Community News
Scare Grove: What is it and Why Should You Go
By:Catherine Smith
Scare Grove is a free Halloween festival that the parks department organizes every October. Activities this year will include the usual carnival rides and games, arts and crafts, an SFPL bookmobile, a hay maze and a children's haunted house.
In the past, these activities have also included a haunted trail (a path that you can walk through where actors will hide behind trees and scare you), a house of mirrors, and onstage entertainment.
The haunted house used to be located in the iconic Trocadero Clubhouse until it was damaged in a storm in March 2023. According to SFGate, reconstruction began on it last March but it won’t be finished until the end of the year, leaving the venue temporarily closed to visitors.
However, while the opportunity to walk through the house is no longer available, the festival this year has set up a photo op in front of the house so people can take photos with the spooky-looking Victorian in the background.
On the logistical side of things, organizers recommend those planning to drive to the festival should also plan to arrive early as parking will fill up quickly and traffic may be bad. Attendees can also take the 28 or 23 buses or take advantage of the free bicycle valet parking at Wawona and 21st Avenue.
Sf Rec and Park has also been working as hard as they can to make the event as accessible as possible. While pets are not allowed, service and support animals are welcome. There will also be an ASL interpreter at the stage, a Sensory-friendly tent in the West Meadow, and 40 parking spots reserved for people with disabilities along Crestlake Drive at Vale Avenue.
Bring your family and your friends, put on your Halloween costume, and make your way down to Stern Grove this Friday night to celebrate the spooky season!
Fleet week 2024
By Azalya Andrews
Fleet Week is taking place next week in San Francisco.
Fleet Week is a yearly event that takes place in San Francisco and other states in October. It’ll last from Oct. 7 to 14 this year and is a very much-anticipated event by the people of San Francisco. Military jets and ships will be close to the Marina, but you’ll most likely be able to hear them from wherever you are in San Francisco! You’ll see them practicing in the sky as well, performing tricks like making shapes with their exhaust!
The first fleet week took place in 1981 when the mayor of the time, Dianne Feinstein, led the nation in celebrating the American sea services. It also takes place during Italian Heritage Week, another looked-forward-to event in San Francisco. Fleet week is an event to honor the armed forces' men and women.
Fleet week also takes place in New York City, it’s been an event there since 1984, this year it happened May 22 - 28. Their practices are similar to ours despite the difference in dates. The ships are docked at the bay and are on display to the public to tour and see. The jets fly above and put on a show for everyone below.
For San Francisco the event will take place in the Marina at the dock and in the field, there will be food, drinks, and many military vehicles to tour and even go inside. So much fun for kids!
Blue Angels - Mercury News
Sunset Mercantile Opens a Shop in the Inner Sunset
By Cate Smith
Inner Sunset Residents will be pleased to find out that the community organization, Sunset Mercantile, has opened a retail shop on Irving and 8th Avenue. The shop is called Sunset Mercantile Emporium and features local artisan-crafted goods and merchandise.
Sunset Mercantile Emporium had its grand opening this past month on Sunday, Sept. 1. Many Sunset Residents supported the new store, a combination plant shop, pet store, antique shop, clothing boutique, and general gift shop.
The goal of the store is to support local artisans and merchants in the Sunset and around San Francisco. Sunset Mercantile’s website describes the Emporium as a “hub for local makers and merchants representing the diversity of our neighborhoods and community.” Inside, you can shop for anything from stunning handmade vases to vintage vinyl records to gourmet ice cream to embroidered dog collars.
The Sunset Mercantile is the organization responsible for neighborhood events such as the Outer Sunset farmers market, the monthly Inner Sunset flea markets, and the recent night markets on Irving. The group was created in 2014 by two local moms to support local businesses and community members and organize more events for families in the Sunset. The opening of the Sunset Mercantile Emporium is a celebration of the group’s tenth anniversary.
This bright and sunny shop is a celebration of everything this community has to offer and encourages Sunset residents to support local businesses. With the holidays fast approaching, consider stopping by the Sunset Mercantile on the southeast corner of Irving and 8th to support the skilled makers in our community.
SF Marin Food Bank Hosts Watch Party for High Stakes Mayoral Forum
By Langston Montgomery
The San Francisco Marin Food Bank hosted a watch party at their site in Potrero Hill for the Mayoral Candidate forum on how to improve the quality of life of San Franciscans, on Sept. 30. The Watch Party was filled with volunteers, donors, and Board members, curious to see the stance of Mayoral Candidates on issues like Food Insecurity.
