A Neighborhood Journal

Supervisors OK Irving Street Cannabis Dispensary

The SF Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 on Dec. 5 to allow a medical marijuana

dispensary to open at 2161 Irving St. It is the first one in the Sunset District, and

will be allowed to sell recreational marijuana with the legalization of the drug on Jan. 1.

The supervisors noted that they want the operator of the Barbary Coast Collective to

allow the smoking of marijuana on site, to prevent people from smoking on the street.

But Jesse Henry, executive director of the collective, said the space is probably

too small for indoor smoking.

The hours of operation for Barbary Coast will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Several earlier proposals for cannabis dispensaries in the Sunset District were

shot down by public officials, including on Oct. 3, 2017, when city supervisors rejected

a dispensary on Noriega Street.

Golden Gate Park Meadow Named for Robin Williams

The SF Recreation and Park Commission voted unanimously on Dec. 21, 2017, to rename

Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park after the late comedian Robin Williams.

Williams was instrumental in providing assistance to the annual Comedy in the Park

event, which is held at Sharon Meadow. He often donated money to put on the event

(anonymously) and often performed.

Williams died in 2014, at 63 years of age.

The Robin Williams Meadow is located between the Sharon Art Studio, Children’s

Playground and Hippie Hill in the eastern part of the park.

The 38th annual Comedy in the Park will take place on Sept. 16, 2018.

Telephone Scam Targets Chinese Residents

San Francisco Police are warning San Francisco’s Chinese community of a “robocall”

scam, in which an automated call, falsely claiming to be from the Chinese Embassy,

indicates that the recipient has a package being held for pick-up.

When the victim presses a prompt, he or she is asked to enter a credit card number

to release the package. San Francisco Police investigators ask recipients of these

automated calls to hang up immediately without providing any personal information.

“The creators of these robocalls are attempting to take advantage of our City’s Chinese

residents and businesses,” said SF Police Department (SFPD) Community Engagement

Division’s Commander David Lazar. “We encourage the community to work closely with

our officers to report crimes. Bilingual officers and language access services are

available to help potential victims effectively communicate with us to put a stop

to these types of scams.”

The robocalls appear to be the latest in a series of scams that have targeted the Chinese

community in recent years. Members of the public who are confronted by scammers or

knows of an elder who was approached by scammers is advised to contact police.

Reports can be made at any SFPD district station or by calling (415) 553-0123

and requesting an officer to take a report. Cantonese speakers can leave tips on a

special tip line by calling (415) 553-9212 or (855) 737-3847. Information can also be called

into the anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or via Text a Tip by texting a message to

TIP411 and beginning the message with SFPD.

PG&E to Begin Gas Projects in the Sunset

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will soon begin projects

to relocate indoor gas meters in conjunction with work to upgrade gas pipelines in the

neighborhood. The action is required by new California Public Utilities Commission

compliance regulations, which calls for meters to be moved, if necessary, to coincide

with work to upgrade gas pipelines.

Gas meters will be moved from inside a residence to outside where necessary.

The projects will begin in the Sunset, where crews will be performing several previously

scheduled gas pipeline safety and reliability upgrade projects.

According to PG&E, relocating gas meters will benefit customers as they no longer will

need to be home when PG&E performs regular safety inspections required by law.

The utility has dedicated representatives to work with customers, who will be notified

via letter when the project will take place in their neighborhood.

Some homeowners will be asked to schedule an appointment to determine if meter

relocation is necessary. The utility will pay for meters that have to be relocated.

During the work, PG&E employees may need to access indoor gas meters. Crew members

will be wearing PG&E uniforms and carrying company identification, which they are

always willing to show to customers.

If a person claiming to be a PG&E employee or contractor shows his or her identification

and a member of the public still feels uncomfortable, call PG&E’s customer service line at

(800) 743-5000 for verification.