WESTSIDE BSERVER VOLUME 25 • NUMBER 10 O December 2012 / January 2013 It’s Norman Yee by a Nose Lake Merced By Christopher L. Bowman Santa Claus n a race which wasn’t decided until several days after the polls closed, School Board Jerry Cadagan member Norman Yee beat Labor leader F. X. Crowley by just 132 votes in District 7. – 2 IThe race was decided by Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), Yee received only 39.84%, a plurality, not a majority of the vote, with 60.16% of the voters in District 7 not choosing Yee as their first, second or third running, that shift of more than 13 to 11.66% for choice for Supervisor. points was enough to put Yee over the district-wide Don’t Say I Didn’t Yee’s victory came as some- the top when all the first, second, vote at the polls. thing of a surprise to those who and third choice votes were tallied. The vote in Tell You closely observed the reporting of One explanation for this shift was Parkmerced and Quentin Kopp the early absentee ballots on elec- that Yee and the minor candidates at SFSU repre- tion night. In the initial report, had a better GOTV effort than the sented a strong – 3 Yee and the four minor candidates other four candidates in the race. progressive tilt aligned with Yee received just The vote in five precincts of and also a pro- 37.14% of the first choice votes. As Parkmerced and San Francisco test vote against District 7 Supervisor-elect Norman Yee the vote count continued on elec- State University was also instruc- Mike Garcia who Laundry List tion night and in the days after tive of the ultimate district-wide strongly supported the Parkmerced for SFPUC the election, Yee and his allies per- results. project (which tenants feared would formed better than they did in the F.X Crowley and Norman Yee cause their displacement). Steve Lawrence early absentees, and when at the received roughly the same percent- The Department of Elections – 4 end the provisional ballots were age of the votes as they did district- has provided a detailed analysis of processed and those which were wide in the vote at the polls, 22.56% how the votes of the various can- found valid were counted, Yee and and 28.22%, respectively in those didates transferred in District 7 his allies had 50.95% of those votes. five precincts, which constitute 8% under RCV. (Please see the table FX Crowley Louise Rennie’s Given the distribution of sec- of District’s vote, but Mike Gar- below.) ond and third choice votes of voters cia received only 10.02%, and the Candidates were eliminated “Foundation” whose first or second choice can- combined total for the four minor from consideration in the oppo- Patrick Monette- didates were eliminated from the candidates was 24.88% compared site order in which they placed, and when the combined totals Shaw CANDIDATE 1st Choice GR LG AB JL BS JE MG Final for specific candidates would –5 not add up to the next per- NORMAN YEE 9182 69 124 177 407 238 987 1321 12505 son in the ranking, several FX CROWLEY 7746 61 76 184 144 413 1085 2664 12373 Farewell Elsbernd candidates were eliminated MIKE GARCIA 5512 44 86 149 172 333 1177 -3488 at the same time, but the data Mike Garcia remain separate for the pur- George Wooding’s JOEL EngARDIO 4168 40 84 140 170 241 -1594 pose of analyses. Interview BOB SQUERI 1545 47 32 0 0 -399 Of the 31,385 first choice –5 JULIAN LAGOS 1091 81 157 0 -436 votes cast for the nine candi- dates for Supervisor in Dis- ANDREW BLEY 825 100 147 -422 trict 7, 14,457 first choice Lynn GAVIN 719 84 -97 votes did not go to F.X. Crow- Is Our Vote ley or Norman Yee. Of the GLEnn ROGERS 597 -71 Really Safe? 14,457 voters who cast first Red #s = Exhausted Ballots plus Over Votes (where voters voted for more than three choices for Supervisor.) Cont. p. 6 Joel Engardio Tony Hall – 10 Pacific Rod & Gun Club: Such a Deal Award-winning Journalism Who will pay for the cleanup still unclear in the Neighborhood By Keith Burbank ho’s paying to clean up the My Two Cents/Will Durst. 4 W$10.7 million in environmental damage at Letters to the Editor . .4 Lake Merced? It’s unclear. Money Matters. 8 But the San Francisco Pub- Captain’s Message. 8 lic Utilities Commission and the club negotiated a Parks Bond . 9. settlement agreement last month that will keep PR&GC at the Lake. Revenue Bond Oversight . 9 19th Ave Disruptions . .9 The SFPUC approved the settlement during a Closed Session … It’s Winter Faire at Orexi Opens. 11 recommended by the Rules Committee November 15, at another Whistleblowers . 