Activism

Valencia Businesses Launch Petition Campaign Opposing Jack Spade

With Adobe Books packing up their 25-year-old 16th Street location, evicted financially by their landlord on behalf of Liz Claiborne's Jack Spade label, the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association is petitioning to keep the luxury men's store from moving into the location.

The organization is hoping to repeat the success of their outreach campaign against American Apparel, which successfully swayed the clothing manufacturer from opening on Valencia in 2009.

“American Apparel made the decision to abort their efforts to open up a retail store in the corridor [in response to community backlash],” Jefferson McCarley of Mission Bicycle told us. “We are hoping that when Jack Spade sees how strongly the community feels about this, they will also decide not to pursue this location here.”

Jack Spade's lease of 3166 16th Street reportedly begins on June 15th, but their opening date remains shrouded in secrecy.  As their move-in looms, the VCMA feels they have exhausted all other means to sway Jack Spade.  The company has refused to engage the local business community, declining through a media spokesman to meet with the organization and discuss alternative locations in the city.  Neighborhood Supervisors Wiener and Campos remain ambivalent towards the the store, and the Planning Department will not host a public meeting on the company, as it ruled the company does not meet the city's “formula retail” definition on a technicality that only 10 of their 13 locations are in the United States.

As Eileen Hassi of Ritual Roasters tells us:

Jack Spade is clearly formula retail by the SF Planning Department's definition, but unfortunately the way the law is written, it's not until AFTER the 11th [U.S.] location that a business is required to have a public hearing.  Without a public hearing, we have to find other means of getting the public's opinion and sharing it with the business and the Planning Department.  What better way than a petition?  It will show that it's a diverse cross-section of the population of the Mission, and of San Francisco, that is opposed to Jack Spade opening on the Valencia Corridor.

She adds:

I'm a fan of the [Planning Department's] hearing process.  I think it works.  I'm happy to say it worked with American Apparel, it worked with the Starbucks that just tried to go in to the Castro, on Market at Sanchez.  It's frustrating that Liz Claiborne/Jack Spade has figured out how to game the process.  It's no accident that this is their 11th US location.  I think the very fact that this multinational corporation figured out the loophole and exploited it should be a very clear message to the Planning Department that the ambiguity of the law should be corrected.

Many have received that message.  Following GANT's controversial opening in Hayes Valley, Supervisor London Breed proposed legislation that would count all worldwide locations when considering a chain's formula retail status.  However, that legislation only applies to Hayes Valley and would not affect Jack Spade.

Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose district includes the planned Jack Spade location, instead favors relaxing formula retail restrictions for the Mission District. Andres Power, legislative aide to the supervisor, has told VCMA members that Wiener would like to increase the allowable number of U.S. locations a store may have to 20.

Dema Grim from DEMA tells us that over 30 stores in the neighborhood are hanging posters promoting the petition in their windows.  At least 20 with host the petition on their sales counter.

The only public supporter the Liz Claiborne subsidiary has found is Phil Lesser of the Mission Merchants Association; however, Spade allegedly had to pay Lesser a hefty sum as a “permit expediter” to get his “blessing.”  The Mission Merchants Association is yet to take a position on the company, but their president, Casanova owner Don Alan, has reportedly told Jack Spade that “they would be unwelcome on the Valencia corridor” and “strongly suggested they look for alternate locations” in the city.

With so few legal options available to the VCMA, they hope that public opinion will convince Jack Spade to explore more commercial locations.

“I don't oppose Jack Spade,” Haley Lynn, manager of Five & Diamond, conceded. “I just oppose them moving into the Valencia Corridor.”

“The best part of San Francisco is all the different feelings in each neighborhood. Each neighborhood really identifies with a certain culture. That atmosphere is created by the merchants and residents in those areas. The Mission District is no exception: it is filled with so much rich, local flavor—people come here looking for a different vibe than they have experienced anywhere else. But if we have multi-national corporations like Jack Spade moving in to the Valencia Corridor, our neighborhood will lose its independent feeling.”

Mark Holcomb, a spokesman for Jack Spade, has not responded to our inquiries.

Distressingly Normal Day in Dolores Park Saved by Coordinated Bradley Manning Freedom Dance

Saturday was a strange day in Dolores Park.  The sun was strong and the crowds were out in force, but there wasn't a spectacle in sight.  Besides the usual cast of pushers and fluids salesmen fluttering about, everyone was just settling in for a grinding day of substance abuse and light sport.

No naked yoga, no dancing robots, not even a dog fight to bet on.  Even the drum circles were a sad pitter-patter of their former self.  It seemed as though all the weirdos had finally made good on their threats to flee The Neighborhood Facebook Built and moved to Oakland.

So as I settled into my third beverage and began accepting that I wouldn't see some misfit pageant reveal itself in front of 2,000 Twitter accounts, a dozen Bradley Manning supporters emerged from the crowd and proved me wrong.

They lined up in formation and goose-stepped their way through some chants, then broke out into what could be best described as a dance.  That's when the certified dude sitting in front of me, sporting a Berkeley tee and a UC Santa Barbara basketball shorts, turned to me and stole the show:

“Do you know who Bradley Manning is?”

