February was a bit of a banner month on Haight Street as businesses closed fast and others started to slowly come back.
Three businesses closed their doors--El Balazo (1654), Martin Macks (1566) and Pure Beauty (1560)--with only one reopening--Martin Macks, under new management and a boycott by the old management.
Two other businesses, closed in an August fire--True (1417) and People's Cafe (1419)--showed some small signs of life as workers cleared out the remains of the ashes, slowly making their way to rehabilitation.
While the drama centered on the intra-owner fight at Martin Macks--with one owner filing legal action against another and then taking possession and replacing the staff while the original owner announced a boycott, the real mystery centers on the abrupt closing of El Balazo, the popular Mexican restaurant.
None of its business neighbors has a clue as to why it closed, literally overnight. Work was underway on an ADA compliant elevator to its mezzanine. Some customers had thought that perhaps that expense pushed the business over the edge. Others speculated on ICE busts which had happened before but not recently. No one knows why the popular eatery closed. It's simply gone.
Read more ...
Effective January 14, Capatain Denis O'Leary left as Commanding Officer of Park Station, replaced by Captain John Feeney. Captain O'Leary has assumed command of the Department's Traffic Company, based at 850 Bryant.
A 25-year career officer in the S.F. Police Department, Captain Feeney is familiar with the Haight Ashbury Community, having served as a Lieutenant for 17 months at Park Station during a 1991-92 assignment. He was promoted to Captain one-and-a-half years ago and worked directly with two Chief of Police administrations.
Captain Feeney met with HANC at our February meeting. The following day, this language appeared in the emailed Park Police District Newsletter, "Last night I met with HANC, and enjoyed meeting everyone who attended the meeting. The issue of traffic safety throughout the Park Police District was discussed at length. I made the following statement: 'We at Park Station are not waging war against bicyclists, motorists, skateboarders, or pedestrians; we are, however declaring war on behalf of traffic safety.'. . ."
Since then there have been two traffic sting operations. Motorists were cited for not stopping for pedestrians in the crosswalk at Beulah and Stanyan, and cyclists were cited for running stop signs and not watching for pedestrians along the Wiggle.
The website for the Park Police Station is here. To subscribe to the Park Station's email newsletter, you can follow a link from the Park Station's website, or simply send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line "Subscribe me to Park Station."