Dispatch from The Golf War: People of SF win another Sharp Park battle

The Wildly Equitable Biodiverse Litigants for Ecological Extortion and Deep Untruths (WEBLEEDU) just lost another battle in the Sharp Park Golf War.

The San Francisco Public Golf Alliance has the story:

"Federal Judge Susan Illston today issued an Order Denying Plaintiffs' Motion for a Preliminary Injunction at Sharp Park Golf Course. The plaintiffs, "a collection of non-profit conservation groups" led by the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, had sought an order to halt mowing on Holes 9-18 and to halt winter flood-relief pumping at the 80-year-old golf course. Noted architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. submitted a declaration to Court, saying that if granted, the relief sought by the plaintiffs would effectively mean destruction of the Alister MacKenzie-designed course.

In a 15-page ruling, Judge Illston said she denied the motion because she found that the plaintiffs "failed to establish the likelihood of irreparable harm" to the California red-legged frog or the San Francisco garter snake. Judge Illston, a veteran Federal Judge who last year presided at the Barry Bonds case, heard oral arguments in the Sharp Park case on November 18. Trial in the case is scheduled for July 16, 2012.

To read a copy of Judge Illston's opinion, click here [PDF]."

For those keeping score:

• WEBLEEDU failed to elect SF Supervisor John Avalos mayor of San Francisco, after he cravenly secured their support by promising to give away 400 acres of beautiful coastal park land that belongs to the people of San Francisco (I know. Really. He is actually doing this. Only in EssEff.).
• WEBLEEDU failed to make the scientific case to close Sharp Park based on a specious threat to endangered species who have thrived at the park since it was created over 70 years ago.
• WEBLEEDU failed to close the park by promoting false and misleading statement about the financial status and popularity of golf at the park.
• WEBLEEDU failed (thus far) to intimidate The City into closing the course with threats of patently absurd and pointless lawsuits.
• WEBLEEDU failed to stop the funding of a job-creating, stimulus-subsidized, PUC-sponsored, cities of San Francisco and Pacifica supported project to bring recycled water to supply the course (I am not shitting you. A coalition of ostensible "environmentalists" were fighting to stop a project to use recycled water instead of potable Hetch-Hetchy reservoir water at Sharp Park.)

By my count, the current score:

People of San Francisco - 6
WEBLEEDU Axis - 0

Of course, this latest decision is only the most recent skirmish in a series of legal battles. That's ok. We may have a lot of problems in the City, but a shortage of really good lawyers is not one of them. No judge is going to rule to close a historically important landmark golf course in the face of a good faith plan to enhance the habitat for protected species that is sponsored by the most environmentally progressive City government in the country. It is purely an intimidation and EAJA compensation ploy. That's what WEBLEEDU does - environmental bullying of cash strapped municipalities. The City must stand up to them, and so far we have done exactly that.

They will lose the legal battle. Less predictable in San Francisco is what happens on the political front. The next political battle starts Monday December 5th in a public hearing with the City Operations & Neighborhood Services Committee to discuss Supervisor Avalos' ordinance to give away Sharp Park.

The WEBLEEDU's will be there in force. Any San Franciscan interested in protecting this landmark city treasure should be there too. As I've said before:

"John Avalos is advocating giving Sharp Park away to the federal government. This is political suicide, or should be. Where else in the world could a politician run for mayor on a platform of giving away 400 acres of incredibly valuable and beautiful coastal park land that contributes millions in revenue to the city and belongs to the people of that city?


Sharp Park is a unique gem that belongs to the people of San Francisco. We choose to share our park with the Bay Area and the world.


The 80-acre golf course was designed and built by Alister MacKenzie, the game's most important architect. The 400-acre park itself was landscaped by John McLaren, the godfather of San Francisco parks. The park was a gift to the city in 1917 and represents a historic legacy entrusted to the people of San Francisco. The park and golf course are important historic landmarks by any standard.


This civic jewel of a park is a treasure that is our common San Francisco heritage and is a legacy for us to leave to future generations of San Franciscans.


Unless some clueless politician manages to give it away."