The SF Marin food bank’s watch party covered the debate in its entirety, however, the room was especially keen to hear the Mayoral Candidates’ response to the issue of food insecurity.
According to the SF-Marin Food Bank, 5% of meals needed in San Francisco are “unaccounted for” and in Mari, it's 15%. Given the organization's focus on solving these issues, there was palpable anticipation in the room when the moderator asked, “With soaring food prices and the general lack of affordability in San Francisco, how would you make sure the people are getting enough healthy and nutritious food?”
Aaron Peskin, District Three Supervisor and Board of Supervisors President was first to answer, “I cannot tell you how upset I am that the Board of Supervisors came together, increased the amount of funding for food pantries… only to have this Mayor not spend the additional $5 million that the Board of Supervisors allocated.”
Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors finalized a $15.9 billion budget, however, according to the SF Examiner, “tens of millions” of dollars were held up by the Mayor's office. $5 million allocated towards food initiatives was among the elements of the held-up budget.
The candidates continued to attack the incumbent mayor who was notably absent at the forum. Mark Farrell said, “I think it's a shame,” referring to the money held up by the mayor. Daniel Lurie praised SF Marin Food Bank calling it an “incredible organization,” and expressing how grateful he is for the organization.
After the forum ended, the watch party erupted in applause. This event reinforced the importance of the upcoming election and highlighted important issues affecting our city that must be addressed.
How Arsicault Bakery Became an Iconic San Francisco Staple
By Marco Li
Arsicault Bakery, a humble establishment tucked away in San Francisco’s Richmond District, rose to fame when Bon Appétit declared it “America’s Best Bakery” in 2016. Known for its crazy flaky croissants, this small bakery suddenly found itself at the center of virality.
Opened by Armando Lacayo in 2015, Arsicault started as a quiet neighborhood spot, offering high-quality, handcrafted pastries inspired by French tradition. Lacayo, who named the bakery after his great-grandparents’ last name in France, carefully perfected his croissants over the years, focusing on using premium butter, precise laminating techniques, and traditional French methods to achieve the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
Despite its humble beginnings, Arsicault’s reputation for buttery, golden croissants spread rapidly through word-of-mouth. The small bakery’s quiet days came to an abrupt end when Bon Appétit recognized it as “America’s Best New Bakery” in 2016, bringing national attention to Lacayo’s craft. The magazine praised the croissants as “preposterously flaky,” “impossibly tender,” and “so deeply golden that the underside is nearly caramelized" (Bon Appétit).
With that recognition, lines quickly began forming outside the bakery. One memorable morning, it was only 10 a.m., and the pastry cases were nearly empty. Owner Armando Lacayo, looking worn from the sudden demand, came out to address the customers who were still waiting in line. “I’m very sorry, but I don’t think we’ll have anything left for you,” he said to those at the back, his French-accented voice full of regret. “Believe me, I’ll work even harder tomorrow” (Rosh).
Though the initial buzz has calmed since that whirlwind moment, Arsicault remains a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists alike. Lacayo’s dedication to traditional techniques and fresh ingredients remains the cornerstone of the bakery’s success, proving that quality and passion can transform a small, unassuming bakery into one of the very best in the nation.
COZY NIGHTS AT THE CLEMENT NIGHT MARKET
By Annie Sablosky
The fourth and final day of the Clement night market occurred on foggy Saturday, Sept. 21. Different small businesses from all of San Francisco were present and stretched for three blocks between 22nd and 25th Avenue on Clement. This was a great way to talk to and buy from business owners and workers and celebrate the diverse culture of our city.
Live music was played, the last light of the sun shone through the low fog, children were running around, and workers at different booths were smiling at the walking passerby.
Since my friend and I only had $15 between the two of us, we had to be smart when trying to appease our rumbling stomachs. We passed by a pizza booth and immediately succumbed to the warm dough smell wafting towards us.
We finished our pizza and decided to enter the “Book Mobile”, which we had passed by upon our arrival. After walking up the narrow and steep stairs into the four foot by ten foot van, I was able to paraouse the full bookcases on both sides. Inside the van, the music and laughter was only slightly audible, which made it feel like a quiet nook in the celebration of our city.
In my final glance backward toward the booths, I couldn’t help but admire the event around us. Although the booths were starting to pack up, live music was all around, and people of all ages walked hand in hand, which made this feel like a true representation of our community.
Autumn Heatwave Hits San Francisco
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024: Must-See Acts in Golden Gate Park
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024: Must-See Acts in Golden Gate Park
By Kaitlyn Tat
The beginning of autumn has marked high temperatures in San Francisco, California.
