13 Community 19 Real Estate 16 Calendar Supervisor: The year in Hometime: Houses December events: review and looking ahead should be homes 19 It’s time for your Macy’s to 2016 7 Wellness window-gazing, Union Food & Wine Street holiday lights view- Aging Gracefully: ing, and downtown ice Ernest Beyl: Time for Looking good at any skating. That, plus concerts, curry for Christmas 12 age 24 galas, films, and more. 16 MARINATIMES.COM CELEBRATING OUR 31ST YEAR VOLUME 31 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2015 Reynolds Rap A vote of disdain for Mayor Ed Lee How the accidental mayor turned the city into a playground for social media tech players BY SUSAN DYER REYNOLDS “The horns quieted. Lee stood meekly behind [Willie] Brown. He tugged at his baggy business suit, clasped and unclasped his hands. The most colorful thing about him is his moustache, which is brown. ‘Ed, if you want to sit down, it’s all right…’ Brown said, gesturing back toward a chair. Lee sat.” PHOTO: MEL ASHER; MELASHAR.COM — “The Power Broker” by Elizabeth Lesly Stevens, Washington Monthly, July/August 2012 Holidays the San Francisco Way hen an article called “The Power Bro- ker” ran in the July/August 2012 issue of BY EILEEN MITCHELL have made fireplaces all but obsolete. prepare to celebrate the holidays in true Washington Monthly, it was no surprise Yet, just because it feels like San Francisco style. Wthat the title referred to former San Francisco mayor ecember always brings to spring year-round doesn’t mean San Willie Brown. An in-depth look at the inauguration mind iconic holiday images Franciscans downplay the holidays. FAMILY FARE of Ed Lee after he was elected to his first full may- of windows framing snow- Come December, the City That Knows oral term, author Elizabeth Lesly Stevens pulled Dladen landscapes, children building How kicks into high gear with holiday 25th Annual Union Street Fantasy of no punches in pointing out Lee’s carefully crafted snowmen, and happy families events for every age, interest, and Lights Celebration ascent over a two-year period. The groundwork laid gathering around their wood- admirable cause. Saturday, Dec. 5, 3–7 p.m. by Brown, with help from longtime political pal and burning fireplace. Not so in sunny Have any doubts? Mark your 2040 Union Street Chinatown rabble-rouser Rose Pak, paid off, lead- California, where Spare the Air days calendar, don your reindeer cap, and HOLIDAYS, continued on 17 REYNOLDS RAP, continued on 4 Bellingham by the bay Hopes and fears at Christmas BY BRUCE BELLINGHAM Bruce?” Marcia asked on at Flicka McGurrin’s Pier the air. 29 restaurant. I was seated ack in June 1995, “Cronkite,” I explained, between two San Francis- 100,000 people “met Herb when they co legends: football great paraded down were both correspon- R.C. Owens and Carol BMarket Street to the dents during World War Doda, the woman who Ferry Building to see a II. They flew in B-25s, introduced topless danc- show honoring Herb Caen. on bombing runs over ing to the city, and to the The weather seemed Germany. They remained world. to approve. It was a gor- friends over the decades.” Carol was truly one- geous day. Not a cloud I recited that from of-a-kind. She died of in the sky. Joel Gray kidney failure last Some of the 65 horses and 45 artists of ODYSSEO, the latest show from the brought an orches- month at the age of internationally acclaimed entertainment company Cavalia. PHOTO: COLOR-ISH COMPANY tra from New York, 78. It seems indecent Huey Lewis and the To contradict to mark the age of News sang a capel- Walter Cronkite would a woman who was a la hits from the real survivor — inde- Odysseo: A visual treat of 1950s, and Walter have been worse than fatigable — getting Cronkite provided through the travail horses and humans praise for his old blasphemy. of working at Broad- friend, describing way’s Condor Club, BY LYNETTE MAJER into line just by human voice command his amazement at such memory, and I was very navigating mobsters, and body language. Acrobats twirl through a crowd turning out for a grateful when Cronkite hordes of lecherous men, dysseo is the most spectacu- suspended hoops, suspend themselves hor- newspaper columnist. told the same story and SFPDs vice squad, as lar show I’ve seen, and I thought izontally from poles on a carousel, and per- Marcia Brandwynne from the stage. Yikes. well