My entire face slumped into a pitying glare.  This is the man who heroically made himself an enemy of the State Department and the San Francisco gay community.  What are they even teaching the youths at Berkeley anymore?

“Look, I didn't ask to be insulted, I just want to know who Bradley Manning is.”

“Okay, have you heard of WikiLeaks?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he's the dude that gave them a lot of their dirt.  Obama has him stashed in a military prison at Fort Meade.  Barry has even threatened to drone strike the entire base just to silence him, but the authorization is tied up in congressional committee.”

“Oh, cool. Thanks.”

He slurped up the last of his beer and ran out into the field to toss a football.  The freedom dancers wrapped up the show, huddled up, and made their way out of the park.

There wasn't a weirdo left in sight.

[Photo by Lindsay Eyink]

Smashing The Google Bus

After much hype from the neighborhood's anti-capitalist sect, I expected the so-called anti-gentrification block party to be somewhat of a show.  Instead, all that could be found around 2:30 in the afternoon were roughly 30-40 people surrounding an open-mic, a dozen or so taking advantage of the free food situation, about a million cops stationed around the neighborhood, and no visible smashings of the Google Bus piñata.  The scent of sage was strong, but the revolution was falling short.

Eventually, the victims did string up the piñata to a makeshift fishing pole and beat it mercilessly.  But all that fell out was anticlimax, as soon after SFPD rolled in and busted up the party.

Anyway, I was really hoping someone would Vine this, but this twit pic will have to do.

[Photo by Pink Edge]

Fearing Immigrant Protests, Apple Suspends Mission Shuttles

An anonymous Apple employee just sent us this internal advisory, asking:

Do you know anything about this? Is it protestors in general, or I wonder if it's anti-yuppie protest shit?

Via Twitter, it appears to be an immigrant rights protest:

Clearly, Apple is concerned about a repeat of last year's May Day chaos, or maybe protestors hitting the buses with bats in hopes of finding Skittles.

Anti-Gentrification Block Party to Provide Rare Opportunity to Beat Candy Out of Google Buses

I'm mostly interested in the “Google bus pinatas” (I love candy), but the rest of the copy reads:

In the last several decades, thousands of people have been displaced from the Mission District due to evictions, high rents, rising cost of living, transportation costs, and a lack of access to employment and education. In the last several years, rent for many has almost doubled. This Cinco de Mayo, (May 5th), join with Mission residents to speak out and gather to build a culture of resistance against gentrification in San Francisco and beyond.

Terrible…go back to Marin!

“Terrible…go back to Marin!” — this may as well be the headline for every Uptown Almanac post, but this time, it's apropos.

Some heroic Martin Luther type saw fit to deliver this “One Thesis” to an Earl-emblazoned garage door, decreeing that the dark ages of street art have no place in SOMA.

Zero stars!

Zero stars!

Not in our backyard.

Tonight: The Marriage Equality Rally to End All Marriage Equality Rallies

Admittedly, we don't post much about gay rights here at Uptown Almanac (although maybe we should), but we can't help but feel tonight's rally is especially important.

As you most certainly know, the US Supreme Court is set to hear the Prop 8 case tomorrow, and the DOMA case the following day—an issue which even DOMA-signatory President Clinton has endorsed overturning.  And while we're perfectly confident Chief Justice Roberts will flip and side with the bench's liberals, upholding the Ninth Circuit of Appeals' decision and overturning Prop 8, getting out there and showing the world We're Over It is nevertheless urgent.

Event co-organizer and friend of the blog Patrick Connors makes the case:

[LGBT and AIDS activist] Cleve Jones gathered a few of us (me included) to beat the drums and get people to participate in the March 4 Equality rally at Harvey Milk Plaza on Monday, March 25 (a day I refer to as SCOTUS Eve) followed by a march to City Hall (for the 2,000,000th time).

I'm being a bit sarcastic, but this could very well be the LAST time any organizing has to be done against Prop 8. This is the last chapter (knock on wood) and considering that DOMA is also on the chopping block, there is history—maybe even life changing history—about to be made.

So I'm encouraging EVERYONE who wants to make news to appear one last time for the photo op of all photo ops that will hopefully show the media/country/assholes of the world that many many many people are paying attention and eager to end this bullshit.

Of the 150+ sister events being held across the country, San Francisco's is set to be among the largest.  And the event has been endorsed from folks all over the local political spectrum, from Chris Daly to Scott Wiener to Dennis Herrera.

So there you go, folks.  End this bullshit.

[Facebook]

Protest Against "Racist Police Brutality" and Gentrification Scheduled Tomorrow

It's hard not to be mixed on this one.  On one hand, the video—which was originally published on SFist—of two motorcycle cops running a guy down and shoving his face in a 24th and Mission gutter gives me the chills, never mind raises a whole bunch of questions about police brutality and why SFPD refuses to discuss the matter publically.  Just watch:

But on the other, these protesters don't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to not breaking every window along Valencia Street.  And all the promotional materials for the event don't even pretend the discourage people from engaging in black bloc 'tactics'.  So it's hard to imagine digging out my best black bandana from my Container Storified closet and joining the mob.

Either way, board your windows! Charge your iPad! Pre-marinate your Israeli flag in gasoline! Livevine the shit out of everything!

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