The city is known for its foggy, chilly weather. However, this week, temperatures skyrocketed to the 80s.
Temperatures Rise
Be aware of warmer temperatures throughout this week. Tuesday has been the hottest day so far, as temperatures reached up to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. A heat advisory has been put into place until Saturday.
Why?
This week’s heat is caused by the wind blowing from the inland towards the coast.
Thoughts
The current heatwave has made me feel surprised and uncomfortable, but I feel slightly “immune” to this heat after spending my summer in unique climates.
“The weather was quite hot this week, but it was not as bad as I expected it to be. The breeze was quite nice, but standing outside for too long made me a bit frustrated.” Joey Ng said.
Recommendations
To cope with the weather, it’s important to wear the right clothing. I prefer wearing tube tops, tank tops, short-sleeve tops, shorts, and linen pants. I usually show up to school bringing a jacket or sweater of some sort, so I didn’t have to do that this week. If you’re worried about the possibility of the weather getting colder, I’d recommend bringing a light cardigan or a linen long-sleeve button-up jacket. Stay hydrated and avoid strenuous activities from 2 to 4 p.m.
What to Buy?
- A portable fan.
- Over SPF 30+ sunscreen. There’s a sunscreen for everyone. I use the Glossier SPF 50 Invisible Sheild Daily Sunscreen ($32) for my face. Its consistency is a clear cream, which primes your skin for makeup and doesn’t leave a white cast. For my body, I use the Sun Bum SPF 70 Premium Moisturizing Sunscreen Spray ($18.49). Its consistency is clear and doesn’t leave a white cast as well. Make sure to blend well, and it is water resistant for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I keep the ELF SKIN SPF 45 Suntouchable All Set For Sun Sunscreen ($14) in my bag’s emergency kit. During days we don’t feel like doing our skincare, the REFY SPF 50 Skin Trio ($46) serves as a serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen, leaving a glowy finish. If you like tinted sunscreen, I love the Saie SPF 35 Slip Tint Sunscreen ($36). It both primes and sets your makeup. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating.
- ELF Stay Cool Primer Stick ($7) leaves your skin refreshed before makeup.
- Blotting paper is great for absorbing oil and sweat from your skin. I keep the The Crème Shop Hello Kitty Mattifying Blotting Paper ($12) in my bag’s emergency kit as well.
- Facial spray. I recently ran out of my Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray ($12 to $68). The mini one ($12) is great for on-the-go.
- Tanning skincare. My favorite brands are Bali Body, Sun Bum, and Carroten.
- Caps, especially the ones from Brandy Melville.
- Sunglasses. I have gone through so many black oval sunglasses, so I would recommend getting one under $10.
- Water bottles. I bring one with me everywhere I go. Recently, I’ve been eyeing the Lululemon Pink Glow Back to Life Sport Bottle 24oz Straw Lid ($48).
Activities
Remember that it’s autumn, and this weather is temporary. It’s the perfect time to visit a local beach, water park, or pool. Since tanning is one of my hobbies, I would recommend taking advantage of this weather to tan when the UV is above 3 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
Stay safe and hydrated during this time!
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024: Must-See Acts in Golden Gate Park
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024: Must-See Acts in Golden Gate Park
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024: Must-See Acts in Golden Gate Park
By Audrey Parker
This weekend will mark the 24th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. The event, held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, is a free three-day festival that brings together dozens of folk and bluegrass artists. This year's lineup is full of tribute sets and unique collaborations that are sure to draw crowds. Here’s who to see each day:
On Friday, music lovers can look forward to Steve Earle and other prominent folk artists paying tribute to songwriter Lucinda Williams in their “Songs From A Gravel Road” set. Williams, who played one of San Francisco's free Stern Grove concerts this summer, has continued touring the country despite suffering a stroke three years ago. Later in the evening, festival goers can make their way to Cat Power’s Bob Dylan cover set, highlighting a few of the famed songwriter’s biggest hits, including “Like a Rolling Stone” and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.”
Saturday afternoon, gospel singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples will take the stage in Hellman Hollow. Born in 1939, Staples began her career with her family’s band, of which she is now the last surviving member. Shortly following Staples, Cunningham Bird will pay tribute to Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s 1973 album “Buckingham Nicks,” written prior to them both joining Fleetwood Mac. Cunningham Bird is a Grammy-nominated duo made up of Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham.
