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Two stories from last week are still being stories this week, so we thought we'd update everyone on what the latest has been.
First up, North Beach, where yet another big, fun festival has had the fun taken out of it. This time it's the North Beach Jazz Festival which also got it's liquor license revoked by the Parks & Rec Department. That means no booze will be allowed. Once again, it's at the bequest of the Telegraph Hill Dwellers and their Errand Boy, Aaron Peskin who are upset about the possibility of the peasants running around all drunk and ruining their jazz music & wine drinking. The vote had the usual not-quite-on-the-up-and-up shenanigans and suspicions that Peskin is sticking it to Marsha Garland of the North Beach Chamber of Commerce again. Organizers of the Jazz Fesitval are claiming that they'll have to close up shop because most of their money comes from booze sales.
And yes, this is and the alcohol ban at the North Beach Festival is making some people think that we're going back to the bad old days of the late 90's when the city tried to get a whole bunch of clubs to close. Where, oh where, is that SF Party group? Hello, party people.
Also rearing its ugly head is the battle over the closure of Kennedy Drive on Saturdays. The measure came up to a vote again (don't ask) but was shot down mainly by advocates for the handicapped who claimed that closing the park on Saturdays would be bad for disabled people. This means disabled people move up several places in the San Francisco Politically Correct Interest Group charts, well above bikers and environmentalists. It was Michaela Alioto-Pier who put the kibosh on it, first by offering amendment to amendment to try and change the legislation, then voting against it after all the amendments were added. This brought the nasty comments from Mr. McGoldrick and Mr. Ammiano. Questions have also been raised about how we're going to pay for all the new shuttle services to and fro as we don't have money for anything. And the neighbors are getting extremely restless. Gavin is still remaining mum, not wanting to interrupt his dinner with John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and his hot girlfriend, to weigh in.
There will be one more vote next week.
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Remind me again why Peskin is considered a progressive. He seems more like a garden-variety NIMBY to me.
where's the cinco de mayo love?
It's all ridiculous, they have the garage they can park in, can drop off and pick up from their vehicle (the loop will remain open), this is just another ploy by the museum folks to make sure they have their cake and can eat it too. I live two blocks away, have seen the park become a major thoroughfare since the museum has opened (almost being run down on several occasions simply crossing JFK). Praise be to Jake McGoldrick for standing up to these people.
Someone did a sunshine request in the late 90's and found that the museums donated something like $2500 to at least one handicapped organization, for similar hijinks. Keep an eye on Alioto-Pier's cash register; it may be ka-chinging soon.
But, if the city can solve all outstanding problems in the park, in addition to opening up Healthy Saturdays, I say why not.
There are plenty of places to drink in North Beach without turning the park into a tacky-ass Budweiser tent. What is this, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma?
I'd like to see who exactly gets the profit from these out of town beer-tent vendors. I've got no problem with liquor anywhere in North Beach, but if it's a North Beach festival of any kind, then the only beer that should be served is Peroni or Moretti. North Beach isn't a frickin frat house. Budweiser. Ugh.
I was in that neck of the woods just last week and got the clear impression that life around Irving Street would be made much more difiicult BOTH weekend days by the closure.
In addition to concern about the elderly and disabled, I worry about the economic impacts on the independent merchants of the area.
As a "bridge and tunnel" person myself, I would probably avoid the area, and the park, if the parking was as difficult on Sunday as it is on Saturday.
Why does it have to be every Sunday? Couldn't they try one Sunday a month and track the changes? Right now we just have rheteric (sp?) and guesses on each side.
Oops,blush, yikes.
Of course I meant to say one Saturday a month and if the roads were closed Saturday as well as Sunday