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Burning man art to ‘Flock’ to Civic Center... |
Though several administration staffers are "burners," the plan to place "Flock," by Bay Area artist Michael Christian, at City Hall was embraced at the top.
Mike Farrah of the Mayor's Office said Newsom, who met with Burning Man founder Larry Harvey about collaborating on public art, directed his staff to expedite the installation.
"They showed [the mayor] ‘Flock' and he went crazy," Farrah said. "He loved it."
Christian said when he heard the news about plans for his sculpture, he said "wow."
He built the headless and gargantuan creature that resembles a kind of wandering tree in 2001. Christian said he expects mixed reviews in San Francisco, known for its finicky and conservative taste in public art.
"It won't be so readily accepted and people will say, ‘What the hell is that?' which is always good," he said.
Farrah said the mayor has embraced temporary pieces because it's easier "to push the envelope more" with them.
Leslie Pritchett, executive director of the Black Rock Arts Foundation, said the foundation's "mandate is temporary and interactive art that causes people to interact in ways they might normally not." She said no public funds will be used to install the work. Instead, the foundation plans to raise $12,000 to cover transportation, insurance, assembly, city fees and other expenses.
The first installation in the collaboration was an elaborate wooden temple by David Best at the end of Octavia Boulevard that enjoyed broad community support, Pritchett said.
For Newsom, though, it's unclear if he'll make it to Burning Man next year.
"I think there's a chance," Farrah said. "The job of running the city and county of San Francisco is an awesome one and the mayor would love to be able see that much art in one place and at one time, but in some ways, he's bringing that experience to the city."
A longtime San Francisco dentist was shot and killed on his way to work in Russian Hill on Thursday morning by a former patient who then turned the gun on himself, police said.
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Legislation meant to streamline San Francisco's labyrinthine planning process set off a new round of fighting at a hearing this week.
The 23-year-old mother who allegedly threw her three young sons into the Bay last week will return to court today in order to set a date for her preliminary hearing.
Kevin McGuinness, the allegedly drunken driver from a crash that took the life of a cabdriver and his passenger earlier this month, pleaded not guilty to murder Thursday.
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District Attorney Kamala Harris, joined by Supervisor Bevan Dufty and Police Department representatives, kicked off a public education campaign against hate crimes in anticipation of Halloween. The Castro District draws hundreds of thousands of revelers every year for the holiday, but The City has cracked down since 2002, when more than 100 people were arrested and several were stabbed. Thursday morning, local merchants and anti-violence advocates joined Harris as she distributed information to residents and merchants and hears their concerns.
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SO. SAN FRANCISCO — A 44-year-old resident of South San Francisco died in one of two injurious car crashes that occurred in a span of hours near the Mandalay Bay development, South City police and fire officials said Thursday.
SAN FRANCISCO — The 23-year-old mother who allegedly threw her three young sons into the Bay last week will return to court today in order to set a date for her preliminary hearing.
SAN BRUNO — Charities could be hit hard if the sale of "safe and sane" fireworks in the city is voted down in the upcoming Nov. 8 election.
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SAN MATEO — Police broke up an alleged international prostitution ring operating out of San Mateo and San Jose on Wednesday, arresting five people, seizing $375,000 in cash and bank accounts and bringing into custody 31 women who may have been the victims of human sex trafficking.
REDWOOD CITY — A San Carlos man with a history of duping the authorities was sentenced in Superior Court on Thursday to two years in state prison for a forgery operation to obtain the financial records of his former business partner.
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