Note: For additional stories about the west side of San Francisco, see the new issue of the Richmond Review.

Police Blotter/Sunset Spotlight

Major Crossings at 19th Ave. to Close for Work

Improvements to the pedestrian crossings at the intersections of 19th Avenue and Judah and Taraval streets and Sloat Boulevard are set to begin sometime before the end of the year. Traffic at all three intersections will be subject to crossing closures and detours to parallel streets. The improvement work is part of an extensive series of projects that began in 2007.

West Portal's St. Francis Circle to Get Major Improvements

A panel of experts, led by Ha Nguyen of the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), presented plans for the St. Francis Circle Rail Replacement Project to the west side community in September. About 150 neighbors viewed details of the project. The goal is to improve Muni service by replacing tracks and the overhead traffic system at the intersection of West Portal Avenue, Junipero Serra Boulevard, Sloat Boulevard, Portola Drive and St. Francis Boulevard.

Elementary School Earns Honors as National 'Blue Ribbon School'

Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School was honored by the U.S. Department of Education as a No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon School for 2009, joining 22 other select California elementary schools that won the coveted title this year.

Bohemians Thrived at Carville

In the 1890s, well before orderly rows of stucco-clad homes were built across the Sunset District, a colorful and unique bohemian community flowered in sandy hillocks near today's 48th Avenue and Lincoln Way. Obsolete horse cars and cable cars were used to create residences, vacation homes, clubhouses, restaurants and even churches. Judges, lady bicyclists, physicians, inventors and some of the most admired artists and writers of the day came to enjoy this odd streetcar colony, which was called "Carville-by-the-Sea."

School Earns Top Honors

West Portal Elementary School celebrated the 25th anniversary of its ground-breaking Chinese Immersion Program (CIP) on Oct. 17.

Columns:

Capt. Paul Chignell: Police Beat

Supervisor Carmen Chu: City Hall Update, Events