Hey there, San Francisco. 

Did you know a huge, new park is opening in the Russian Hill area next week? 

It’s called Francisco Park, and its 4.5 acres will feature an “expansive center lawn, children’s playground, fenced dog run, nature exploration area, and community garden,” Rec and Parks told me this week. There will be views of the bay as well.

The site is located just a block from Ghirardelli Square on Bay Street and was once home to the city’s first, major reservoir (known as the Francisco Reservoir). But since the reservoir shut down all the way back in the 1940s, the land has gone unused. 

You can learn more about the history behind Francisco Park on its website. There are also some good construction photos that show just how awesome the park looks to be. 

Francisco Park opens on April 27. 

And with that… onto the news… 

Quick bits: News to know

😷 Masks are now optional at SFO and when you’re in an Uber or Lyft, following a federal judge’s decision on Monday to halt the requirement for travelers. 

• BART hasn’t officially updated its mask mandate as of Tuesday, but apparently, it will no longer enforce the policy. 

• MUNI, meanwhile, will keep its mask requirement for now. (SFGATE / Chronicle) 

🧑‍🎤 Outside Lands released the lineup for this summer’s three-day festival on Tuesday, and the headliners include Green Day, Post Malone, and SZA. 

• 💭 Nick’s thought bubble: Beyond those three names, I can’t say I know many (any?) of the other artists. I know, I’m getting old. But, the Bold Italic’s Matt Charnock called the lineup “all the fire emojis,” so I’ll take his word for it. (Outside Lands / Bold Italic) 

⏳ San Francisco's City Attorney has set an April 21 deadline (this Thursday) for the redistricting task force to approve a final draft of its supervisor map. The task force already missed its previous April 15 deadline. 

• “I am confident we’ll be able to do that,” task force chair Rev. Arnold Townsend told the SF Standard. (SF Standard) 

🇦🇷 Empanada favorite El Porteño has opened its first standalone shop located at 700 2nd Street, right near Oracle Park. (SF Business Times) 

What else I’m reading: Links to browse 

• Does it feel like everyone has COVID? Why some experts say S.F. is in a surge now even though cases are low (Chronicle) 

• SF Giants owner Charles B. Johnson doubles down on support for Herschel Walker, a 'Stop the Steal' enthusiast (SFGATE) 

• ‘Living sea wall’ may help protect S.F. from rising waters (Examiner) 

• New Kappo-style restaurant in Japantown, Yuji, offers seating for just nine guests each evening (Hoodline) 

And finally… Raptor cam

One-hundred feet up, in a eucalyptus tree somewhere in the Presidio, a mother red-tailed hawk is looking after her two, recently hatched chicks. And now, thanks to the Presidio Trust, there’s a live video feed that allows you to watch their every move in the nest, the Chronicle’s Andres Picon pointed out this week. 

It’s actually pretty incredible. Within a minute of viewing this afternoon, I witnessed what appeared to be the mother hawk breaking apart a small, dead animal and feeding parts of it to the chicks. 

Nature! I’m not sure I have the stomach for it. 

That’s all for today! And as a heads up, the early election results for the runoff between Matt Haney and David Campos should drop around 8:45 pm tonight. 

As Mission Local notes, if one candidate has a sizable lead, we could have a winner declared by the end of the night. But if it’s close, we might have to wait until the end of the month to know more. 

Either way, I’ll have updates for you tomorrow. Have a great night! - Nick B.