To conclude the weekend, Sunday’s lineup will include a celebration of Big Star’s “Radio City” album’s 50th anniversary. Although the band is now broken up, Big Star’s original Drummer, Jody Stephens, will play alongside R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, the Posies' Jon Auer, and Wilco’s Pat Sansone. Yo La Tengo, an indie-rock band formed in New Jersey in 1984, will also play on Sunday. As for the closing act, Emmylou Harris, who has headlined Hardly Strictly since 2001, will once again do the honors.
This year’s Hardly Strictly has a full schedule of special acts that can’t be missed. The festival always draws in festival-goers from all around the Bay Area, benefitting our small businesses and schools, such as George Washington High School. Each year during the festival Washington opens its parking lot to festival-goers for $50 a day. This tends to be one of Washington’s highest-grossing fundraisers every year, taking in thousands of dollars to be used for school events and projects.
San Francisco L Line Finally Returns After 5-Year Rebuild Plan
San Francisco L Line Finally Returns After 5-Year Rebuild Plan
San Francisco L Line Finally Returns After 5-Year Rebuild Plan
By Aedan Wong
The San Francisco’s L-Taraval Muni line returns after a five-year intermission due to a major rebuild project. The L-line officially reopened on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. During the rebuild, the L Line received many new upgrades and improvements. Mostly revolving around the comfort of passengers and the safety of pedestrians.
The L Taraval line was first introduced in 1919. It allowed transit from the Sunset through the Twin Peaks and ended in the Embarcadero. This allowed passengers to have access to many parts of San Francisco. How has the L impacted the San Francisco community? Over the years, the L has had mixed feelings from the community. People felt the tracks were unreliable, dangerous, and uncomfortable to ride on. Building off of the negatives from the community, the majority of the pedestrian crossings were hardly visible; overhead wires were rusting, exposed, worn out, and poorly maintained.
In 2015, SFMTA reached out to the community to conduct research and gather information about the L line and ways to improve it. Meetings, surveys, ambassadors, and more were all implemented to get feedback from the community. In December 2017, The Bored approved the modifications and was set to start construction in 2018 but was delayed due to a new virus, COVID-19. Construction instead started in 2019 and went on until 2024. Things fixed in the rebuild were improved tracks, sidewalk bulb-outs, and more visible colors for people to see. After five years of rebuilding the L Taraval, it is finally back and allows everyone in the San Francisco community to ride to their heart's content.
Bay Area Fall Festivities
San Francisco L Line Finally Returns After 5-Year Rebuild Plan
San Francisco L Line Finally Returns After 5-Year Rebuild Plan
By Sophia Manuel
Are you looking for something festive to do this October? There are many events occurring across the Bay Area this month!
In San Francisco, you’ll find Clancy’s Pumpkin Patch, San Francisco’s very first pumpkin patch. Complete with a corn maze and hayride, Clancy’s has locations by the Zoo and UCSF Parnassus.
In late October, at Fort Mason, you’ll find the Guardsmen Pumpkin Patch selling festive foods and pumpkins. Proceeds from the pumpkin patch support “at-risk youth.”
The Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off is Oct. 14 in Half Moon Bay. Last year’s winning pumpkin broke the world record at 2,749 lbs.
Half Moon Bay, dubbed the “World Pumpkin Capital,” hosts the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 19 and 20. The festival kicks off with a pancake breakfast and costume contest, followed by a parade and pie-eating contest. The parade, led by Grand Marshall Matt Williams from the San Francisco Giants, is at noon on Saturday. On Sunday, you can join the Annual Pumpkin Run or visit the “Picasso of Pumpkin Carvers.” The festival has a giant TV dedicated to playing live sports, thousands of handcrafted items for sale, live music, and festive foods.
Petaluma Pumpkin Patch and Amazing Corn Maze was named one of the top pumpkin patches in the United States by the New York Times.
At Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, you’ll find the world record-holding corn maze, covering 63 acres. Cool Patch Pumpkins is home to "a giant pool of corn,” called a “corn bath.”
In Livermore, you’ll find Joan’s Farm and Pumpkin Patch, including a snack shack (with pumpkin pie!), a maze, pumpkin bowling, an Old West Town scene, goats, and a farm equipment museum.
Morgan Hill is home to “Pumpkin Blasters,” which launch pumpkins into the sky from a cannon. The Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch includes a corn maze, cow train, and hayride.
Project 2025: Alarming Path to Education
By: Kim Brian Canin
As we approach the 2024 presidential election, there is a looming threat, a political initiative, that could potentially reshape America's education. Project 2025 is a a federal policy agenda established by the former Trump administration officials in partnership with the Heritage Foundation. Project 2025 aims to transform the current regime of United States to a traditional society implemented with conservative policies which includes: restricting LGBTQ rights, prohibiting abortion and stricter immigration laws. However, what exactly does this project entail, and how will it affect the vital landscape of learning?
