Do we need another liquor store?

Reliable Grocery II has applied for a transferof their liquor license to the space currently occupied by Cotton Basics. From what I can tell from a quick peak inside, Reliable Grocery if a reliable liquor store.

Based on what I see on Cortland, I'm not so sure it's a good idea to have more locations selling liquor. Feel free to share your thoughts and protests with the address provided on the application notice:


Departmental Headquarters
3810 Rosin Court, Suite 150
Sacramento, CA 95834

Hard to know what to do with the $4.00

These two are right next to each other at the Goodlife checkout.

Cross Walks Painted!

Many thanks to the folks who came together to pursuade the city to paint the cross walks!

Cross Walks -- DPT

I spoke with Sam who wrote the letter below and he said that he is working with the wonderfully named "Traffic Calming" group to see what can be done to re-paint the cross-walks. More to come....

Cross Walks -- DPT Responds

Does DPT really share our concern about the faded crosswalks?

On the one hand, they say, "we have investigated the crosswalks on Cortland Avenue and agree that they are faded." However, the letter below indicates that this will not be dealth with until 2010.....

The letter below is a response I recieved to a request to re-paint the faded cross walks on Cortland, especially those between Gates and Bocana.
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Subject: Request for repainting of cross walks on Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 12:01:30 -0700
From: "XXXXXXX"

Dear Mr. XXXXX,

This is in response to your email of July 27, 2005 regarding your request for repainting of the cross walks on Cortland Avenue. Thank you for your concern and interest in improving pedestrian safety in your community. DPT shares your concern in this area. We have investigated the crosswalks on Cortland Avenue and agree that they are faded. At this time we are not repainting them because currently Cortland Avenue between Coleridge Street and Peralta Street is under excavation for utility work. This work began June 6, 2005 and is scheduled for 120 days. After the utility work is completed Cortland Avenue is scheduled to be repaved beginning 7/1/2009. This is scheduled to last 150 days. DPT is not able to repaint the crosswalks at this time due to the underground utility work currently under construction.

Regarding your request to paint "ladder crosswalks", white ladder-style crosswalks are installed only at mid-block locations and generally at high pedestrian volumes crossing locations in front of hospitals or other major landmarks that attract pedestrians in large volumes. We evaluate requests for installing mid-block ladder crosswalks on a case by case basis. We want them to remain special emphasis markings. Yellow ladder-style crosswalks are generally painted within 600 feet of schools (K-12th grades only). This is in accordance with the State of California Vehicle Code Section 21368.

Motorists failing to yield the right of way to crossing pedestrians in crosswalks and failing to fully stop at Stop signs are San Francisco Police Department enforcement issues. We would encourage increased pedestrian safety enforcement along Cortland Avenue by the Police Department. By copy of this email we are referring this to the San Francisco Police Department Traffic Company. You also may contact the Traffic Company directly at 553.1625 or 553.1619.

Thank you for taking the initiative to work with us on these important traffic matters. If you have any further questions, please contact our Pedestrian Program Manager, Frank Markowitz, at 701-4442 or frank.markowitz@sfmta.com.

******************************************

XXXXX

Pedestrian Program Planner

Municipal Transportation Agency

1 South Van Ness, 3rd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94102-6033

415.701.4482

sam.fielding@sfmta.com

www.livablestreets.org

*******************************************

Mini-Park or Litter Box

One of the actions that came out of a recent Bernal neighborhood meeting was follow up with the Parks and Planning Commission to look into the state of the mini-park at the East end of Eugenia (@ Banks). This is the small park with poles of varying heights poking out of the sand.

Thanks for Captain Chignell, the Parks department sent a letter confirming that they have cleaned and painted the park. They also said that they are cleaning the park on a weekly basis.

I was down at the park this morning with my two year old.
Good news -- The poles have been painted.
Bad news -- More poop than ever.

The poop situation was so bad that I refused to let my son play in the park.

It looks to me that this mini-park is being used as a litter box.