as bearing the weight the first one, Cavalia, was special. form dizzying back flips across the stage. anchored a live broad- To contradict Walter of silicone-injected 44D ODemonstrating the horse-human bond, But for all the technical and human vir- cast on Channel 5. I was Cronkite would have breasts that were once some 40 horses interact with humans, who tuosity, it’s the horses that steal the show hired to provide color been worse than blas- insured by Lloyd’s of Lon- ride them, stand on them, jump them, and with their grace and beauty. Don’t miss it. commentary. phemy. … Later, lunch don. When Carol took perform other seemingly impossible feats Odysseo: Tue.–Sun. through Jan. 10, “What is Walter was served for a couple her top off that fateful on them. Horses wander in a forest, run AT&T Park; $44.50–$264.50, 866-999- Cronkite doing here, dozen guests on the patio BELLINGHAM, continued on 5 and splash in a lake, and then are brought 8111, cavalia.net MARINATIMES.COM MARINA TIMES DECEMBER 2015 1 Contents In This Issue 8 10 14 News Calendar Around the city December events News briefs on Rec and Parks We’ve got a special list of to-dos for December, Commission’s controversial go-ahead for from the symphony’s holiday presentations to three commercial contenders to become wreaths for the homeless to a walk/run. Or Palace of Fine Arts tenants, opponents how about a Star Trek Christmas? New Years of the new jail want a mental health cen- with Seth MacFarlane? Menorah lighting? We ter, the Apothecarioum gets to open in could go on, but that would only delay you the Marina, locals are displeased about from going to get the full calendar. 16 Lombard Street Safety Project, and the city prepares for a subway master plan. 3 At Home Community Urban Home & Garden Julia Strzesieski has tips for choosing, car- Violence and other crimes ing for, and disposing of your tree. 18 Supervisor Mark Farrell gives a year-in- review for 2015; plus, the crime report Real Estate tells you the wrong place to practice your Hometime is the best time tennis swing. 6 Susan Dyer Reynolds appreciates the timeless beauty of an S.F. Victorian; the Street Beat Roundup reports on Airbnb’s post-election Holidays on the Northside Community Compact, a blip in the luxury Lynette Majer gets to the heart of the home market, and the price of renting ver- holidays in the Marina-Cow Hollow; and sus buying; and Carole Isaacs offers a prim- John Zipperer reviews Ernest Beyl’s book er on parking and storage in the city. 19 on North Beach personalities. 8 Family and Wellness Food & Wine Planning ahead Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la Thalia Farshchian offers tips to pursue The Tablehopper has a roundup of great now to look younger later; and Liz Farrell places to get food this holiday season; Julie looks for gifts that won’t end up in the 24 Mitchell finds “a modern-day parlor for bottom of the toy closet. the bohemians, libertines, and freethinkers among us” at The Dorian; Ernest Beyl says Pet Pages forget about turkey and ham — have some Take a pittie home for the holidays good old’-fashioned Christmas curry this Mews Briefs reports on grooming safety year; and Kenneth Majer serves up some legislation, waived adoption fees for pit 10 fine holiday wines that do good. bulls, and the Bay Area Pet Fair; and Kickie kicks it at the Ritz. 26 Arts & Entertainment The yuletide broadcasts ONLINE SPECIALS Michael Snyder says that what he lacks in Evalyn Baron, the Coastal Commuter, the religious ferver he makes up for in devo- Weekend Traveler visits Monterey, extend- tion to heart-moving holiday TV fare; ed holiday calendar of events, and more. plus the Marina’s best sellers. 14 marinatimes.com marinatimes.com | 3053 Fillmore Street #104, San Francisco, CA 94123 Editorial: (415) 931-0515 | Fax: (415) 931-0987 | Letters to the Editor: [email protected] Advertising: (415) 815-8081 [email protected] Calendar submissions due by the 15th of the month to [email protected] Publisher Managing Editor Social Media Earl Adkins John Zipperer Shelia Fox [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Editor in Chief Senior Editor Designer Sara Brownell Susan Dyer Reynolds Lynette Majer Web Designer Joe Bachman [email protected] [email protected] MARINA TIMES IS A TRADE MARK OF JASMINE BLUE MEDIA LLC. 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