Threats to Public Education
One of the most frightening aspect of Project 2025 is the dismantling the Department of Education. The plan seeks to cut federal funding for public schools, undermine civil rights enrollment and completely prevent various students from getting equal educational oppurtunity by demolishing the institution. The DOE has different essential programs that aid students ensuring equal access to free-lunch and quality resources such as textbooks and advanced courses regardless of gender, race, sexuality and disability. Additionally, the project aims to discontinue the Title 1 program which provides funding for low income students. In relation, 13.4% of children in California lived in poverty or with low income in early 2023. These potential effects could lead to important disparities in educational quality throughout the nation. The extremist agenda (Project 2025) also proposed to fund private schools using tax dollars (money cut by lowering the fund of public schools). The creation of Parental Bill of Rights would be possibly implemented which aims to give parents more control over their children’s education (This would mean parents could decide the curriculum). Lastly, Project 2025 proffered to end topics taught in schools that are considered “woke”; this includes the history of slavery, gender, and LGBTQ studies.
Threats to Individuals in schools
Project 2025 and its core values are being criticized as “concerning” and “too conservative” by various individuals in schools. These values include suppressing free-speech, banning abortion, and suppressing immigrant and LGBTQ rights. In an interview with a student from GWHS, Jamin Cortez, she states, “As an immigrant, it pushes freedoms at risk especially towards fellow immigrants and the LGBTQ, which would inherently restrict their learning capabilities”. Jazmin pushed a common rhetoric among the teachers which are also potentially impacted by the project. In an interview with Mr. David Ko (Ethnic Studies and APUSH Teacher) he offers a statement about his concerns on the project, “The privatization of institutions such as the schools would cut essential services for teachers and agenda 67 which aims to fire experts in field of climate change and greenhouse gas reduction are both my main concerns”. Project 2025 could lead to public school teachers’ income to plummet down in a huge amount. In addition to Mr. Ko’s statement about agenda 67, environmentally harmful programs discontinued such as the Arctic Drilling would be perpetuated if Project 2025 is implemented.
Education is an important aspect which fosters our critical thinking, empathy, and overall development needed for the future. Project 2025, a presidential transformation plan that would be implemented by Trump, could likely reshape the education system we have now backwards. As 2024 election comes to its ultimate conclusion, its crucial for us to take account our decisions as citizens, for our nation.
SFUSD’s School Closure Announcement Delayed
By: Kaitlyn Tat
Concerns Over SFUSD’s School Closure Announcement Delay
The San Francisco Unified School District’s announcement to close select schools has been delayed until October 2024, concerning parents, students, and employees. The announcement was initially supposed to be released on Sept. 18, 2024. For superintendent Matt Wayne, the process of closing and merging schools is complicated.
Wayne’s Plans for the Future
Wayne’s reasoning for the mass closures is to improve the experiences for students and teachers. “By aligning the number of schools we operate with our current enrollment, SFUSD can manage resources more effectively and ensure every school is fully enrolled and well-supported. While having fewer schools may reduce our operating costs, the primary focus is on creating better learning environments for all students, not budget cuts,” Wayne said on Sept. 19, 2024. Serving 49,204 students across 120 schools, SFUSD’s budget for the 2024-2025 school year is $1.3 billion.
A High School Student’s Perspective
I interviewed Sherry Li for her input as a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School. Living in the Bayview neighborhood, the commute to school takes her 47 minutes via bus each day. It gets tiring at times, but doing her homework and reading gives her an escape from the bus ride.
“I don’t think that my high school has a possibility of closing in the near future. However, if it were to close, the closest high school to my home is Thurgood Marshall High School, and I definitely do not want to go there.” Compared to other neighborhoods in the city, the Bayview lacks public funding, primarily towards education. Many of my friends living in this area commute across town each day to get to school.
Li and I had a conversation regarding the schools at risk of closing in the future. We predicted that smaller schools would be affected, such as The Academy, June Jordan School for Equity, and Downtown High School. “I think it would be much more difficult for larger high schools to close down, so I don’t think they’re at risk of closing down, hopefully,” said Li, “I’d be really bummed to transfer schools if that was the case. It would be like my first day of high school all again. I have friends at other schools, but I feel a closer connection to my friends and teachers here at Lincoln. My AP Statistics teacher last year, Ms. Manuel has been such a great influence to me.”