Park Service to Renew LouisÕ Lease

The National Park Service has awarded a 10-year contract to run LouisÕ Restaurant near the Cliff House to the Hontalas family, which has been running the site for the past 73 years.

Because the site needs major upgrades, the lease was put out to bid. There were four bidders for the concession, but the Hontalas family put a winning bid together. The new deal calls for the site to be upgraded to current ADA standards, and food served in the restaurant be locally produced, including grass-fed beef and organic produce. The amount of money going toward the lease has increased to 8 percent of all revenues above $800,000. Because of the leaseÕs conditions, prices at the restaurant will probably go up, according to Tom Hontalas.

LouisÕ is expected to close in December for the renovations and will be reopened about four months later.

Grant for Botanical Garden Visits

The SF Botanical Garden Society has received a $3,000 grant from the Save the Redwoods League to pay for field trips and presentations for 20 classrooms of students visiting the SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park.

The trips allow students to experience redwood forests that "otherwise might not be possible."

Richmond Reform Demos endorse candidates, positions

The Richmond Reform Democratic Club, a group of moderate Democrats, held its endorsement meeting for the upcoming November election on Oct. 13. The club voted to endorse numberous candidates and positions for the Nov. 2 election, including:

Proposition AA:Yes

Prop. B: Yes

Prop. C: No

Prop. D: No

Prop. E: No

Prop. F: Yes

Prop. G: Yes

Prop. H: Yes

Prop. I: Yes

Prop. J: No

Prop. K: Yes

Prop. L: Yes

Prop. M: No

Statewide measures:

Prop. 20: Yes

Prop. 21: Yes

Prop. 22: Yes

Prop. 23: No

Prop. 25: No

Prop. 27: No

Candidates endorsed by the Democratic club:

Governor - Jerry Brown

Lt. Governor - No position

Attorney General - No position

Sec. of State - Debra Bowen

Controller - John Chiang

Treasurer - Bill Lockyer

BART - Brian Larkin

Insurance Commissioner - Dave Jones

Board of Ed. - Tom Torlakson

Board of Equalization - Betty T. Yee

State Senator - Leland Yee

Senator - Barbara Boxer

State Supreme Court Justices - Ming Chin and Carlos Moreno

Assembly - Fiona Ma

Assessor-Recorder - Phil Ting

Public Defender - Jeff Adachi

Superior Court (Seat 15) - Richard Ulmer

San Francisco School Board - Emily Murase, Hydra Mendoza

Community College Board - Lawrence Wong

Big crowd for Jimmy's Old Car Picnic

Jimmy's annual Old Car Picnic was held in Golden Gate Park on Oct. 16. The event started in 1988 when classic-car-loving friends got together to celebrate Golden Gate Park gardener Jimmy O'Keefe's birthday. It has since grown into the largest and longest-running show of its kind in San Francisco and includes cars, trucks and motorcycles of all types. Money raised at the event helps disabled youth.