Regular readers of the Richmond Review might have noticed that this space on page two has been the home of Kinen Carvala’s “Looking Back” column for several years.

Kinen is taking advantage of a new employment opportunity and will no longer write his monthly column highlighting the many great features in Golden Gate Park. I will miss editing his stories; I learned something every month from his thorough research. I offer my sincere gratitude to Kinen and wish him all the best in his new endeavors.

Police Blotter

Readers may also notice a trail off in Police Blotter columns. Richmond Station Capt. Chris Canning told us the issue is the result of a shortage of officers. It is understandable to use what limited resources he has to respond to reports of crimes and conducting ongoing efforts to prevent crimes. So many of our readers tell us they love the Police Blotter column, and we’re sorry it is missing this month. We hope the staffing issues are resolved soon and the monthly feature will return to these pages.

Meet the Editor

I look forward to the monthly Meet the Editor sessions at the One Richmond office. It is terrific to talk with readers, meet new writers and advertisers and answer any questions they may have.

In the two years since we started, the April session was best attended, likely because we timed it to coincide with the monthly Clement Street Art Walk. The plan is to continue that schedule, so look for me at the One Richmond office at 802 Clement St. every third Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Special thanks to Rozie Wong Gillies who is our gracious host. She’s a master marketer who takes pictures to promote the meetings.

Thank You

We are so very thankful for all of our supporters who have signed up on our Patreon account. Patreon is like GoFundMe, a tool to help raise money for a cause, except Patreon is a way to donate money every month. Contributions from as low as $5, $10 or $25 per month really help us do this job. To sign up, see the QR code on page 6.

Thanks also go to the kind and caring readers who contribute by sending a check or funds via PayPal (editor@RichmondSunsetNews.com). Your generosity truly inspires us and we are genuinely grateful.

I even heard from a reader who asked me to set up a Venmo account so she could contribute. The QR code is below. Thank you!

Gaslight & Shadows

Congratulations to Phyllis Nabhan at Gaslight & Shadows Antiques for earning a spot on San Francisco’s Legacy Business Registry.

Here is the description of Gaslight & Shadows at legacybusiness.org:

“Visit Gaslight & Shadows Antiques for a delightful journey into the past, where you can explore a store brimming with thousands of treasures. A store filled with affordable antiques and collectibles of many types, specializing in vintage jewelry, Limoges porcelain boxes, ethnic items, art, San Francisco collectibles and much more. Consignments are welcomed. We offer a professional photo restoration service to help preserve old family photos, memories and historical photos.”

If you haven’t stopped in to check out the antiques, you’re missing out on a classic Richmond District original. Drop in at 2335 Clement St. to see the great finds and to meet Phyllis. She is a dynamo with a seemingly endless positive attitude and the energy of a teenager that hasn’t faded even after running her shop for nearly 50 years.

Gaslight & Shadows was voted “Best Antique Store” by the readers of the Richmond Review in the “Best of the Richmond” poll taken a couple of years ago. Phyllis is also a Patreon supporter of this newspaper and we are very appreciative of her support.

Western Neighborhoods Project

Congratulations to our friends at the Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) who will be celebrating 25 years of sharing our community’s past with their grateful neighbors.

Details about WNP’s celebration at the 4 Star Theater on May 15 can be found in the Announcements section on pages 10 and 11.

We are very thankful that WNP shares its extensive collection of old photos with us for our “Then and Now” column. It is a popular feature that several loyal readers have told me they cut out and save. We and WNP are honored by that.

Announcements Section

The Richmond Review used to run a Calendar of Events section. A few years ago, I changed it to the Announcements section which now includes more than just events.

The simple act of acknowledging our neighbors’ birthdays elicits a thrill for a lot of readers. There’s something about seeing your name in the paper (especially when you’re a kid) that makes you feel special. The birthday announcements are free. Just send the name and birth month to Editor@RichmondSunsetNews and we’ll include it every year.

We also offer free announcements to local businesses. This is an underused feature that most business owners seem to be too busy to take advantage of.

This is what is written at the bottom of every the section every month:

We support small businesses: Free announcements for small businesses celebrating an anniversary or other significant milestone or event. Send announcement to Editor@RichmondSunsetNews.com.

If you’re a fan of a local business, maybe help them out by giving them some free publicity in the Richmond Review. Just write up a short paragraph and send it in to be included in more than 18,000 newspapers distributed throughout the Richmond District every month and to be included on our website that averages 20,000 views per month.

Final Notes

Some of our best writers have been high school students. Becoming an intern is a great way to gain journalism experience. Let me know if you want to get involved with your neighborhood newspaper.

Happy Mother’s Day, moms!

Michael Durand is the editor and publisher of the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers and the RichmondSunsetNews.com website. He can be reached at Editor@RichmondSunsetNews.com.