Family, Friends, Feast, and Football...

The Mona Lisa of Thanksgiving Plates

- Plenty to be thankful for on this the most American of holidays (although not necessarily in that order). Sigrid and I enjoyed a feast at Chez Brudsen on Thanksgiving day, and watched Harbuagh the Elder defeat Harbaugh the Younger in the Har-Bowl - validating, once again, the important principle of senior sibling superiority.

Abby with turkey.

The Master Chef at work.

All the fixin's

Turkey

More Turkey

Yum.

Just another day in progressive paradise.

A spectacular rainbow on display from our terrace this afternoon.

This occurred shortly after the Bears scored a touchdown on their way to a win over the Chargers.

If I am not mistaken, the far end of this rainbow is landing squarely in the Occupy SF encampment. Who knew?

“One can enjoy a rainbow without necessarily forgetting the forces that made it” - Mark Twain

“After fifteen minutes nobody looks at a rainbow” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high, There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby” - Lyman Frank Baum

"My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky.” William Wordsworth

“If I traveled to the end of the rainbow - As Dame Fortune did intend, Murphy would be there to tell me - The pot's at the other end” - Bert Whitney

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” - Dolly Parton

In solidarity with Occupy EssEff ...

... I had the Beggar's Banquet for lunch at the Market Bar right across the Embarcadero at the Ferry Building. Soup of the day was clam chowder.

Recommended. I raise my glass of draft Drake's Amber Ale in solidarity to my fellow 99 percenters across the street.

Meanwhile, the bourgeois merchants here have not been happy about the encampment:

After The San Francisco Examiner detailed complaints from Ferry Building merchants about the Justin Herman Plaza camp, the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco shot off a letter Friday to Lee demanding action. “I am aware that you have received a number of communications from members of BOMA citing the vandalism, theft, public urination and defecation, physical altercations, business interruption, etc. that the public has had to endure with increasing frequency... The right to public assembly and ‘free speech’ is NOT a license for such irresponsible, uncivil, unhealthy behavior — and it must not be tolerated.”

Whiners.

Still, with the election in the rear view mirror, I don't expect Mayor Ed Lee to keep this particular tourist attraction around much longer.

More pics and thoughts later.

Sent from my HTC smartphone on the Now Network from Sprint!

Bears, Eagles, Desperation, Magical Thinking and The Super Bowl Shuffle

Chalk this up to an act of desperation. Da Bears have a big game against a resurgent Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia tonight. Despite putting their 4-3 record up against a losing 3-4 record for the Eagles, the Bears are big underdogs. No one expects them to win. This game will probably tell us whether the Bears are going to contend this year.

If I was to indulge in some wishful thinking - my hope is that the Bears go on from a win tonight to beat Minnesota and Detroit in the rematch, spoil Green Bay's perfect season in Green Bay on Christmas Day, make the playoffs as a wildcard, and in a rematch of last years NFC Championship, knock off the Packers in Green Bay in a blizzard to go to the Superbowl.

Yes this involves some some serious magical thinking, so I am invoking the magic of the 1985 Bears Superbowl Shuffle to help out.

Found this in the archives...

In 1986 I was working at enterprise software supplier McCormack & Dodge. One week before Superbowl XX, the annual M&D sales kickoff meeting was held at the company Headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts. The VP of Sales was based in Chicago and there was a lot of excitement and rivalry building for the Chicago Bears / New England Patriots match-up. It was a fun meeting but the most fun was the the sales team rendition of the Superbowl Shuffle. Greatest.Cover.Ever.

Despite the potential for personal embarrassment, I am willing to take the risk in the hope some of that old magic will rub off. Hey - it worked for the '85 Bears, which most knowledgeable football fans acknowledge to be the greatest team in NFL history. Maybe, just maybe, the magic will work again.

It could happen.

UPDATE:
Look at that. It worked! Bears win 30-24. I'm back on the bandwagon. All it takes is a little 1985 Magic. I guess I am going to have to keep this up front and center for the rest of the season. Not that I am superstitious, its just that, you know, it worked.