A security guard at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio was just awarded $465,000 by a San Francisco jury in a case against Los Angeles-based Andrews International, a private security firm. 27-year-old Abas Idris claimed that coworkers at the Letterman campus referred to him as a terrorist and called him an al-Qaida member. He later quit his job. more ›

In the Presidio, efforts to re-plant the historic parade ground as a lush and hopefully not pockmarked public space are under attack from below. As Curbed reported recently an army of gophers is causing a problem for crews laying down the newly green lawn (which has been an historic parking lot since 1937). more ›

What's Disney commercialization of a beloved local landmark and why does it -- what's that word again? Suck. Yeah, anyway, we're a bit late getting around to this Anaheim-based copycat of local treasure Palace of Fine Arts. Local blogger (and SFist commenter) MrEricSir noted the shocking similarities between the local landmark and the new Little Mermaid ride at Disney's California Adventure. (Aside: we can't wait to check it out during our next trip behind the Orange Curtain! Eee!) more ›

Part of National Missing Children’s Day on Wednesday, May 25, the Presidio Trust, the United States Park Police and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association will hold a free Fingerprint Your Child from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. Fingerprint cards will be given to parents to keep and distribute to law agencies if, God forbid, anything bad should happen. Parents can also add additional information such as a physical description, medical and dental records, even a DNA sample on the cars, which can then be used by any law enforcement agency to help identify a missing child. No other personal information collected will be kept or stored by any government agency. more ›

A bomb threat reported on the 3200 block of California Street at 8:25 a.m. has closed off the area around California and Presidio. The threat was called in to the Jewish Community Center. We'll update as soon as we know more. [KRON 4 Morning News] more ›

About a year ago we shared the news that a wild specimen of the plant known as Franciscan manzanita had been discovered on a center freeway divider in the Presidio near the Golden Gate Bridge. Well, the botanist community basically freaked out and painstakingly excavated and moved the specimen to an undisclosed location on a bluff nearby. In moving the plant, it needed to be trimmed, and the cuttings were taken to the UC Santa Cruz arboretum and several other botanical gardens. Yesterday, the UCSC arboretum hosted a ceremonial planting. more ›

Known, admitted Jewess Eve Batey of SF Appeal has word that the Jewish Community in the on Presidio Street fell victim to hate graffiti this week. "SFPD spokesperson Officer Boaz Mariles tells the Appeal that JCC security discovered what appears to be a swastika drawn in an alcove on the Presidio-facing side of the building at 3200 California Street. Mariles says the graffiti was about 3 inches by 5 inches, and appeared to have been drawn with a purple marker." more ›

"Presidio 2" by Jeff Fielding. more ›

Billed as the best thing to have happened to San Francisco since the chicken and waffle box, indoor trampoline park House of Air, which will go into the old Presidio airplane hanger space, is set to open in August. As Curbed notes, it will boast "a glass hangar door, conference rooms, and 'trampoline training grounds' with a combination of trampolines and trampoline walls 'allowing for maximum air time.'" more ›

A specimen of the Franciscan manzanita plant -- also known as the San Francisco manzanita and thought to be extinct in the wild -- was discovered recently in the Presidio by botanist Daniel Gluesenkamp in a spot that had been recently cleared of eucalyptus trees. The shrub, which was removed from San Francisco cemeteries to make way for construction in the 1940s, was believed to exist only in botanical gardens since that time -- when a famous botanist stood in the way of excavation equipment to save the last known specimen in the wild. more ›

A family of three is hospitalized and in serious condition at California Pacific Medical Center after eating "death cap" mushrooms that they found growing in the wild. Let this be a reminder to all of you out there that no wild mushroom in Northern California is a good wild mushroom. Unless it's a free chanterelle in the Presidio. more ›

"Rainbow Sunset" by Matt Baume. more ›

SF Citizen has word that the (controversial) Walt Disney Family Museum will open to the public on October 1. more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

Any avid bowlers out there who have been pissed and sad about the impending demolition of the Presidio Bowling Center, take heart! KCBS reports that the National Park Service is weighing in about the Presidio Trust's plans to let Gap founder Donald Fisher build his contemporary art museum on the Bowling Center property, and they're none too happy about Landmarks Cinemas' plans to construct a movie theater in the Main Post area, or the Trust's plan for a restaurant/hotel there either. more ›

While feather were ruffled at last year's Gap/Don Fisher/Presidio Museum/no bowling alley plan meeting thingy, this year things were a bit calmer. According to SFCItizen, the new plans for the Fisherization of the Presidio were released last night, and he scored an early look. Some highlights: The "white box" is no more, the Lodge (i.e., a “massive hotel”) is stuck in the middle of it all, the Walt Disney Family Museum (isn't "family" implied?) will boggle the mind, and more. The bowling alley, as most of you know by now, will be yet another memory of San Francisco past. more ›

What a delightfully diverting game of Muni roulette! Several stops on the 43 line will be "intermittently closed." Maybe they're open; maybe they're not -- the only way to know for sure is to waste your time walking over to them to check! And then waste your time walking to another stop. And hey, where exactly ARE those other stops? There's no map on the sign, so if you don't know the area, you're out of luck. But it's not like the Presidio Trust has any interest in tourism, right? more ›

Things got a wee bit heated at last night's Presidio Trust Public Board of Directors Meeting. The hot topic about was that art museum thingy we most likely never plan on visiting, but sure sounds swell nevertheless. Anyway, according to Jim Herd, who snapped the above shot, Newsom addressed the crowd, and then he was loudly booed when he finished. Tough crowd, tough crowd. (Read more about it here.) more ›

Gosh, it's a nice day. Wouldn't it be swell to leave work early and head over to the Presidio, San Francisco's beautiful national park? (Tip: yes, it would.) But don't count on Muni getting you there. After all, you don't look forward to having to endure hour-long waits, do you? (Tip: no, you do not.) more ›

The fight over the Presidio may come down to fisticuffs: Gap founder Don Fisher is trying to build a museum near the main post of the Presidio, while many San Franciscans aren't too happy about that. According to the Chron, besides the museum, a "119-room hotel, which also will include meeting space, a restaurant and a bar, expansion of the old Army movie theater [into]... two new theaters, a bar and lobby; and the creation of a heritage center." Add to that the "new Walt Disney Family Museum, which is expected to open next year." (Uhh. When was the "Walt Disney Family Museum" approved? How did we miss that?) more ›

We're getting word that something chaotic is going down right now at Presidio & California. If you know anything, let us know in the comments. more ›