re trying to break the record you set last year as a member of a 13-person centipede team, the task can seem daunting — if not silly. At Sunday’s 101st Zazzle Bay to Breakers, the LinkedIn centipede will try to do just that: beat the 37 minutes it took them last year to run 7.46 miles from The Embarcadero to Ocean Beach. Armen Vartanian, a member and organizer of the team, said the team can reach its goal. Read More

Mint marking 75th year on Hermann Street

Just 12 days before San Francisco is set to commemorate the 75th anniversary of one of the most iconic structures in The City, the Golden Gate Bridge, another landmark reached the same milestone Tuesday. The U.S. Mint celebrated its 75th anniversary at its current location on Hermann Street, on the hill between the Castro and Lower Haight. The Mint itself has been producing coins in The City since 1854. Read More

Drivers gain more time to park as merchants fight for tow-zone fix

Drivers can now park at night for two hours longer on one of North Beach’s most notorious thoroughfares thanks to merchants and a community coalition. Business owners and the Voice of Broadway had been petitioning The City for more than six months to change tow-zone restrictions, said Nader Marvi, head of Voice of Broadway and a co-owner of Monroe nightclub. Businesses were increasingly being negatively affected by patrons who needed to leave to move their vehicles, because many did not return after being discouraged by the restrictions. Read More

SF keeps eye on dark side of nightlife

Two or three nights every week, Vajra Granelli hits the town to see what San Francisco’s nightlife has to offer. But he is not looking to party. Granelli is the sole inspector with the Entertainment Commission. And with more than 400 permits to keep tabs on — such as for live music and DJs — he has his work cut out for him. Watching out for everything from noise complaints to violence, Granelli stops by bars and clubs unannounced to ensure they are abiding by the permit regulations. Read More

Taxes appear on June ballot in San Mateo County

Four tax measures will appear on the June ballot in San Mateo County, asking for an increase in a variety of vehicle fees and a parcel levy. The following breakdown shows what voters can expect on the ballot and beyond, should the measures pass. Measure T Business License Tax for Vehicle Rental Businesses The county Board of Supervisors proposes to impose a 2.5 percent gross receipts tax on vehicle rental businesses in unincorporated portions of the Peninsula. Read More

Cops nab 3 suspected in jewelry scam

Three women are in custody in connection with a scam that swindled thousands of dollars from the Chinese population by selling jewelry they claimed would keep those who wore it safe. The women were detained Thursday at San Francisco International Airport as they were trying to leave the country, according to police. They reportedly had $100,000 in their possession. San Francisco police knew of at least eight con jobs in the past six months on victims in the Sunset district. Another six people were bilked in South of Market. Read More

Budget, cost savings primary focus in race for new 19th District

Four San Franciscans are throwing their hats into the ring in hopes of winning the open seat in the California Assembly’s 19th District. From budgetary issues to being a voice of the working class, the candidates say they have what it takes to represent The City in Sacramento. Michael Breyer comes from a long line of public servants — his great-grandfather was a city supervisor and his grandfather served on the school board. The Public Library Commission member said he is not a politician and therefore would bring fresh ideas to the capital. Read More

Group suing over events at Nob Hill Masonic Center

A neighborhood group unhappy with The City’s decision to allow an increased number of concerts at the Nob Hill Masonic Center has filed a lawsuit to halt the change and require an environmental impact report. The Nob Hill Association said the conditional-use permit authorized by the Planning Commission, then supported by the Board of Supervisors, to increase nighttime events by 25 percent was done so mistakenly. Read More

UPDATE: Five firefighters injured battling four-alarm Mission district blaze

Five firefighters and one resident were injured Sunday morning when a four-alarm fire tore through an apartment building in the Mission district. Three firefighters — including one lieutenant — were injured when a stairwell collapsed. Another was treated for a foot injury, and a fifth firefighter’s hand was cut. One resident of the building was taken to St. Francis Memorial Hospital for smoke inhalation. Read More
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