DOING GOOD

Community Bands Together in Support of Dude Who Doesn't Even Know His Car Has Been Smashed Yet

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Around 2am the other night, some madman came barreling down Capp Street, tires a' screeching, slamming into what sounded like no fewer than countless cars.  This was the scene of one collision, with much of its plastic paneling on the ground.

But good samaritans were on the scene to call 911 and record plate numbers, bringing rightful justice to someone who clearly can't drive for shit.  And even better?

The vultures were there to swoop in and offer up their bone-picking services.

(I also had the exact same thing happen to my old car on the same block of Capp in the middle of the night years ago.  Only no one was there to record the plate number, thus sticking my insurance company with the $2,700 repair bill.  I ditched that damn car two weeks later, leaving only to worry about bike thieves and shit drivers turning my personage into a hood ornament.)

Wells Fargo Donating $25k to Help the Businesses 'Vandalized by the 99%'

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Following all the damage done to some 30 Valencia Street businesses on the May Day Riots, Wells Fargo (a bank known for foreclosing homes of San Francisco residents) is donating $25k to aid the businesses vandalized in said riot.  SF Weekly reports:

Tired of being the 99 percent's enemy, Wells Fargo released the money along with this statement from Michael F. Billeci, president of Wells Fargo's San Francisco Bay Region:

“As San Francisco's hometown bank, Wells Fargo is passionate about supporting the communities where we live and work, and it's important to help our local merchants make the repairs they need to reopen for business and serve their customers again. Helping small businesses right here in the Mission is a win for everyone in the community.”

No matter how angry they are personally with Wells Fargo, merchants were pleased with the bank professionally. In fact, some merchants went as far as to call the big bank “caring,” and “generous.”

“Many small businesses in the Valencia Corridor don't have the cash reserves to handle unexpected expenses like vandalism,” said Deena Davenport, president of the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association.  “Wells Fargo's generosity will provide timely access to capital to help our merchants open for business again.”

Good on Wells Fargo for helping out, but the fact they're injecting politics and public relations into a community issue is a tad unsettling, if not disingenuous.

[Pic by Justin Beck]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Portlandia to Headline 826 Valencia's 10th Anniversary Party

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Should you have a spare $200 dollars lying around, you can catch a real life glimpse of Portlandia's sketch comedy at 826 Valencia's 10th anniversary fundraiser, which is hella peculiar since Valencia Street (and especially 826) is pretty much ground zero for the shit the show makes fun of.  They might as well rename the show Valenciaia.  Or something.

But I digress.

If you're anything like me, you probably scoffed at the $200 price tag.  And maybe that's justified.  But do keep in mind that this is a fundraiser for a noble non-profit that helps The Kids learn to write and get stoked about literature, so it's not like you're just dropping bank on something you could download for free.

Anyway, it goes down April 18th at the St. Regis Hotel downtown.  Hosted by Dave Eggers and co-hosted by a dude actually named “Rich Kid Cool.”

Get yer tickets.

Mother Jones Reporting Live From Mission High

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Mother Jones Magazine has launched a new education blog that is focusing on Mission High.  Kristina Rizga explains:

Over the next few months, [Titania Kumeh] and I will be exploring American education trends through the hyperlocal lens of Mission High School, one of San Francisco's lowest-performing—though rapidly improving—urban public high schools. Instead of writing another shocker on the achievement gap, we'll ask students at Mission High and other inner-city schools what really works to help them to succeed. Instead of another diatribe on “value-added testing,” we'll report from real classrooms on what star teachers do. And instead of obsessing about fights between school chiefs and teacher union reps like Michelle Rhee and Randi Weingarten, we'll talk to teachers about their own employment contracts and tenure concerns. Don't get me wrong—we'll still cover the studies, talk to the experts, and report on conferences. But we'll let the realities of every-day life in schools be the primary driver of our coverage, rather than reactions to the latest reports, donation announcements, or accusations.

Read on.  Or, if education and political issues isn't you thing, check out their tour of Mission High featuring pictures of REALLY HAPPY looking staff and chillingly accurate descriptions of high school life that make me really glad I never have to set foot into a classroom again.