Note: For additional stories about the west side of San Francisco, see the new issue of the Richmond Review.

Police Blotter/Sunset Spotlight

Irving St. Merchants Flustered Over New Goodwill Location

Local merchants expressed concerns when they got word this past November that Goodwill Industries International, Inc. plans to move into a retail space at 2400 Irving St.

Fur flies over controversial feral cat release program

When Tom and Terry O'Connell reported a feral cat in the backyard of their Sunset District home to the San Francisco SPCA, the couple was ruffled by the animal nonprofit's response. The SPCA told the O'Connells, both retired city employees, that they would provide a cage to trap the feral cat, have it neutered at its clinic and then release it back to the couple's yard, where it would continue to access food from neighboring areas.

Merchants Oppose Longer Meter Hours
Plan to Extend Hours Would Impact Residents' Parking, Too

A proposal to extend the hours that parking meters charge fees is creating an uproar among some merchants and residents in the Sunset District, while at the same time creating an unusual alliance of organizations that support the idea.

PUC wants to drill for drinking water

Officials of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) unveiled a plan on Nov. 16 to replace 10 percent of drinking water for the west side of the city, from north of the Richmond District down to the Daly City line, with groundwater by 2013.

New Captain Takes Helm at Taraval Police Station

Capt. Denise Schmitt's first week as commanding officer of Taraval Station began on a positive note with a good arrest; the perpetrator of a robbery committed on Nov. 14 was identified and arrested within 24 hours of the crime.

Lincoln Teacher's Secret to Success: Keep Lessons Interesting, Relevant

Valerie Ziegler, a U.S. History teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School, was named a 2010 California Teacher of the Year out of 310,000 public school teachers statewide. She was one of five selected and the first teacher ever to win from Northern California and the San Francisco Unified School District since the award began in 1972.

Columns:

Supervisor Carmen Chu: Muni, Traffic Changes

John M. Lee: Real Estate Year in Review