11. Closed Session and has to be approved by the full Board of Supervi- Stonestown’s Farmers Market WOTP Central Council . 11. sors, where the opportunity for public comment is, again, unlikely… fter four years the Sunday Farmers December 4, Supervisor Elsbernd said. Market at Stonestown has become a Around the Town . 13. Aweekly shopping ritual for neighbors Dickens Fair . 15 . of the Westside. Crowds of customers begin to The disagreement that led to club – in place in the 1970s and Calendar . 15. roam the back parking lot from 9am to 1pm, the settlement concerns the envi- early 80s – may pay for some or all attracted by approximately 50 booths offer Jack Kaye . .16 . ronmental damage caused by lead of the costs, Ritchie said. “The big- local fresh fruits and vegetables, many certified shot and a petroleum binder used gest question regarding the cleanup At the Movies. 17 organic, as well as bakery goods, food booths, in clay targets, Steve Ritchie, assis- is how much funding the club can and trucks catering to exotic tastes or more On Stage/Theater . .17 tant general manager for water at contribute,” he added. familiar fare. There are also artisan wares and Sharon the Health . 19 the SFPUC said. The targets were The idea that the gun club may gifts from local and California artists. Though used for skeet shooting. Both con- have to move would make at least Remember When . 20. officially closed at 1:00 PM, the crowds often taminants are no longer in materials one SF resident happy. “It’s a very continue to frequent vendors even as they are Open Late . .20 used at the club. The club stopped strong noise disturbance …and breaking down, and shop until 2:00 PM and using the lead shot in 1994, and the they are not serving the public rec- Sudoku \ Brain Füd . 20. sometimes later. contaminated ducks in 2000, Ritchie reationally,” said Felicia Zeiger, who For Grace Terisi and her daughter Kather- Kocivar on Education . 21 said. lives within walking distance from ine, who operate a certified organic boutique Real Estate Question Man . .22 But if the club does not pay Lake Merced. Zeiger said the mem- farm in San Juan Batista, the morning starts bership of the club has not grown at Real Travel . 23 for the cleanup, then the SFPUC long before dawn as the vegetables are har- may have to pass along those costs all, or not very much, yet the popu- vested, packed into boxes and on the truck by lation in the surrounding area has. www.westsideobserver.com to its customers. It’s unclear if the Cont. p. 3 insurance policies held by the gun Cont. p. 6 Page 2 December 2012 / January 2013 Lake Merced Update the two agencies to work out a modifica- And while Rec & Park was raking in tion of the ill-advised 1950 resolution in the money over the years, its performance order to give SFPUC greater management while “occupying, using and improving Will Santa Deliver for Lake Merced ? responsibility. They have failed to do so. Lake Merced for recreational and park By Jerry Cadagan The result of all this has been that purposes” would have made Scrooge since 1950, Lake Merced has acted as a proud. Here are just a few of the lowlights – s we approach the Christmas Season what would veritable 365 day a year Christmas tree • As early as March 1988 Urban Park Lake Merced recreationists and activists like to have for Rec & Park. It has collected rent from Concessionaires, the concessionaire at Santa Claus put under their Christmas tree? We’d A tenants, with the annual rents collected the lake, was writing letters to Rec & love to see a simple Christmas card from the Recreation by Rec & Park of late being $77,100. It Park asking for assistance in dealing and Park Department, acknowledging that it has performed has collected permit fees from picnick- with the declining water levels at the poorly for the past 62 years as co-manager at Lake Merced, ers and others with the total fees collected lake. Rec & Park routinely ignored such and that it is now prepared to relinquish its co-management in 2011 being $15,294. (There is a seri- requests. role at the lake, other than management of Harding Park ous question whether Rec & Park has the • Rec & Park has been the manager of golfing and the Natural Areas Program. Here’s a very abbre- legal authority to issue permits and col- the month-to-month lease with Pacific viated summary of the most important facts. lect fees at the lake because Rec & Park’s Rod & Gun Club (PRGC) from 1950 permitting authority is limited to activi- until very recently.